The 73rd Berlin International Film Festival concluded successfully on February 26, highlighted by the Golden Bear award to Nicolas Philibert's "Sur L'Adamant". This marked the first fully in-person event after the pandemic, with a slogan of “Let's get together”. The festival attracted 20,000 professionals from 132 countries, 2,800 media representatives, and sold 320,000 public tickets.
The Berlinale celebrated cinema culture with full cinemas and a diverse audience. Directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian emphasized the festival's focus on shared experiences and hope for continued cinema enthusiasm.
The festival showed solidarity with Ukraine, Iran, and earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey. Ukrainian President Zelensky addressed the festival, highlighting global conflicts and struggles.
The diverse program included competitions, special sections, and an honorary award to Steven Spielberg. The European Film Market was highly successful, with a record number of visitors and significant sales. "20,000 Species of Bees" won the Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance.
Berlinale Talents focused on humor in serious times, featuring talks and workshops with notable figures like Kristen Stewart and Cate Blanchett. The World Cinema Fund emphasized support for cinema in crises, with two WCF-supported films winning awards.
The 74th Berlin International Film Festival is scheduled for February 15-25, 2024.
