On February 13, the start of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival will be celebrated at the Berlinale Palast. Festival Director Tricia Tuttle and Jury President Todd Haynes will kick off the Berlinale with a festive opening. During the Opening Gala, the International Jury will be introduced and the Honorary Golden Bear will be awarded to Tilda Swinton, with Edward Berger delivering the laudatory speech. The evening will be hosted by Désirée Nosbusch.

Following the gala, the world premiere of Das Licht (The Light) will be presented as the opening film. The director Tom Tykwer, the producers and the cast will introduce the film at the Berlinale Palast. At the party afterwards, the mobility partner CUPRA will present a very special DJ line-up with ALYSSA & GIA and MËSTIZA as a musical highlight.

Minister of State for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth, Governing Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner and Honorary Golden Bear recipient Tilda Swinton will be welcomed as guests of honour on the Red Carpet, as well as members of the International Jury, the Perspectives Jury, the Jury of the Berlinale Documentary Film Award, the International Short Film Jury and the International Jury of Generation.

Please find enclosed a list of the international and national jurors as well as more guests who are expected to attend the opening, such as Fatih Akin, Meret Becker, Leonie Benesch, Iris Berben, Lars Eidinger, Coralie Fargeat, Herbert Grönemeyer, Nicolette Krebitz, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Elyas M'Barek, Heike Makatsch, Trystan Pütter, Ruby O. Fee, Sandra Maischberger, Volker Schlöndorff, Albrecht Schuch, Emilia Schüle, Jannik Schümann, Matthias Schweighöfer, Lilith Stangenberg, Langston Uibel, Lana Wachowski and Tom Wlaschiha.

The opening event begins on February 13 at 7:00 pm and will be streamed live and transmitted later on the same evening by Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) and ZDF/3sat. In cooperation with X Verleih, the Opening Gala and the opening film will also be broadcast live in seven cities across Germany