During the peak of the Cold War in 1950, Oscar Martay, a film officer of the Information Service Branch of the American High Commissioner for Germany stationed in Berlin, proposed the idea of a film festival in Berlin. T… See more

The Berlinale is considered one of the five major film festivals in the world, alongside Venice, Cannes, Sundance and Toronto, and is the largest based on attendance. As of 2020, around 325,000 tickets were sold, and nearly … See more

The festival is open to films of every length and genre, but there is priority given to international and European premieres, and the films need to have been completed within the year preceding the festival. Submission… See more

As of 2024 the festival is composed of eight different sections:
• Competition: feature-length films yet to be released outside their country of origin, which compete for several prizes, including the top … See more

The Golden Bear (Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. In its first year in 1951, it was awarded to the best film in each of five categories, by an all-German jury. … See more