BERLIN (Reuters) – The Berlin Film Festival is slimming down from next year in a bid to stabilise its budget, organisers said on Tuesday, announcing a condensed programme and an end to its dedicated segment for local film makers.
Executive Director Mariette Rissenbeek and Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian evaluated the festival’s structure following the 2023 edition in February, which was a major comeback for the event after two years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Like many other areas of society, cultural institutions and festivals are affected by considerable cost increases but unchanged budgets,” the two directors said in a statement mapping out the changes.
These include reducing the total number of films shown across the event’s various segments to around 200, from 287 in 2023. An exception has been made for the Competition segment, the festival’s main draw.
From 2024, the Berlinale, as the festival is known, will also dissolve its Perspektive segment, which showcases up-and-coming German cinema. These films will instead be integrated into existing segments, the statement said.
The Berlinale is counted as one of the “Big Five” film festivals alongside Cannes, Venice, Toronto and Sundance. Its 74th edition is scheduled to take place from Feb. 15-25, 2024.
(Writing by Rachel More, Editing by Miranda Murray)
