Berlin festival chooses 6 former winners as this year’s jury

BERLIN — A six-member jury of former winners has been chosen to allocate the prizes at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, which is taking place in a revamped form because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizers announced in December that the “Berlinale,” traditionally the first of the year’s major European film festivals, will be split into two parts because of coronavirus restrictions.

An online event for the industry, with the jury choosing the winners, is to be held March 1-5. Plans call for a “summer special” to follow June 9-20, at which the public will get a chance to see the winners and a selection of other films. The award ceremony is to take place in June.

The festival said Monday that it is also taking a new approach to the international jury this year. It will do without a jury president, and instead is having six directors whose films all won the event’s top Golden Bear award judge this year’s entries.

The jury includes the directors of the five most recent winners: Iran’s Mohammad Rasoulof, Nadav Lipid from Israel, Romania’s Adina Pintilie, Hungary’s Ildiko Enyedi and Gianfranco Rosi of Italy. They are joined by Jasmila Zbanic of Bosnia, who won in 2006.

“They express not only different ways of making uncompromising films and creating bold stories but also they represent a part of the history of the Berlinale,” artistic director Carlo Chatrian said in a statement.

The selection of films is expected to be announced later this month.

The Associated Press