69th Berlin International Film Festival
The 69th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 7 to 17 February 2019. French actress Juliette Binoche served as the Jury President. Lone Scherfig's drama film The Kindness of Strangers opened the festival. The Golden Bear was won by Israeli-French drama Synonyms directed by Nadav Lapid, which also served as the closing film of the festival.
Jury
Main competition
The following were on the jury for the Berlinale Competition section:International jury
- Juliette Binoche, actress - Jury President
- Justin Chang, journalist and film critic
- Sandra Hüller, actress
- Sebastián Lelio, film director and screenwriter
- Rajendra Roy, chief curator of MoMA
- Trudie Styler, actress, producer and film director
First Feature Award Jury
- Katja Eichinger, journalist, writer and film producer
- Alain Gomis, film director and screenwriter
- Vivian Qu, director, screenwriter and film producer
Documentary Award Jury
- Maria Bonsanti, artistic director and director of the Eurodoc program
- Gregory Nava, film director, screenwriter and producer
- Maria Ramos, film director
International Short Film Jury
- Jeffrey Bowers, curator
- Vanja Kaludjercic, programmer and purchasing director of MUBI
- Koyo Kouoh, author, curator and artistic director of RAW Material Company
In competition
Out of competition
The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:Panorama
The following films were selected for the Panorama section:Panorama Dokumente
The following films were selected for the Panorama Dokumente section:Berlinale Special
The following films were selected for the Berlinale Special section:Key
Awards
The following prizes were awarded:- Golden Bear – Synonyms by Nadav Lapid
- Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize – By the Grace of God by François Ozon
- Alfred Bauer Prize – System Crasher by Nora Fingscheidt
- Silver Bear for Best Director – Angela Schanelec for I Was at Home, But
- Silver Bear for Best Actress – Yong Mei for So Long, My Son
- Silver Bear for Best Actor – Wang Jingchun for So Long, My Son
- Silver Bear for Best Script – Maurizio Braucci, Claudio Giovannesi and Roberto Saviano for Piranhas
- Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution – Rasmus Videbæk for Cinematography in Out Stealing Horses
- Golden Bear for Best Short Film – Umbra by Florian Fischer and Johannes Krell
- Panorama Audience Award
- * 1st Place: 37 Seconds by Hikari
- * 2nd Place: Stitches by Miroslav Terzić
- * 3rd Place: Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen
- Panorama Audience Award – Documentaries
- * 1st Place: Talking About Trees by Suhaib Gasmelbari
- * 2nd Place: Midnight Traveler by Hassan Fazili and Emelie Mahdavian
- * 3rd Place: Shooting the Mafia by Kim Longinotto
- Teddy Award
- * Best Feature Film: Brief Story from the Green Planet by Santiago Loza
- * Best Documentary/Essay Film: Lemebel by Joanna Reposi Garibaldi
- * Best Short Film: Entropia by Flóra Anna Buda
- * Special Jury Award: A Dog Barking at the Moon by Xiang Zi
- * Special Teddy Award: Falk Richter
- FIPRESCI Prize
- * Competition: Synonyms by Nadav Lapid
- * Panorama: Dafne by Federico Bondi
- * Forum: Die Kinder der Toten by Kelly Copper and Pavol Liska
- Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
- * Competition: God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunija by Teona Strugar Mitevska
- * Panorama: Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen
- ** Special Mention: Midnight Traveler by Hassan Fazili and Emelie Mahdavian
- * Forum: Earth by Nikolaus Geyrhalter
- CICAE Art Cinema Award
- * Panorama: 37 Seconds by HIKARI
- * Forum: Our Defeats by Jean-Gabriel Périot
- Generation 14Plus
- * Crystal Bear for Best Film: Stupid Young Heart by Selma Vilhunen
- ** Special Mention: We Are Little Zombies by Makoto Nagahisa
- * Crystal Bear for Best Short Film: Tattoo by Farhad Delaram
- ** Special Mention: Four Quartets by Marco Alessi
- Generation KPlus
- * Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Film: House of Hummingbird by Kim Bo-ra
- ** Special Mention: Bulbul Can Sing by Rima Das
- * Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Short Film: Liberty by Faren Humes
- ** Special Mention: The Jarariju Sisters by Jorge Cadena
- Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Jury Award
- * Prize Winner: System Crasher by Nora Fingscheidt
- Tagesspiegel Readers' Jury Award
- * Prize Winner: Monsters. by Marius Olteanu
- TEDDY Readers’ Award Powered by QUEER.DE
- * Prize Winner: Brief Story from the Green Planet by Santiago Loza
- Guild Film Prize
- * Prize Winner: God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunija by Teona Strugar Mitevska
- Caligari Film Prize
- * Prize Winner: Heimat Is A Space in Time by Thomas Heise
- Heiner Carow Prize
- * Prize Winner: Beauty and Decay by Annekatrin Hendel
- Compass-Perspektive-Award
- * Prize Winner: Born in Evin by Maryam Zaree
- Kompagnon-Fellowship
- * Perspektive Deutsches Kino: To Be Continued by Julian Pörksen
- * Berlinale Talents: Transit Times by Ana-Felicia Scutelnicu
- ARTEKino International Prize
- * Prize Winner: A Responsible Adult by Shira Geffen
- Eurimages Co-Production Development Award
- * Award Winner: Avalon PC for Alcarràs
- VFF Talent Highlight Award
- * Award Winner: Vincenzo Cavallo for Bufis
- Amnesty International Film Award
- * Prize Winner: Your Turn by Eliza Capai
- Label Europa Cinemas
- * Prize Winner: Stitches by Miroslav Terzić
- Peace Film Prize
- * Prize Winner: Your Turn by Eliza Capai
- ** Special Mention: System K by Renaud Barret
- ** Special Mention: Midnight Traveler by Hassan Fazili and Emelie Mahdavian