Berlinale Special

A selection of previous Berlinale Special productions

Timothée Chalamet

*A Complete Unknown* | *Like A Complete Unknown* by James Mangold

USA 2024, *Berlinale Special*

© Macall Polay / 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved

Robert Pattinson

*Mickey 17* by Bong Joon Ho

USA, KOR 2024, *Berlinale Special*

© 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

Hyeyoung Lee

*Pa-gwa* | *The Old Woman with the Knife* by Min Kyu-dong

KOR 2025, *Berlinale Special*

© SooFilm

Katy O’Brian, Kristen Stewart

*Love Lies Bleeding* by Rose Glass

USA, GBR 2023, *Berlinale Special*

© Anna Kooris

Don Lee

*Beom-Joe-do-si 4* | *The Roundup: Punishment* by Heo Myeong-haeng

KOR 2024, *Berlinale Special*

© ABO Entertainment & Bigpunch Pictures & Hong Film & B.A. Entertainment

Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan

*Spaceman* by Johan Renck

USA 2024, *Berlinale Special*

© 2023 Netflix, Inc.

*Sonne und Beton* | *Sun and Concrete* by David Wnendt

DEU 2023, *Berlinale Special*

© Constantin Film Verleih

Valentina Bellè

*The Good Mothers* by Julian Jarrold, Elisa Amoruso

GBR, ITA 2023, *Berlinale Series*

© Claudio Iannone

Eili Harboe, Kristoffer Aase, Ingrid Unnur Giæver

*Arkitekten* | *The Architect* by Kerren Lumer-Klabbers

NOR 2023, *Berlinale Series*

© Lillian Julsvik

Sean Penn, Volodymyr Zelensky in Superpower

*Superpower* by Sean Penn, Aaron Kaufman

USA 2022, *Berlinale Special*

© 2022. THE PEOPLE’S SERVANT, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Isabelle Huppert

*À propos de Joan* | *About Joan* by Laurent Larivière

FRA, DEU, IRL 2021, *Berlinale Special*

© 247films

Nick Cave

*This Much I Know To Be True* by Andrew Dominik

GBR 2021, *Berlinale Special*

© Bad Seed Ltd.

Zoey Deutch, Mark Rylance

*The Outfit* by Graham Moore

USA 2021, *Berlinale Special*

© Nick Wall / Focus Features

Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges

*French Exit* by Azazel Jacobs

CAN, IRL 2021, *Berlinale Special*

© Tobias Datum / Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

*Entre hombres* | *Amongst Men* by Pablo Fendrik

ARG 2020, *Berlinale Series*

© WarnerMedia

Jodie Foster

*The Mauritanian* | *Der Mauretanier* by Kevin Macdonald

GBR 2021, *Berlinale Special*

© STX International / TOBIS

Karine Teles

*Os últimos dias de Gilda* | *The Last Days of Gilda* by Gustavo Pizzi

BRA 2020, *Berlinale Series*

© Marcinho Nunes

*Courage* by Aliaksei Paluyan

DEU 2021, *Berlinale Special*

© Living Pictures Production

Olly Alexander, Callum Scott Howells

*It’s a Sin* by Peter Hoar

GBR 2020, *Berlinale Series*

© RED Production Company, all3media international

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

Cate Blanchett

*Stateless* by Emma Freeman, Jocelyn Moorhouse

AUS 2019, *Berlinale Series*

© Ben King

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

Amandla Stenberg, André Holland

*The Eddy* by Damien Chazelle, Houda Benyamina, Laila Marrakchi, Alan Poul

FRA 2019, *Berlinale Series*

© Lou Faulon

Hillary Clinton

*Hillary* by Nanette Burstein

USA 2019, *Berlinale Special*

© Clinton Foundation

Ed Sheeran

*Songwriter* by Murray Cummings

GBR 2017, *Berlinale Special*

© Murray Pictures Limited 2018

Jonathan Banks, Bob Odenkirk

*Better Call Saul – Season 2* by Thomas Schnauz

USA 2016, *Berlinale Special*

Ben Leuner © 2015 AMC Network Entertainment LLC and Sony Pictures Television Inc.

*Where To Invade Next* by Michael Moore

USA 2015, *Berlinale Special*

© Dog Eat Dog Films

John Berger, Tilda Swinton

*The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger* by Colin MacCabe, Christopher Roth, Tilda Swinton, Bartek Dziadosz

GBR 2015, *Berlinale Special*

© Sandro Kopp

*The Look of Silence* by Joshua Oppenheimer

DNK/NOR/FIN/IDN/GBR 2014, *Berlinale Special*

© Lars Skree

Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams

*American Hustle* by David O. Russell

USA 2013, *Berlinale Special*

Francois Duhamel © Tobis Film

VE Day Celebrations London 1945

*The Spirit of '45* by Ken Loach

GBR 2013, *Berlinale Special*

© IWM

Shah Rukh Khan

*Don – The King Is Back* by Farhan Akhtar

IND/DEU 2011, *Berlinale Special*

© Rapid Eye Movies

*Althawra ... Khabar* | *Reporting ... A Revolution* | *Bericht ... einer Revolution* by Bassam Mortada

EGY 2012, *Berlinale Special*

Colin Firth

*The King’s Speech* by Tom Hooper

GBR/AUS 2010, *Berlinale Special*

Penélope Cruz

*Nine* by Rob Marshall

USA 2009, *Berlinale Special*

© 2008 The Weinstein Company

*Food, Inc.* by Robert Kenner

USA 2008, *Berlinale Special*

© Participant Media/River Road Entertainment

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

*Berlin Alexanderplatz: Remastered* by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

DEU 2007, *Berlinale Special*

*The Day After Tomorrow* by Roland Emmerich

USA 2004, *Berlinale Special*

Berlinale Special is one of the most diverse sections of the festival, and with four strands of programming it offers a warm welcome to our loyal and new audiences alike. Audiences will discover Red Carpet galas that harness the star power and charisma of well-known on screen talents; late-night genre thrills; “talking point” films that need space for deeper discussion, as well as previews of outstanding new filmmaking in series form.

Originating from the special screenings associated with the Competition since 1984, Berlinale Special has, since 2004, offered a vibrant selection of films, series and events – uncovering cinematic gems year after year.

Over time, Berlinale Special has also become a space for reflection on cinema and culture. Works might also delve into the origins of film or other art forms, explore cinematic heritage or portray filmmakers and other artists.

The section comprises several distinct programme strands:

Berlinale Special Gala brings international stars to the Red Carpet and showcases high-profile films in a glamorous setting. This is a chance to come face to face with screen legends and see films destined for wider release.
Berlinale Special Presentation features carefully curated works which address key thematic, artistic or political topics. Screenings offer space for deeper discussions around the films, for conversations with the filmmakers and guests, and allow audiences to engage more closely with the works, their creators and the ideas in the film.
Berlinale Special Midnight ventures into the realms of genre cinema: horror, thrillers, science fiction and the instant cult classics, this is an electrifying late-night cinema experience of the strange, the thrilling, the visceral, and for night owls.
Berlinale Special Series is dedicated to serial filmmaking and cinematic television, reflecting the vitality and significance of episodic formats in contemporary visual culture.

Films in the Berlinale Special can be nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Award.

Berlinale Special live and on demand

Press Conferences for the Gala Premieres are streamed live and then available on-demand.