Berlin International Film Festival «Berlinale» (10/02)

Berlin International Film Festival (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin) «Berlinale» – is the largest film event in Germany and one of the most important in Europe. The festival, since 1951, has been held in the German capital annually, it takes place in February and lasts 10 days (until 1978 it was held in the summer).

Along with the Cannes, Venice and Moscow film festivals, «Berlinale» is also one of the central events in the world of cinema and is focused primarily on «author» and «intellectual cinema».

The festival's competition program includes feature-length and short films created during the year before the start of the festival and not shown at other festivals. The premieres take place at the Berlinale Palast.

The festival jury, which includes famous actors, writers, directors and cultural figures, pays special attention to ensuring that films from all over the world are presented at the «Berlinale».

The Berlin Film Festival was founded in 1951 by World War II allies – the United States, Great Britain and France, which then controlled West Berlin. But the awards were presented by a German jury. In 1952-1955, public surveys and voting were already conducted in various foreign magazines. Since 1956, the decision to award awards has been made by an international jury, and the «Berlinale» has received official status as an international film festival.

Since then, over the years, participants from more than 50 countries have presented their film works at the festival in Berlin. It was here that classics of world cinema such as Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergan, Roman Polanski, Francois Truffaut and others received their first recognition. Here «blistered»: Harry Cooper, Sophia Loren, Jean Gabin, Jane Fonda, Juliet Mazina, Jean-Paul Belmondo…

Until 1975, Russian cinema was not represented at the «Berlinale». The first film shown here was Sergei Solovyov’s film «One Hundred Days After Childhood», then Solovyov received the prize for best director. Among the Russians who received festival awards over the years are – Larisa Shepitko, Gleb Panfilov, Alexander Sokurov, Anatoly Solonitsyn, Inna Churikova and others.

As a rule, about 400 films are shown at the festival, and about 300 thousand spectators attend it. As part of the film screening, in addition to the competition program, there are sections «International Forum of Young Cinema», «Panorama», «Forum of New Film» (these are avant-garde and non-commercial films), a section of 3D films, a video festival, a film festival for children, as well as a European film market.

The main award is the «Golden Bear» (Bear – heraldic symbol of Berlin), awarded for the best film of the main competition, for the best short film and for life achievements. «Silver Bear» is awarded in several categories – «Best Director», «Best Leading Role», «Best Supporting Role», «Best Music», «Best Screenplay», Best Short Film; individual prizes are awarded for outstanding achievements in the field of art, for best debut film, as well as the – Alfred Bauer Award, which recognizes films that « discover new paths in the art of cinema».

There are a number of additional awards at the «Berlinale» – Bronze Bear, Blue Angel, Best Artist, Best Screenplay, Special Jury Award, Special Mentions of the Jury, Honorary Silver Prize, Personal Achievement Award, Foreign Delegations Award, Career Prize, Screenplay Prize, Prize for creativity, etc.

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