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. Curated by Claus Löser, the films made in both Germanys and Eastern Europe during the last decade of the Cold War formulate the hope of a political or economic opening and, above all, artistic freedom 

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 59th Berlin International Film Festival. 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 – most recently the 2008 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Michael Clayton 

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 award was initiated by TV5MONDE and the German-French Youth Office, and is presented annually to a film from the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section. The prize aims to foster dialogue between young people from France and Germany and promote contemporary German film in France  

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