There are uncountable film festivals that take place around the world but, among these, the Berlin International Film Festival, also known as Berlinale, stands out from all of them, not only for being a favourite in Europe and to the quality of the films that participate, but also because it’s a perfect alternative to light up the cold winter days.

Berlin, in the last few years, has been considered as one of the most artistic and bohemian places in Europe, a place where creativity seems to flow quicker in its intriguing squares, cafés, theatres and museums, that manage to cast a spell on the artists so they produce amazing works. This, added to the extraordinary nightlife that the German capital offers, make it a perfect destination for such an event.

The Berlinale was founded in 1951, in the old West Germany and, since 1978, has been taking place every year in the month of February, slowly becoming one of the most famous film festivals around the world, as well as the one that receives the most public with 487,000 visitors. Around 400 films compete in different categories (any format or genre can be presented for consideration) with the aim of obtaining those sought after Golden and Silver Bears that are given as an award to the best films.

The films that are presented at the festival are divided in seven categories that conform different blocks of films duly selected by a distinguished expert panel. The sections are as follows:

Generation: This is the category for the youngest ones and divides itself in two: Generation Kplus, for children and under 14s, and Generation 14plus, for children older than 14.

Berlinale Shorts: Fresh and innovative short films, German and international, compete in this category with the hope of obtaining the coveted Golden Bear to the best short film.

Forum: The films in the Forum category don’t compete for any award. In this category they present documentaries and experimental films without restrictions of format or genre.

Competition: In this section they present films that haven’t been premiered yet outside their country of origin. The films in this category can compete for the Golden Bear for the best film, as well as Silver Bears for the best actor/actress, script and production.

Panorama: The controversial and unconventional subjects are the stars in this category. Here they present independent films that provoke discussion. The LGBT community has special importance in this section because their films are the most popular.

Retrospective: In this category they present films shown in past editions of the Berlinale in the categories of Competition, Forum, Panorama and Generation.

Perspektive Deutsches Kino: It’s an exclusive category for German films that tries to highlight the current trends in Germany.

As well as the seven sections, the Berlinale finishes with a tribute to the life and work of a film personality.

Don’t forget, from the 9th till the 19th of February you have a date with the seventh art in Berlin. For more information visit the official website of teh festival: http://www.berlinale.de

Hans

Nothing better than renting apartments in Berlin and enjoying one of the most important film festivals in the world, the Berlinale, a festival you won’t want to miss.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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The 62nd edition of the Berlinale is already here, which means that Berlin will fill up with glamour, stars and many, many golden and silver Bears. The film festival in Berlin is one of the oldest in Europe and it’s also one of the most important around the world. In these 62 years it has worked arduously to give more space for film, creating special categories to include different themes, formats and styles, in order not to leave any loose ends.

Since 1951, with the inauguration of the film festival with the film ‘Rebecca’ by Alfred Hitchcock, the event has broadened and changed with time and that’s how, today, as well as being one of the festivals that promotes more independent film of all the famous and big film festivals, it characterizes itself for having a temporary film school called ‘Berlinale Talent Campus’, where the most outstanding filmmakers, actors and film celebrities give talks and show the people who participate subjects related with the seventh art. On the other hand, the festival promotes the sale and distribution of films inside the European market, an aspect which stands out because at the festival they come to a large amount of agreements and business deals for future film productions, as well as fomenting film in countries that don’t have a wealthy infrastructure and boost the career of young filmmakers.

The 2012 edition of the festival seems to be an interesting one. Starting with the international category, the great star is probably Angelina Jolie as a director with her film ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’ that is competing for the Golden Bear. In the same category as Jolie, the films ‘Taboo’, ‘La chispa de la vida’ by Alex de la Iglesia, ‘Childish Games’, ‘Barbara’, ‘Meteora’ and L’enfant d’en haut’ among others. On the other hand, in the short film category, from a hundred films, thirty have been selected that go straight into the competition for the Golden Bear. The award for this category is a Golden Bear for the best short film, a silver Bear for the special prize from the jury and the film nominated for the European Film Awards.

The other official categories of the festival are: the Generation Award, that awards films with young actors and young directors (children and adolescents only), who compete in front of a jury of the same age for the Crystal Bear. Also, there are the awards for the best prime opera and the Honorific Bear Award, that this year will be going to the great actress Meryl Streep. Also, there will be a deserved recognition to the Babelbergs Studios, pioneers in the development of international film and, of course, the cradle of German film. In retrospective, this year will be dedicated to show a group theme with the MOMA Contemporary Art Museum called ‘The Red Dreams Factory’.

As well as all of these wonderful things, we can find: The ‘Forum’, the Perspektive Deutsches Kino and many other attractions and special sections that make this event unique in the world.

For more information visit: http://www.berlinale.de/en/HomePage.html

Luz Obscura

Rent apartments in Berlin right now! The Berlinale is one of the most important film festivals in the world and you should be there!

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Berlin is a cosmopolitan and multicultural city and as such, every year (since 1951) it celebrates one of the most important film festivals in the world: The Berlin International Film Festival, this year being its 59th edition.

Read the full post here at: The Berlinale 2009