FAQs - Dialogue & Safety

All our guests have a right to free speech within the bounds of the law. We stand by the right of our filmmakers to talk about the impulses behind their work and their experiences of the world. The Berlinale embraces different points of view.

We aim to create an environment in which we can listen and learn from each other, and we ask for respectful dialogue and a cultural sensitivity. Our moderators and staff are open to and prepared to guide through the events.

We ask our guests to recognise that while they are free to express their views, others are equally free to disagree and voice their own perspectives. That, too, is an exercise of free speech.

Like all cultural organisations, the Berlinale has a responsibility to ensure discourse at its events is lawful. Germany has broad freedom of speech laws, which end only where they infringe the rights of others, where statements become discriminatory, or where public order and safety are violated.

We also believe that it is the responsibility of cultural events to defend the right to free speech robustly while at the same time working to enable the kind of dialogue that helps people hear and understand.

The festival has an obligation to keep its guests safe. Wherever possible, we can support filmmakers in their research on Germany’s freedom of speech laws and are also available to answer any questions. These conversations are strictly confidential and conducted in the spirit of trust and support. Statements or other communication measures voluntarily shared by filmmakers on these calls will not be legally reviewed by third parties, nor will they be shared with external authorities.

Invited guests express themselves on their own volition – about their films and, if they wish, also beyond. We will not ask guests to share anything they plan to say with us but are glad to offer our advice and support if that is desired.

However, if absent filmmakers ask the Berlinale to have a statement read by the festival staff, or a video shown, the Berlinale is under no obligation to show something that may be illegal or that violates current anti-discrimination laws.

The Berlinale is guided solely by its own cultural mission and operates independently in all artistic and programmatic decisions. This independence of the arts is protected by German law.

The Berlinale and all other houses of the KBB (Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH) report to a Supervisory Board of representatives and appointees from the political and cultural sector and that is chaired by the Federal State Minister for Culture and Media role of the board is to ensure financial oversight and sound strategic planning; the Board is not involved in artistic decisions, programming, or daily operations.

It is also important to note that a majority of approximately 60% of the Berlinale’s funding is self-generated, with only the other 40% of the Berlinale’s budget financed through public funds, based on the German Parliament’s budget resolution and provided by the Federal State Minister for Culture and Media (BKM), as well as by the European Union, and the State of Berlin.

As a public event, the Berlinale is bound by the laws of Germany and thus to extensive regulations protecting freedom of expression and human dignity, as well as specific legal limits — for example regarding hate speech, incitement to violence, and discrimination. Most dialogue related to the Israel / Gaza conflict is considered an expression of opinion and therefore legally permissible.

The phrase “From the River to the Sea” requires particular care, and there have been cases where its public use has been prosecuted in the State of Berlin. Legal interpretation is evolving and there are ongoing cases in German courts that may further clarify how this phrase is treated in different contexts.

More generally, some language carries additional historical weight in Germany because of the Holocaust and the country’s culture of remembrance and reconciliation. This does not mean avoiding dialogue, but it does call for care and sensitivity in how language is used.

No, this is not true. The Berlinale has not changed its accreditation or guest guidelines in this regard. In the autumn of 2024, an ambiguity in the general House Rules of our umbrella organisation, the KBB, became known to us. We supported the interest of our guests in receiving precise information and immediately initiated a clarifying change which was implemented. The paragraph in question referred solely to a standard German legal provision regarding the wearing and use of prohibited symbols and signs that are demonstrably punishable by law, such as the swastika. Wearing or displaying other signs and symbols of national or political expression or solidarity (e.g. a watermelon, a Keffiyeh, etc.) is not prohibited and fully covered by Germany’s fundamental right to freedom of expression.

As an event with hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, the safety and security of everyone involved is our top priority. Our frameworks are set up to ensure events are run safely for everyone involved. Many dedicated Berlinale colleagues work together – from our guest liaisons, production managers to front-of-house staff to our security teams – to ensure we are well prepared, coordinated, and all acting in the interest of our filmmakers, other guests and audiences.

All visitors, guests, and staff members can turn to the festival management, the guest coordinators, or the colleagues on site at the venues; they will be happy to help. To report incidents of harassment, discrimination, or other boundary violations in connection with the Berlinale, you can contact by email at any time throughout the year. All information will be treated confidentially.

Further information and links to independent advisory services not affiliated with the Berlinale can also be found at berlinale.de/en/antidiscrimination.html.

During the Berlinale and in the immediate aftermath, an Awareness Team will be there to support everyone attending or working at the festival. It provides confidential initial counseling for visitors and employees who have experienced or witnessed discrimination or harassment. For the exact availability of the Awareness Team, their contact point at the Potsdamer Platz as well as how to reach them via phone or email, please visit berlinale.de/en/anti-discrimination.html.

Our Berlinale security team is on site to provide support on safety-related matters. The staff treat audience members and guests in a friendly manner and never in an intimidating way. They are not tasked with monitoring or restricting what the audience or what participants on stage say.

As with all major events, the police has shared responsibility to ensure safety of people in public spaces. In the day to day context of the festival, this primarily concerns questions of safety in logistical and traffic related matters within the city. The Berlinale retains responsibility within its venues. The police do not enter event spaces unless there is a clear and legally justified reason to do so.

Personal information is only shared when required by law. This would necessitate a formal request from the police acting on behalf of the public prosecutor’s office, or another legally valid order connected to the investigation of a specific offense.

The Berlinale has a duty of care toward its guests. To support them, we can facilitate access to independent counselling services, including legal and other professional advice.