Berlinale Special & Berlinale Series

A selection of previous Berlinale Special productions

Minami, Johnny Depp
Minamata by Andrew Levitas
GBR 2020, Berlinale Special
© Larry Horricks / HanWay Films

Last and First Men by Jóhann Jóhannsson
ISL 2019, Berlinale Special
© Sturla Brandth Grøvlen

Ivan Trojan, Juraj Loj
Charlatan by Agnieszka Holland
CZE, IRL, POL, SVK 2020, Berlinale Special
© Marlene Film Production

Park Hae-soo
Sa-nyang-eui-si-gan | Time to Hunt by Yoon Sung-hyun
KOR 2020, Berlinale Special
© Union Investment Partners, Littlebig Pictures, Sidus

Hillary Clinton
Hillary by Nanette Burstein
USA 2019, Berlinale Special
© Clinton Foundation

The Look of Silence by Joshua Oppenheimer | Berlinale Special 2015
© Lars Skree

Ranveer Singh
Gully Boy by Zoya Akhtar | Berlinale Special 2019
© Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams
American Hustle by David O. Russell | Berlinale Special 2014
© Francois Duhamel | Tobis Film

Robert Silvers
Untitled New York Review of Books Documentary by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi | Berlinale Special 2014

VE Day Celebrations London 1945
The Spirit of '45 by Ken Loach | Berlinale Special 2013
© IWM

Shah Rukh Khan
Don – The King Is Back by Farhan Akhtar | Berlinale Special 2012
© Rapid Eye Movies

Althawra ... Khabar | Reporting ... A Revolution | Bericht ... einer Revolution by Bassam Mortada | Berlinale Special 2012

Colin Firth
The King’s Speech by Tom Hooper | Berlinale Special 2011

Food, Inc. by Robert Kenner | Culinary Cinema 2009
© Participant Media/River Road Entertainment

Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Berlin Alexanderplatz: Remastered by Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Berlinale Special 2007

The Day After Tomorrow by Roland Emmerich | Berlinale Special 2005

Ed Sheeran
Songwriter by Murray Cummings | Berlinale Special 2018
© Murray Pictures Limited 2018

Michael Moore
Where To Invade Next by Michael Moore | Berlinale Special 2016
© Dog Eat Dog Films

John Berger, Tilda Swinton
The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger by Colin MacCabe, Christopher Roth, Tilda Swinton and Bartek Dziadosz | Berlinale Special 2016
© Sandro Kopp
Berlinale Special
Glamour and popular films in the Gala Premieres, in-depth debates at the panel discussions, a spotlight on current topics, unusual formats and the honouring of extraordinary film personalities – Berlinale Special is one of the festival’s most versatile programmes.
Footloose and fancy-free, spontaneous and up-to-date – a diversity of forms shines in the Berlinale Special. Originating from the special screenings which became affiliated with the Competition in 1984, from 2004 the section has offered an abundant and colourful selection of films and events and it uncovers many treasures every year. Berlinale Special is flexible and also characterised by its unusual venues: even the Brandenburg Gate can be transformed into a cinema.
The Berlinale Special gala premieres bring glamour and excitement to the Friedrichstadt-Palast, giving audiences the chance to experience popular international films and their stars up close on the Red Carpet.
In the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, films requiring an intense level of engagement can be deliberated upon in post-screening panel discussions. Films capturing current world events to powerful effect are put into a wider context and discussed together with the filmmakers.
Over the years, Berlinale Special has also established itself as a space for reflection on film, its history and adjacent art forms. Many films in the programme explore the origins of particular film trends, focus on film history or portray directors and other artists. And, with the films in Berlinale Special, the Berlinale honours great film personalities whose work is particularly close to the festival’s heart.
The Berlinale Special is curated by the Artistic Director of the Berlinale, Carlo Chatrian, supported by a selection committee.
Films in the Berlinale Special can be nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Award, funded by rbb and endowed with 40,000 Euros.

Series from recent editions

Entre hombres | Amongst Men by Pablo Fendrik
ARG 2020, Berlinale Series
© WarnerMedia

Tom Schilling, Katharina Schüttler
Ich und die Anderen | Me and the Others by David Schalko
AUT, DEU 2021, Berlinale Series
© Superfilm

Karine Teles
Os últimos dias de Gilda | The Last Days of Gilda by Gustavo Pizzi
BRA 2020, Berlinale Series
© Marcinho Nunes

Larry Krasner
Philly D.A. by Ted Passon, Yoni Brook
USA 2021, Berlinale Series
© Yoni Brook

Ardalan Esmaili
Snöänglar | Snow Angels by Anna Zackrisson
SWE, DNK 2021, Berlinale Series
© Johan Paulin / SVT 2020

Olly Alexander, Callum Scott Howells
It’s a Sin by Peter Hoar
GBR 2020, Berlinale Series
© RED Production Company, all3media international

Jason Segel, Eve Lindley
Dispatches From Elsewhere by Jason Segel, Wendey Stanzler
USA 2019, Berlinale Series
© 2019 AMC Film Holdings LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Amandla Stenberg, André Holland
The Eddy by Damien Chazelle, Houda Benyamina, Laila Marrakchi, Alan Poul
FRA 2019, Berlinale Series
© Lou Faulon

Cate Blanchett
Stateless by Emma Freeman, Jocelyn Moorhouse
AUS 2019, Berlinale Series
© Ben King

Thalissa Teixeira, Ariane Labed, Gary Carr
Trigonometry by Athina Rachel Tsangari, Stella Corradi
GBR 2020, Berlinale Series
© House Productions Ltd.

Philipp Hochmair, Ella Rumpf, Anja Kling
Freud by Marvin Kren
AUT, DEU, CZE 2020, Berlinale Series
© Jan Hromadko/SATEL Film GmbH/Bavaria Fiction GmbH

Natalie Dormer
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Larysa Kondracki | Berlinale Series 2018
© FremantleMedia Australia

Jeff Daniels, Tahar Rahim
The Looming Tower | Berlinale Series 2018
© Legendary Television

Albrecht Schuch, Mai Duong Kieu, Barry Atsma
Bad Banks by Christian Schwochow | Berlinale Series 2018
© Letterbox | Sammy Hart

Jonathan Banks, Bob Odenkirk
Better Call Saul – Season 2 by Thomas Schnauz | Berlinale Series 2016
© 2015 AMC Network Entertainment LLC and Sony Pictures Television Inc. | Ben Leuner
Berlinale Series
Berlinale Series offers an exclusive first look at outstanding new series productions from around the world. The programme presents works of creators who consistently use the creative freedom of serial storytelling and complement the variety of formats with relevant and contemporary narratives.
With the establishment of Berlinale Series in 2015, the Berlinale, as the first A-festival worldwide, did justice to changing viewing habits and the growing significance of serial storytelling acknowledging the many important aesthetic-artistical, dramaturgical and formal developments of audiovisual storytelling taking place in this field. Creative visions, budget and the talent involved are already on a par with film productions.
The home of Berlinale Series is the Zoo Palast in the heart of the city. Here, the Red Carpet is rolled out for world and international premieres to pay tribute to cast and crews. Over the course of three days, established names meet undiscovered talents who together present ambitious and innovative series of all genres to the festival audience.
Taking place alongside the festival premieres is the “Berlinale Series Market”, a conference platform and marketplace for industry professionals which goes hand in hand with Berlinale Series.
General parameters for Berlinale Series
- In order to be considered, series must have world or international premiere status (international premiere means the series can be broadcast/streamed in the country of origin only).
- German series must be world premieres.
- Series must have been completed within twelve months before the start of the festival.
- Series must consist of four or more episodes.
- Berlinale Series generally presents first seasons only.

Festival photos from previous editions

Amandla Stenberg, André Holland
The actors signing autographs.
The Eddy · Berlinale Series · Feb 27, 2020

Ariane Labed, Gary Carr
Premiere in the Zoo Palast.
Trigonometry · Berlinale Series · Feb 25, 2020

Nina Terese Rask, Jonathan Bergholdt Jørgensen, Asta Kamma August, Amalie Næsby Fick, Clara Mendes
Premiere in the Zoo Palast.
Sex · Berlinale Series · Feb 26, 2020

Jason Segel
The creator and main actor with fans at the Red Carpet.
Dispatches From Elsewhere · Berlinale Series · Feb 24, 2020

Wayne Blair, Warwick Thornton
The directors on stage.
Mystery Road 2 · Berlinale Series · Feb 25, 2020

Group photo
The team at the Photo Call.
Stateless · Berlinale Series · Feb 26, 2020

Julia Fidel, Cate Blanchett
The section head wit the actress, who also invested as co-creator and executive producer in the project.
Stateless · Berlinale Series · Feb 26, 2020

Natalie Dormer
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Larysa Kondracki | Berlinale Series 2018

Jeff Daniels
The Looming Tower | Berlinale Series 2018

Mai Duong Kieu
Bad Banks by Christian Schwochow | Berlinale Series 2018

Sienna Miller
The Lost City of Z | Die versunkene Stadt Z by James Gray | Berlinale Special 2017

Robert Pattinson
The Lost City of Z | Die versunkene Stadt Z by James Gray | Berlinale Special 2017

Sonia Kennebeck
National Bird by Sonia Kennebeck | Berlinale Special 2016
The director in the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.

Don Cheadle
Miles Ahead by Don Cheadle | Berlinale Special 2016

Bartek Dziadosz, Colin MacCabe, Tilda Swinton, Christopher Roth
The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger | Berlinale Special 2016
Prominent friends of John Berger, who visited the British writer, painter and art critic in the French Alps.

Dane DeHaan, Anton Corbijn, Robert Pattinson
Life von Anton Corbijn | Berlinale Special 2015
Ankunft am Zoo Palast.

Natalie Portmann, Maryanne Redpath, Jack Pettibone Riccobono, Shane Omar Slattery-Quintanilla
The Seventh Fire | Das siebte Feuer by Jack Pettibone Riccobono | Berlinale Special 2015
The executive producer, the section head of NATIVe - A Journey into Indigenous Cinema, the director and the producer on the podium of the panel discussion.

Joshua Oppenheimer, Werner Herzog
The Look of Silence by Joshua Oppenheimer | Berlinale Special 2015
After the premiere there was a talk between the director and the executive producer.

Martin Scorsese
Untitled New York Review of Books Documentary by Martin Scorsese | Berlinale Special 2014
The director of the film.

Christian Bale
American Hustle by David O. Russell | Berlinale Special 2014
The actor on the Red Carpet.

Anne Hathaway
Les Misérables by Tom Hooper | Berlinale Special 2013
Before the screening in the Friedrichstadt-Palast the actress was celebrated frenetically.

Keanu Reeves
Side By Side by Chris Kenneally | Berlinale Special 2012
A face in the crowd.

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt
In The Land Of Blood And Honey by Angelina Jolie | Berlinale Special 2012
In the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.

Friedrichstadt-Palast
Oktjabr | Oktober by Sergej M. Eisenstein | Berlinale Special 2012
Festive atmosphere at the premiere of the restored version of the classic.

Helena Bonham Carter
The King’s Speech von Tom Hooper | Berlinale Special 2011
The actress in the Friedrichstadt-Palast.

Salma Hayek
La chispa de la vida | As Luck Would Have It by Álex de la Iglesia | Berlinale Special 2012
“Oh my god, it is really me!” – the actress on the Red Carpet.

Metropolis
Metropolis by Fritz Lang | Berlinale Special 2010
The world premiere of the almost completely reconstructed original version of Fritz Lang’s classic at the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin was simultaneously projected onto a screen at the Brandenburg Gate.

Paul Schrader
Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese | Berlinale Special 2011
The screenwriter at the screening of Taxi Driver.

Ed Sheeran
Songwriter by Murray Cummings | Berlinale Special 2018
The musician with fans at the Red Carpet.