- Date of completion: within the 12 months prior to festival;
- World or International premieres are given priority;
- Accepted formats for Competition section: DCP, 35mm, 70mm, 3D (depending on the theatre);
- Accepted formats for Panorama, Forum and Generation sections: DCP, QuickTime ProRes 422, HDCAM or 35mm (depending on the theatre);
- Accepted formats for Berlinale Shorts section: DCP, QuickTime ProRes 422, HDCAM or 35mm.
The festival does not present television formats, industry films or commercials. German films need to be world premieres, except those submitted to Perspektive Deutsches Kino.
Additional Information
Shipping of prints, tapes and DVDs
- The full cost of sending screening media for selection, including customs fees and insurance of all prints, as well as their return freight, must be borne by the producer or his authorised representatives. The festival is only responsible for the costs of storage and insurance of films while they are on the premises of the festival in Berlin;
- Tapes and DVDs should be marked ‘Sample’;
- All 35mm prints originating outside the European Single Market – regardless of whether they are submitted for selection or invited to participate in the festival – are subject to rules governing temporary imports. It is recommended that they are sent via the festival‘s shipping agent who will handle temporary import of the prints into Germany. Film prints handled by the festival‘s shipping agent can only be returned by air freight through the same. Costs of temporary import must be borne by the producer or his authorised representative.
Liability of the festival
In case of damage or loss of a print, either during the selection process or during the festival itself, the festival is liable only for the cost of striking a new print at the rate charged by film laboratories for ordering a standard print.
Return of film prints and tapes/DVDs
- Provided the entry fees have been paid, film prints will be returned by the Festival or its shipping agent according to the print owner’s instructions on cash on delivery basis. All transportation costs are the responsibility of the entrant. All prints imported temporarily into Germany by the festival‘s shipping agent must be exported by the same and by air freight;
- All tapes and DVDs submitted for selection will be returned only at the express wish of the owner and at the owner’s expense. Requests for return of material can be made to films@berlinale.de up to six months after the festival;
- Upon explicit demand, the submitted material may also be destroyed by the festival. In this case it is similarly necessary to send the respective instruction to films@berlinale.de within six months after the festival;
- After this period all unfinished versions of films will be deleted and the remaining media will be archived in the reference collections of Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen for the sole purpose of onsite documentation and research – excluding any loan or public presentation, in order to protect the interests of the filmmakers and the producers.
Entry fees
Films will only be considered for selection after the entry fee is received. The fee for submitting a long film is € 150 (7% VAT included) regardless of the number of sections for which the film is entered. The fee for short films is € 60.
Means of payment
- Payment of the entry fee is to be effected by credit card during the online submission;
- Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted;
- There are special conditions for filmschools and film institutes. Please contact the programme organisation at programme@berlinale.de for further details.
Programming
Programming is at the sole discretion of the Directors of each festival section and their decision is final and irrevocable. Each film may be screened up to five times during the festival.
Participants’ obligations
- No film selected may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its publication. During the festival no film selected may be screened outside the Festival venues before its official presentation at the festival;
- Participation in the festival requires the unconditional adherence to its regulations as set out here. Producers, distributors or other organisations submitting a film must ensure that they are legitimately entitled to enter a film in the festival. Please note that each festival section has its own terms and conditions of entry;
- The festival director reserves the right to settle any case not covered by these regulations.
Submit online film entry.
Subtitles language: english and/or german
Premiere Requirements
World premiere required.
Jury and Organizers
Festival Director
Director, Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin
Dieter Kosslick
Programme Manager Competition & Berlinale Special
Lorna Bösel
Programme Coordination Competition & Series
Judith Klein
Assistant to Festival Director
Sabine Gebauer
Assistant to Festival Director
Johanna Glaser
Berlinale Curator
Thomas Hailer