Today, the world’s most prominent public film festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, is unveiling its complete schedule. The official press event for this year’s Berlinale has started, and the new festival director, Tricia Tuttle, has revealed the competition program for the 75th edition of the festival. You can watch the live stream of the press conference here.
Multiple well-known figures are back at Berlin’s competition. Richard Linklater’s movie, titled “Blue Moon“, which tells the story of Lorenz Hart during his final days, a member of the renowned Rodgers & Hart songwriting duo, will make its debut at the Berlinale, marking Linklater’s fourth time competing in Berlin. Previously, with his film “Boyhood” in 2014, he was awarded the Silver Bear for best director. The upcoming film, featuring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott, is set for global distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.
As a film enthusiast, I’m excited to delve into the world of two remarkable directors who graced the Berlinale festival. Hong Sang-soo, a four-time Silver Bear winner, is back with his latest introspective drama, “What Does That Nature Say to You?” This question echoes within me, too, as I anticipate its profound answers. Not to be outshone, Dag Johan Haugerud, whose feature “Sex” was a hit last year, returns with the concluding part of his trilogy, “Dreams.” The trilogy’s final chapter, titled “Love, Sex, Dreams,” promises a captivating conclusion to this thought-provoking journey.
Kicking off the press conference, Tuttle acknowledged Berlin’s standing as the festival with the greatest political influence among the major events.
Or, in a more conversational tone:
Starting off at the press conference, Tuttle gave a nod to Berlin’s reputation for being the most politically significant of all the big festivals.
Frequently, both people and the media inquire whether our event is a political festival, and I always make it clear that we are not. While it’s true that Berlin’s spirit and the essence of our festival can be seen as politically charged, the Berlinale encompasses much more than just politics. In these times when current events often steer conversations, we aspire for the films shown during our festival to spark discussions about the essence and brilliance of cinema.
There’s an array of political themes in the lineup, featuring several premieres. These include Marcin Wierzchowski’s “Das Deutsche Volk,” a movie delving into far-right assaults that occurred in Hanau, Germany in 2020; Tom Shoval’s “Michtav Le’David (A Letter to David),” an emotional letter from an Israeli director to his friend David Cunio who was abducted on October 7th; and “My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow,” a documentary by Julia Loktev, which captures the struggles of independent journalists in Moscow as Russia invades Ukraine. All three films are set to be screened under the Berlinale Special program.
This year, Berlin has revealed many of the films that will be screened in its main sections, such as “Mickey 17”, a sci-fi movie starring Robert Pattinson, directed by Bong Joon-Ho from “Parasite” fame, which won’t compete, and “Das Licht”, the latest work of German director Tom Tykwer (“Run Lola Run”, “Cloud Atlas”), that will kick off the 2025 Berlinale on February 13.
The edges of Berlin’s lineup are now fully fleshed out. Earlier this month, the complete roster for Panorama, a section dedicated to independent art-house films with an emphasis on queer, feminist, and political themes from various global regions; Forum, featuring experimental cinema; and Generation, showcasing youth and children’s films, were revealed.
Among the sidebar’s features are exciting new offerings from acclaimed filmmakers such as Ira Sachs (known for Peter Hujar’s Day), Denis Côté (renowned for Paul), and Michel Gondry (recognized for Maya, Give Me a Title)).
This year, U.S. filmmaker Todd Haynes (known for movies like ‘Carol’ and ‘Far From Heaven’), who received the Teddy Award at Berlin in 1991 for his first feature film ‘Poison’, has been appointed as the head of the international jury. This group will decide the recipients of Berlin’s Gold and Silver Bear awards.
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2025-01-21 13:24