What the Berlinale 2025 will bring
Published: Monday, Dec 23rd 2024, 11:00
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Tricia Tuttle is directing the Berlinale for the first time in February. Time to ask questions. Is Timothée Chalamet coming? What are the lessons learned from the controversial closing gala? How expensive will the tickets be?
Will this year again be more about the films and the stars on the red carpet than about politics? The new Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle is not necessarily off to the easiest of starts. Her first edition as director is also an anniversary edition (75 years).
"Last year, despite some challenges, it was very successful in the end, especially with the audience," Tuttle told the German Press Agency. She wants to build on this. What is already known?
Is "Dune" star Timothée Chalamet coming?
Film fans are currently asking themselves a question: Will the biopic "Like A Complete Unknown" about music legend Bob Dylan with Timothée Chalamet be shown at the International Film Festival? Thematically, a screening would fit - jury president Todd Haynes has a soft spot for music films and has already made a work about Dylan himself with "I'm Not There".
Festival director Tuttle is keeping a low profile. "I can't say anything about the program yet. We'll reveal any secrets at the press conference in January." The competition films will also be announced then.
The Berlinale has already announced some prominent names. Scottish actress Tilda Swinton ("The Room Next Door") will be awarded the Berlinale Honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement. And German director Tom Tykwer ("Perfume") will open the Berlinale with his feature film "The Light". "We didn't want to open with a "German film", but with a very international contribution from Germany," says Tuttle.
The US-American Tuttle has canceled the Berlinale series "Encounters" for experimental and daring productions - and created a new one instead. With the "Perspectives" section, she wants to give more space to international directorial debuts.
A total of around 8000 films were submitted - roughly the same number as last year. So far she has screened an estimated 200, some of her programmers around 500 or 600, says Tuttle. There is no Swiss production on the already announced program so far.
Controversial closing gala
At the closing gala of the Berlinale last February, statements spoke of apartheid in connection with the situation in the territories occupied by Israel and of genocide with regard to the army's actions in Gaza. There was a hail of criticism, including accusations of hatred of Israel and anti-Semitism. Together with the team, Tuttle evaluated "every detail" of the award ceremony and other incidents and drew lessons, said the director. Tuttle told the Guardian that the debate in Germany about the Gaza war was causing uncertainty among filmmakers. She had spoken to artists who were wondering whether they wanted to come.
A debate about the invitation and disinvitation of several AfD politicians to the opening gala also caused an uproar in Germany. Following criticism, the Berlinale excluded the party representatives. How is it dealing with this now?
"But who we invite and who we don't is our responsibility," says Tuttle. Guest suggestions are evaluated according to our own criteria. "We take a clear and non-negotiable stance against discrimination and xenophobia. We want to be an inclusive place. So when we think about who we invite and who we offer hospitality to, that will be part of our assessment," says the festival director.
Partially higher ticket prices
Ticket prices will remain largely the same compared to the previous edition. However, the big film premieres in the Berlinale Palast will be slightly more expensive. An increase of two euros per ticket is planned there. This is to cover some of the cost increases. In 2024, tickets at the Berlinale Palast on Potsdamer Platz cost 18 euros. For regular screenings, they were 15 euros. There are still some discounts for certain groups.
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