Who will replace Dahomey and Matti Diop with the Golden Bear in 2024? Already in 2023, France shone with the coronation of Nicolas Philibert’s documentary Sur l’Adamant (Golden Bear) and Au Grand Chariot by Philippe Garrel (Silver Bear).
The 75th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival has just revealed the main feature of its programme. It is the first to be run by Tricia Tuttle, who replaces Carlo Chatriani.
19 feature films will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears. France will be represented in the competition this year by two directors: Leonor Serai and Lucile Hadjihalilovic.
Other major filmmakers competing this year: Richard Linklater with Blue Moon, starring Ethan Hawke and Margaret Cowell, or Mexico’s Michelle Franco with Dreams (with Jessica Chastain). Another notable film: Lionel Bayer’s La Cache, Michel Blanc’s last film appearance.
The jury is chaired by Todd Haynes, known for directing Carol, I’m Not There and most recently May December, alongside Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.
The opening film for this edition will be the highly anticipated Mickey 17, which has suffered several release delays. This is Bong Joon-ho’s first feature film since Parasite won the Palme d’Or and the Oscar for Best Picture. There he directs Robert Pattinson. This 75th edition will be held from February 13 to 23.
Discover the full list of films in the official competition and other gala selections.
official competition
Ari by Léonor Serraille (France / Belgium) 2025
Blue Moon Richard Linklater (USA / Ireland)
Lionel Bayer Cash (Switzerland / Luxembourg / France)
Michel Franco’s Dreams (Mexico)
Drømmer (Dreams (Sex Love)) Dag Johan Haugerud (Norway)
Geu jayeoni nege mworago hani (“What is this nature telling you”) by Hong Sangsoo (South Korea)
Hot Milk by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (UK)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Mary Bronstein (USA)
Kontinental ’25 by Radu Jude (Romania)
El mensaje (The Message) by Iván Fund (Argentina / Spain)
Mother’s Child by Johanna Moder (Austria / Switzerland / Germany)
O último azul (The Blue Trail) by Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil/Mexico/Chile/Netherlands)
Reflection in a Dead Diamond by Hélène Katet and Bruno Forzan (Belgium / Luxembourg / Italy / France)
Sheng Shi Zhi Di (Land Life) by Huo Meng (China)
Strichka chasu (Sign of the times) by Kateryna Gornostay (Ukraine / Luxembourg / Netherlands / France)
Lucile Hajihalilovic Ice Tower (France / Germany) 2025
was Marielle Weiß (What Marielle Knows) by Friedrich Hambalek (Germany)
Xiang fei by nv hai (Girls on Wire) by Vivian Qu (China)
Greece by Ameer Fakher Eldin (Germany / Canada / Italy / Palestine / Qatar / Jordan / Saudi Arabia)
Berlinale special gala
After This Death Lucio Castro (USA)
The Perfect Stranger James Mangold (USA)
Heldin (late shift) Petra Volpe (Switzerland / Germany)
Islands by Jan-Ole Gerster (Germany)
Köln 75 Ido Fluk (Germany / Poland / Belgium)
Das Licht (The Light) by Tom Tykwer (Germany)
Alex Russell’s Lurker (USA / Italy)
Mickey 17 Bong Joon Ho (USA/South Korea/UK)
The Thing With Feathers by Dylan Southern (UK)
Berlinale special gala series
Justin Kurzel’s Narrow Road to the Deep North
Berlinale special
Ancestral Visions of the Future by Lemohang Jeremiah Moses
Das Deutsche Volk by Marcin Wierzchowski
Honey Bunch by Madeleine Sims-Feuer and Dusty Mancinelli
All I Had Was Nothingness – The Shoah by Claude Lanzmann by Guillaume Ribot
Kane Thierry. so wild (No Beast. So Fierce.) by Burhan Qurbani | With Kenda Hmeidan, Verena Altenberger, Hiam Abbas, Mona Zarreh Hoshiari Khas, Mehdi Nebu
Leibniz – Chronik eines verschollenen Bildes (Leibniz – Chronicle of a Lost Painting) Edgar Reitz, Anatole Schuster | With Edgar Selges, Ann Schwartz, Michael Kranz, Lars Eidinger, Barbara Sukova
A melhor mãe do mundo (The Best Mother in the World) by Anna Muillaert
Michtav Le’David (Letter to David) by Tom Shoval
My Unwanted Friends: Part I – The Last Air in Moscow by Julia Loktev
Pa-gwa (Old Woman with Knife) Min Kyu-dong
The Shoah by Claude Lanzmann
Selection prospects
Mohamed Rashadi Al Mostamerah (Settlement) (Egypt / France / Germany / Saudi Arabia / Qatar)
Baksho Bond (“Shadowbox”) Tanushree Das, Saumyananda Sahi (India / France / United States / Spain)
BLKNWS: Kahlil Joseph Terms and Conditions (US)
Come la notte (Where the night stands) Lyric dela Cruz (Italy / Philippines)
El Diablo Fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja) (The devil smokes (and saves burnt matches in the same box)) Ernesto Martinez Buccio (Mexico)
Duas Vezes João Liberada (Twice João Liberada) by Paula Tomas Marques (Portugal)
Hé mán (Eel) by Chu Chun-teng (Taiwan)
How to be Normal and Otherworldly Weird by Florian Pochlatko (Austria)
Kaj ti je deklica (Little Troubled Girls) Urška Dukić (Slovenia / Italy / Croatia / Serbia)
Mad Bills to Pay (or fate, dile que no soy malo) Joel Alfonso Vargas (USA)
Minden Rendben (Growing Down) by Bálint Dániel Sós (Hungary)
Mit der Faust in die Welt schlagen (Strike the World) by Konstanze Klaue (Germany)
We believe Arnaud Dufis and Charlotte Deviller (Belgium)
Valentin Cadik Summer Meeting (France)
Press conference announcing the selection:
The 75th edition of the Berlinale will be held from February 13 to 23, 2025.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
