Festive Opening of the 69th Berlinale

On February 7, the 69^th Berlin International Film Festival will be off to a festive start: in the Berlinale Palast, Jury President Juliette Binoche, Minister of State and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Prof. Monika Grütters, Governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller, and Festival Director Dieter Kosslick will kick off the Berlinale with a glamorous opening. This year Dieter Kosslick is celebrating his 18^th festival and following the Berlinale’s 69^th edition he will be saying goodbye.

During the Opening Gala, the International Jury will be introduced. Besides actress Juliette Binoche (France), this year’s jury includes film critic and author Justin Chang (USA), actress Sandra Hüller (Germany), director Sebastián Lelio (Chile), curator Rajendra Roy (USA), and producer, director and actress Trudie Styler (United Kingdom). The Gala is once again hosted by Anke Engelke. The event will be televised live at 7.30 pm by ZDF/3sat and streamed at www.berlinale.de

Following the Opening Gala, Lone Scherfig’s film The Kindness of Strangers will have its world premiere. The director and her film team, including Zoe Kazan, Tahar Rahim, Andrea Riseborough, Bill Nighy, Caleb Landry Jones,  David Dencik, Nicolaj Kopernikus and Esben Smed Jensen, will present the film in the Berlinale Palast.

In addition to the members of the International Jury, the GWFF Best First Feature Award jury are, among others, expected on the Red Carpet. This year’s members include author and journalist Katja Eichinger (Germany), director Alain Gomis (France / Senegal), and director, screenwriter and producer Vivian Qu (China). Attending as well will be the three members of the Glashütte Original ― Documentary Award jury: programme director of Eurodoc Maria Bonsanti (Italy), director and screenwriter Gregory Nava (USA), and director Maria Ramos (Brazil). Vanja Kaludjercic (Croatia), Director of Acquisitions at MUBI and member of the International Short Film Jury, is also expected.

A number of prominent German and international politicians have also announced their attendance, including Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Norwegian Minister of Culture Trine Skei Grande and others.

On this evening, other international and national guests are anticipated as well: Numan Acar, Fatih Akin, Feo Aladag, Verena Altenberger, Thomas Arslan, Emily Atef, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Hartmut Becker, Meret Becker, Wolfgang Becker, Paula Beer, Iris Berben, Edward Berger Christian Berkel, Moritz Bleibtreu, Matthias Brandt, Anna Brüggemann, Detlev Buck, Christel Buschmann, Didi Danquart, Pepe Danquart, Maria Dragus, Emma Drogunova, Can Dündar, Uli Edel, Lars Eidinger, Olafur Eliasson, Veronica Ferres, Nora Fingscheidt, Inka Friedrich, Hans Fromm, Florian Gallenberger, Toni Garrn, Martina Gedeck, Jan-Ole Gerster, Matti Geschonneck, Frank Griebe, Hendrik Handloegten, Monika Hansen-Sander, Reinhard Hauff, Dunja Hayali, Helene Hegemann, Benjamin Heisenberg, Felix Herzogenrath, Hannah Herzsprung, Pia Hierzegger, Brigitte Hobmeier, Sherry Hormann, Nina Hoss, Henry Hübchen, Markus Imhoof, Hannes Jaenicke, Peter Keglevic, Sibel Kekilli, Udo Kier, Nikolai Kinski, Burghart Klaußner, Herbert Knaup, Sebastian Koch, Wolfgang Kohlhaase, Lars Kraume, Marie Kreutzer, Marco Kreuzpaintner, David Kross, Maren Kroymann, Peter Kurth, Bernd Lange, Alexandra Maria Lara, Dani Levy, Florian Lukas, Andreas Lust, Andie MacDowell, Heike Makatsch, Marie-Luise Marjan, Oliver Masucci, Eva Mattes, Ulrich Matthes, Claudia Michelsen, Axel Milberg, Birgit Minichmayr, Helke Misselwitz, Hans Petter Moland, Marius Müller-Westernhagen, Jannis Niewöhner, Valerie Pachner, Christiane Paul, Franziska Petri, Christian Petzold, Wang Quan'an, Lutz Reitemeier, Kim Riedle, Katja Riemann, Oskar Roehler, Franz Rogowski, Gernot Roll, Katrin Sass, Andrea Sawatzki, Alexander Scheer, Clemens Schick, Jenny Schily, Hans-Christian Schmid, Karoline Schuch, Emilia Schüle, Katharina Schüttler, Hanna Schygulla, Ula Stöckl, Strawalde, Devid Striesow, Jasmin Tabatabai, Aylin Tezel, Robert Thalheim, Antje Traue, Elisabeth Trissenaar, Tom Tykwer, ChrisTine Urspruch, Andres Veiel, Simon Verhoeven, Veruschka, Joseph Vilsmaier, Justus von Dohnányi, Theresa von Eltz, Rosa von Praunheim, Margarethe von Trotta, Nora von Waldstätten, Mark Waschke, Hans Weingartner, Franziska Weisz, Wim Wenders, Johanna Wokalek, Susanne Wolff, Sönke Wortmann, Fahri Yardim, Ronald Zehrfeld, August Zirner, Hanns Zischler a.m.m.