20 Films to Compete for Golden and Silver Bears at Berlinale 2024

The Berlin International Film Festival has officially announced its competition lineup for the 2024 edition, featuring an array of 20 films that will vie for the prestigious Golden and Silver Bears. This year's selection is marked by a significant diversity in terms of genre, origin, and directorial vision, including two debut features and two documentary films among the contenders. The films represent productions from 30 different countries, underlining the festival's commitment to showcasing global cinema.

This year, the festival will screen 19 world premieres, highlighting the Berlinale's role as a launching pad for new films on the international stage. Female directors are well represented, with six films either directed or co-directed by women, showcasing the festival's ongoing efforts to promote gender diversity in the film industry.

The competition also sees a mix of Berlinale veterans and newcomers, with nine filmmakers who have previously participated in the festival, six of whom competed in the main competition. This blend of experience and fresh talent underscores the festival's dual role in honoring cinema's rich traditions while fostering its future evolution.

Carlo Chatrian, the Artistic Director of the Berlinale, expressed pride in this year's lineup, noting the careful balance achieved between venerating esteemed auteurs and introducing vibrant new voices in independent cinema. He emphasized the selection's focus on the diversity of stories and storytelling styles, aiming to explore the vast possibilities of cinematic language.

The Berlinale stands as one of the most significant events on the international film calendar, attracting filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema enthusiasts from around the world. The festival's competition section is particularly watched for its ability to highlight films that combine artistic innovation with compelling narratives, offering a snapshot of the current state and future directions of global cinema.

Here is the complete list of films competing in the 2024 Berlinale:

1. "Another End" by Piero Messina, featuring Gael García Bernal, Renate Reinsve, Bérénice Bejo, Olivia Williams, Pal Aron (Italy, World Premiere)
2. "Architecton" by Victor Kossakovsky (Germany / France, World Premiere, Documentary Form)
3. "Black Tea" by Abderrahmane Sissako, featuring Nina Mélo, Chang Han, Wu Ke-Xi, Michael Chang (France / Mauritania / Luxembourg / Taiwan / Cote d'Ivoire, World Premiere)
4. "La Cocina" by Alonso Ruizpalacios, featuring Raúl Briones Carmona, Rooney Mara, Anna Diaz, Motell Foster, Oded Fehr (Mexico / USA, World Premiere)
5. "Dahomey" by Mati Diop (France / Senegal / Benin, World Premiere, Documentary Form)
6. "A Different Man" by Aaron Schimberg, featuring Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson (USA, International Premiere)
7. "L’ Empire (The Empire)" by Bruno Dumont, featuring Brandon Vlieghe, Lyna Khoudri, Anamaria Vartolomei, Camille Cottin, Fabrice Luchini (France / Italy / Germany / Belgium / Portugal, World Premiere)
8. "Gloria!" by Margherita Vicario, featuring Galatéa Bellugi, Carlotta Gamba, Veronica Lucchesi, Maria Vittoria Dallasta, Sara Mafodda (Italy / Switzerland, World Premiere, Debut Film)
9. "Hors du temps (Suspended Time)" by Olivier Assayas, featuring Vincent Macaigne, Micha Lescot, Nine D'Urso, Nora Hamzawi (France, World Premiere)
10. "In Liebe, Eure Hilde (From Hilde, With Love)" by Andreas Dresen, featuring Liv Lisa Fries, Johannes Hegemann (Germany, World Premiere)
11. "Keyke mahboobe man (My Favourite Cake)" by Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha, featuring Lily Farhadpour, Esmail Mehrabi (Iran / France / Sweden / Germany, World Premiere)
12. "Langue Étrangère" by Claire Burger, featuring Lilith Grasmug, Josefa Heinsius, Nina Hoss, Chiara Mastroianni, Jalal Altawil (France / Germany / Belgium, World Premiere)
13. "Mé el Aïn (Who Do I Belong To)" by Meryam Joobeur, featuring Salha Nasraoui, Mohamed Hassine Grayaa, Malek Mechergui, Adam Bessa, Dea Liane (Tunisia / France / Canada / Norway / Qatar / Saudi Arabia, World Premiere, Debut Film)
14. "Pepe" by Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias, featuring Jhon Narváez, Sor María Ríos, Fareed Matjila, Harmony Ahalwa, Jorge Puntillón García (Dominican Republic / Namibia / Germany / France, World Premiere)
15. "Shambhala" by Min Bahadur Bham, featuring Thinley Lhamo, Sonam Topden, Tenzin Dalha, Karma Wangyal Gurung, Karma Shakya (Nepal / France / Norway / Hong Kong, China / Turkey / Taiwan / USA / Qatar, World Premiere)
16. "Small Things Like These" by Tim Mielants, featuring Cillian Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley, Emily Watson, Clare Dunne (Ireland / Belgium, World Premiere, Opening film)
17. "Sterben" (Dying) by Matthias Glasner, featuring Corinna Harfouch, Lars Eidinger, Lilith Stangenberg, Ronald Zehrfeld, Robert Gwisdek (Germany, World Premiere)
18. "Des Teufels Bad" (The Devil’s Bath) by Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, featuring Anja Plaschg, David Scheid, Maria Hofstätter (Austria / Germany, World Premiere)
19. "Vogter" (Sons) by Gustav Möller, featuring Sidse Babett Knudsen, Sebastian Bull, Dar Salim (Denmark / Sweden, World Premiere)
20. "Yeohaengjaui pilyo" (A Traveler’s Needs) by Hong Sangsoo, featuring Isabelle Huppert, Lee Hyeyoung, Kwon Haehyo, Cho Yunhee, Ha Seongguk (South Korea, World Premiere)