Berlinale Talents, Berlin Videos

Meet the Talent
While we’re still reminiscing about the festival, we thought we’d take another look back at the amazing times we had getting to know some of this year’s Talents. Meet Aigul, a cinematographer from Kazakhstan, who we spoke to about the language of cinema and how it can make networking and connecting with other filmmakers easier. 🎬❤️

Interview with Ester Bernal
Though this edition of Berlinale Talents is over, the relationship with our Talents is only just beginning. When they were with us in Berlin last week, we took the chance to get to sit down with some of them, to get to know them and find out more about their experiences at Berlinale Talents. Meet Ester, a distributor from Mexico, who told us all about how she thinks Berlinale Talents can bring people together and build a community. 💫

When Peaches and her hair and costume designer Charlie Mindu joined us on stage, we knew we were in for a discussion like no other! From the grotesque absurdity of reality, provoking reactions through the use of hair in costumes, to the similarities and differences between music, live performance and film, the talk was a performance in itself, with Peaches stripping down to model some of her costumes for us on stage!

Tonight's the night - the grand finale of the Berlinale, the Awards Ceremony, where the International Jury will hand out the Golden and Silver Bears! Earlier this week, in the midst of her busy schedule, Jury President Lupita Nyong'o took the time to join us for an intimate session exclusively for our 200 Talents. Taking questions from the Talents, she shared incredible insights into how she weighs up whether a script is right for her or not, the humanity of cinema, and the unending possibilities within the language of cinema.

Over the past few days 200 Talents, with different backgrounds, names and professions have walked the halls of HAU Hebbel am Ufer. We caught up with some of them to hear about their experiences at Berlinale Talents and how they've connected over their shared love of cinema.🎥❤️

What an incredible evening we had with Honorary Golden Bear recipient, the one and only Martin Scorsese ✨ From his mother’s initial thoughts on his choice of career, to the absurdity of celebrity, we were treated to an insight into his unique, award-winning life and career.

For the first time, this year we brought the new fellows of the Talents Footprints Mastercard Enablement Programme together with alumni of the programme. Why? It's all about collaboration, the sharing and transfer of knowledge, and community building between these socially engaged pioneers and their projects.Their first outing after the announcement at the Dine & Shine? An innovative and inspiring day of workshopping together with Paul Tyler. 🎥🌿❤️🧡

Talents Footprints Mastercard Enablement Programme 2024
It is with great pleasure that we announce the fellows of the 2024 Talents Footprints – Mastercard Enablement Programme. In a change from previous years, this year we welcome two new fellows and their film-related social initiatives and also welcome back two alumni of the programme to catch up with and further support their projects. New Fellows: Esther Kemi Gbadamosi with Radioxity Stop Motion Animation Academy (Nigeria) - enabling and supporting emerging stop motion talents by providing access to professional training and mentorship from global key players in stop motion animation. Perivi John Katjavivi with Return to the Source (Namibia) - workshop and residency programme that uses film as a therapeutic tool to navigate colonial sites in marginalised communities in Namibia. Alumni: Shuchi Talati with UnderCurrent (India) - India's first training programme for women who want to work in cinema lighting. Sydelle Willow Smith with Sunshine Cinema (South Africa) - solar-powered mobile cinemas, bringing free African film screenings to rural communities, sparking dialogue on social issues and empowering local youth as media entrepreneurs. The fellows were selected by the jury of German actor and activist Thelma Buabeng (Berlin Alexanderplatz), Marene Arnold (Vice President Marketing & Communications Mastercard DACH Region) and Iranian director and Talents alumna Sadaf Foroughi (Ava, Summer with Hope). Mastercard Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival Sunshine Cinema Esther Kemi Gbadamosi

Have you ever wondered who's responsible for the Berlinale Talents social media channels and website? Well, look no further, because here they are! Amy and Lara spend their days in front of various screens to keep you up to date with what's happening at Talents and what's going on in the lives of our alumni. At this point, we'd also like to thank our wonderful community, because without you, we might be unemployed, or at least we'd have a lot less cool content! 😁

Hello, Hola and Salam! 👀 How great to meet and say hello to all our Talents in their own language as we come together under our common language of cinema! ✨✨

"Without us the Berlinale would be total chaos" – Of course João would say that😁, but this time we actually agree with him. He and Josi get our guests from all over the world to Berlin, take care of everything they might need and make sure that everyone is in the right place at the right time. So big shout out to guest management for ensuring that everyone is where they need to be on time.

We are proud to introduce you to the programme team! This trio works around the clock to bring you the diverse and exciting events that make up Berlinale Talents. Starting tomorrow you'll be able to see the results of their hard work on the stages of the HAU Hebbel am Ufer. Thank you, programme team, for your hard work!

We're counting down the minutes until we officially welcome our Talents to HAU Hebbel am Ufer tomorrow! We can't wait to meet them in person and see their faces in 3D after seeing their photos so many times. For example, on our amazing photo wall, lovingly created by our team. ☀️

Berlinale Talents wouldn‘t be the same without our wonderful partners, and if it weren’t for the work of Nikola and Andrea we may not even have any! This dynamic duo is building partnerships that are in line with our values and that offer something constructive and worthwhile to the festival, our Talents and to the partners themselves. Thank you for all your hard work!

Roll out the red carpet for our fabulous team of event managers! We have them to thank for our glamorous Dine & Shine, our memorable Opening and Closing parties and more. Without them, our events wouldn't be half of what they are and the office would probably be in chaos 😅- so big shout-out to them!

Exciting news! This year, for the first time, we are very pleased to offer live subtitles for all our events in HAU 1. For all details head to the Tickets & Venues page on our website. ✨

Have you ever wondered who's behind all the work that goes into Berlinale Talents? We invite you to take a look behind the curtains and meet the dedicated team that makes it all possible. Find out more about the different departments that work together to create an unforgettable week of events and networking for you!👀 Drum roll please for our Applicant and Participant Relations team! Outside of the selection itself, the APR team takes care of everything to do with our applicants and the final selected Talents from start to finish. So if you've ever applied and had a query, the likelihood is these wonder women have helped you solve it!

A recurring topic in the TPM 2024 project selection is the struggle for acceptance and inclusion. Several stories feature queer protagonists who fight for their place in society, in their family, sometimes in their own minds and with their own self-image. In one, it's literally a fight for survival as the protagonists are snipers; in another it can be translated into a fight for queer representation in a usually heteronormative film genre. The genres range from action to horror to period piece, coming-of-age, magical realism, and an animated love story. The languages spoken in the films include Spanish sign language, Kazakh and Belizean Kriol – varying Tongues but Common themes. Explore the projects here: https://bit.ly/BT_TPM2024

Berlinale Talents Doc Station 2024
What makes a family and who defines that? How does one reveal a painful truth? Why do grown-ups think they know what’s best for you? And how can a demi-god maintain his relevance in 11th century Singapore? These are only a few of the questions for which our 10 selected filmmakers at this year's Script Station are looking for answers through bold and intriguing storytelling. Their projects not only challenge societal norms and put their finger where it hurts most, they also give perspective and think up new forms of resilience. We can’t wait to discover them with you!

From fiction to documentary and animation, this year's ten Short Form Station filmmakers once again explore all the possibilities of film, taking us on a ride through the past, present and future. In this fast-paced world, it is often personal bonds that matter more than anything – we travel back to a place that no longer exists but is full of memories and the echo of first love; dive into the fascinating world of fungi as a backdrop for the search for one's self; try to cope with loss by finding solace in a traditional ritual; and reignite the spark in a long-term relationship. Discover the projects with us!