The 2025 edition of the Berlinale is set to dazzle audiences with an eclectic mix of world premieres, genre-bending films, and thought-provoking documentaries, highlighting the diversity and depth of contemporary cinema. The Berlinale Special section, one of the festival’s most varied and exciting, has already confirmed a thrilling slate of films.
Among the first confirmed world premieres for the Berlinale Special is Islands, a neo-noir thriller from German director Jan-Ole Gerster, starring Sam Riley and Stacy Martin. Joining this exciting line-up is Honey Bunch, a genre-defying film from Canadian directors Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, which will also be presented as a Latenight Special. The first Berlinale Special Gala, Köln 75, directed by Ido Fluk, tells the story of the teenage producer behind jazz legend Keith Jarrett’s iconic Cologne concert. Starring Mala Emde, John Magaro, and Alexander Scheer, this German production promises to captivate audiences with its emotional and musical depth.
Meanwhile, the Panorama section has already confirmed 12 titles, presents an impressive mix of eight world premieres and three feature film debuts. With films from 18 production countries, the programme is a rich tapestry of global cinema, offering everything from homeland horror to a queer Black femme road movie. Other films explore societal fractures, with a mix of animated and documentary works that tackle the fragility of democratic systems.
This year’s Panorama is set to reflect a diverse and dynamic range of voices and perspectives, showcasing films like “Night Stage” by Marcio Reolon, and Filipe Matzembacher; “Under the Flags, the Sun” by Juanjo Pereira; “The Ugly Stepsister” by Emilie Blichfeldt; “Dreams in Nightmares” by Shatara Michelle Ford; “Home Sweet Home” by Frelle Petersen; “Khartoum” by Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy, Timeea M Ahmed, Phil Cox; “Lesbian Space Princess” by Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese; “The Moelln Letters” by Martina Priessner; “Paul” by Denis Côté; “Peter Hujar’s Day” by Ira Sachs; “Sorda” by Eva Libertad, and “Welcome Home Baby” by Andreas Prochaska.
For next year’s Retrospective, the Berlinale will turn the spotlight on “Wild, Weird, Bloody. German Genre Films of the 70s,” with 15 selected films from both East and West Germany. The programme promises to deliver an offbeat, action-packed exploration of the country’s genre filmmaking during this period. Expect everything from lush vampire tales to psychedelic spaghetti westerns, with a distinctive German flair for the unusual and avant-garde.
Additionally, the Generation section has unveiled its first preview of the competition programmes Kplus and 14plus, with eight feature films and seven short films from 16 production countries. Among these, ten world premieres will be showcased, including new works from renowned filmmakers such as Michel Gondry, Čejen Černić Čanak, Rima Das, and Karim El Shenawy, along with debuts from promising directors like Rafaela Camelo, Vasilis Kekatos, Eric San (aka Kid Koala), and Maja Ajmia Zellama.
The 2025 Berlinale promises a cinematic journey like no other, offering a dazzling variety of styles and themes. From intimate dramas and opulent dance films to expansive narratives set in Iraq’s marshlands and distant galaxies, the programme explores themes of connection, mourning, collective action, and the imaginative possibilities of other worlds.
About Author
Leave a Reply