In autumn 2009, the peaceful revolution and the fall of the Wall will celebrate their 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Deutsche Kinemathek have initiated a special series entitled “After Winter Comes Spring – Films Presaging the Fall of the Wall”. The project will be launched at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. 

The 59th Berlin International Film Festival will open on February 5, 2009 with the world premiere of the British-German co-prodution The International. Directed by Tom Tykwer (Perfume, Run, Lola Run) and featuring a star-studded cast, the action thriller traces the criminal business transactions that finance war and terror.  

The Scottish actress Tilda Swinton will be President of the International Jury at the Berlinale 2009. Tilda Swinton is one of the most prominent and versatile acting talents of her generation. She has received numerous international film awards for her exceptional work  

TV5MONDE, official partner of the Berlinale, and the German-French Youth Office (FGYO) are now calling for bids to enter the jury for the prize “Dialogue en perspective”. Young cinéastes with a passion for critical film analysis can apply from now on to become a jury member for the independent Berlinale award “Dialogue en perspective” 

The 59th Berlin International Film Festival 2009 will include the world-famous Friedrichstadtpalast as one of its cinema venues. From February 7-15, this tradition-steeped and unique revue theatre will turn into a film theatre, where over 1,800 moviegoers can attend four to six screenings from the Competition or Berlinale Special programmes daily 

In the ninth selection round of the World Cinema Fund (WCF) on October 25, the WCF drew a positive balance for 2008 and proposed three film projects for production funding 

By focussing on 70-mm films, the Retrospective of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival will devote itself to the powerful visuals of wide-gauge film. Twice as wide as standard 35-mm film, it is the adequate format for monumental works: screen epics, adventure and science fiction films, Westerns, musicals, as well as magnificent panoramas of nature and intimately beautiful close-ups 

On October 16, the Berlinale Day will be held at the Frankfurt Book Fair (Oct. 15-19, 2008) for the fourth time. The common goal of Germany’s two largest cultural events is to strengthen collaboration between the book and film worlds and promote exchange 

The short film competition of the Berlinale Talent Campus – supported since 2003 by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg – invites directors from all over the world to submit short film ideas inspired by the theme “Straight to Cinema” 

The Berlinale Talent Campus 2009 will address the theme: “Suddenly, It All Happened – The turning point in close-up”. Storytelling is one of the central aspects of successful filmmaking and is as old as humanity itself. Stories have always connected people to their culture 

Effective immediately and until October 30, 2008, internationally experienced producers from all over the world can submit film projects to the 6th Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 8-10, 2009). Projects must have secured a minimum of 30% of their required financing and be suited to co-production in order to qualify 

For the European Film Market 2009, there will be a prime new exhibition space in addition to the Martin-Gropius-Bau – the EFM Marriott Offices in the prestigious Marriott Hotel on Potsdamer Platz 

French-born Catherine Buresi became the new Deputy Director of the Berlinale’s European Film Market (EFM) on September 1, 2008. She succeeds Karen Arikian, who became Executive Director of the Hamptons International Film Festival in March 2008 

For the sixth season running, the Friedrichshain Open-Air Cinema, in cooperation with radio eins, is showing some of the gems from this year’s Berlinale. Anke Leweke and Knut Elstermann, film reviewers for radio eins, will open the Summer Berlinale and whet our appetites for the next four days of stimulating viewing 

In the eighth selection round of the World Cinema Fund (WCF), five film projects from Lebanon, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey and Columbia have been proposed for production funding 

On June 23, 2008, the shoot for My Super Sea Wall began in north Alaska. The film is one of five projects that made it to the final selection for the Berlin Today Award 2009 – the short film competition of the Berlinale Talent Campus. Gina Abatemarco from the USA will realize the short film with Anna Wendt Film Production from Berlin 

Dieter Kosslick has appointed Maryanne Redpath the new Director of Generation, the children’s and youth film section. She will take over on May 1, 2008. Ms. Redpath, who is currently Co-Director of the section, has worked for the festival since 1993, and has been the Berlinale delegate for Australia and New Zealand since 2005. Florian Weghorn, who has assisted Generation’s management since 2002, will succeed Maryanne Redpath as Co-Director 

The Berlin Today Award, supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg as the short film competition of the Berlinale Talent Campus since 2003, has nominated five short film projects as finalists in the upcoming round. 176 young filmmakers from 72 countries responded to the call for project ideas related to the theme “My Wall“, conceived to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall