How to Berlinale
A short guide to film submission

The International Competition features around 25 films in the Official Programme (in and out of competition). The Awards are decided upon by an international Jury. Contact:

The Berlinale Special and Berlinale Special Gala are programmes curated by the Festival Director upon invitation only and do not receive submissions. The programmes present both extraordinary new productions and films by or about outstanding personalities of film whom the Festival is especially attached to. Contact:

The Panorama within the Official Programme presents new works by well-known directors, as it showcases debut films and exciting new discoveries. The selection of films gives an overview of trends in art-house world cinema. Contact:

The Forum pays special attention to new trends in world cinema, promising narrative forms and fresh voices. The Forum programme also highlights directorial debuts and innovative works by young film makers. Forum expanded is dedicated to the boundaries between cinema and visual arts. It is a program curated by the Forum upon invitation only and does not receive submissions.
Contact:

Generation opens up the Berlinale to children and young people. The Kplus and 14plus competitions not only present outstanding productions made specifically for children and youth but also films which appeal to young people of various ages, on account of their form and content. The marketing potential of such films is thereby greatly enhanced. Contact:

The Berlinale Shorts features shorts films by film makers and artists, that are innovative both in their aesthetic form and in their content. The Awards are decided upon by an International Jury.
Contact:

The Perspektive Deutsches Kino is dedicated to young and upcoming German film makers.
Contact:

German Cinema – LOLA@Berlinale showcases preselected films for the German Film Award (Deutscher Filmpreis) and is a cooperation between Berlinale, Deutsche Filmakademie e. V. and German Films. Upon invitation only. Contact:

The Culinary Cinema presents a selection of films from all categories on culinary and ecological topics. It is a special programme upon invitation only. Contact:

Submission:
available online as of early September at film entry festival.

Deadline for submission:
October 31st, 2012, for feature length films / November 14, 2012 for short films

Registration fee:
€ 125,– feature length films / € 50,– short films

Date of completion:
within the 12 months prior to Festival

Premiere Status:
World or International premieres are given priority, however, the sections have different requirements (see list). Films may have been released theatrically in their country of origin. German films need to be world premieres, except those submitted to Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

Accepted formats for selection:
DVD (region free / all regions), Blu-ray (region free / all regions), 35mm, file upload (only for short films), DCP and other formats only upon request (subject to additional costs)

Documentation for submission:
Duly completed online entry, full contact details of production companies, synopsis, director’s filmo- / biography, cast and crew list

Please check detailed regulations/guidelines for each section.
The Festival does not present industry films or commercials.
Film submission for the European Film Market at www.efm-berlinale.de

The "How to Berlinale" short guide including a table of the submission requirements for each section can be downloaded here:

How to Berlinale, PDF  (48 KB)