Berlin Film Festival 2011

On February 10 in Berlin, at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1 for the eleventh time will begin the International Film Festival (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin) in Berlin. This film festival by its popularity and prestige looses only to Oscar and the Cannes festival. Therefore, for 10 days the whole Berlin will forget about everything except films. Emblems of the festival, programs, posters and faces of celebrities can be seen everywhere in the city.

Film Festival in Berlin in recent years has become a kind of “tribune of manifestos” for filmmakers from different countries. Among the contestants and winners of the festival are traditionally well represented films on urgent social themes.

Last year's Berlinale was successful for the Russian cinema. In 2010, one of the main prizes - "Silver Bear" - got a film by Alexander Popogrebsky "How I spent this summer." This year's competition program includes 21 films, 16 of which will compete for the grand prize - the Golden Bear. Among them is the Russian film "Saturday" by Alexander Mindadze.

As for the movie that will open the festival, this year it was the film "True Grit" by Coen Brothers with Jeff Bridges in the main role - a remake of the western produced in 1969, for which the legendary cowboy John Wayne received his only Oscar.

Anyway, the jury and the film critics will discuss and evaluate new movies, the stars - pose on the red carpet, and the audience - try to get a coveted ticket to view the nominated films. And although the number of sold tickets is high (last year for the festival were sold about 350,000) it is often problematic to purchase them. However, as well as renting a hotel room near the theater on the Potsdamer Platz, which for the time of the festival is renamed into the Berlinale Palace. Here will be shown the film opening the festival, and after the festival winners will be awarded.

Actually, the festival started to be held in the Berlinale Palace only since 2000, but its history begins with the Berlinale in 1951, when the United States, Britain and France, which controlled the West Berlin after the war, decided to hold a contest in the categories: “Best Musical”, “Best drama”, “Best adventure film” and "Best comedy”. Initially, in the evaluation of the films participated only German jury. However, since 1956 the decision to award the prizes takes an international jury. The main prize of the festival is the “Golden Bear”, awarded for the best film. “Silver Bear” is awarded in the following categories: “best director”, “best actor”, “best actress”, “best music” and a prize for outstanding achievement in arts. Alfred Bauer Prize is awarded to the film that "opens new ways in cinema". At Berlinale 2006 was first awarded the prize for the best film debut. In the history of the Berlin Film Festival were shown more than 15 thousand films.