The Berlin International Film Festival announced that the 71st edition will take place with a new festival format for 2021.
Berlinale’s industry platforms, such as the European Film Market and the Berlinale Co-Production Market, will be held online from March 1-5, 2021.
In the summer, the festival will hold public screenings of the programming. The programming for the Competition and section tracks will be revealed in February. In Berlin, the international jury will watch the films to select the winners, who will be presented to the public audience in the summer.
Mariette Rissenbeek, executive director of the Berlinale, said, “There is a great desire to meet face-to-face. The current situation does not allow a physical festival in February, at the same time it is important to offer the film industry a market within the first quarter of the year. With the change in the festival format in 2021, we will have the chance to protect the health of all guests and to support the restart of the cinema industry. With the summer event, we want to celebrate a festival for the cinema and offer the Berlinale audience the long-awaited community experience of cinema and culture.”
Carlo Chatrian, artistic director of the festival, added, “As an answer to the times in which we are living, we have decided to split our offer into two distinct, yet related events and in this way fulfil the mission of the Berlinale. While in March the film industry will be gathered (online) and will be able to support and give light to our selection, in summer – like a new start, 70 years after the first edition – our audiences will be able to celebrate the filmmakers and their teams, in theaters and under the open sky.”
Pictured: Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek
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