Today, February 15, was the much expected start of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival celebrated in the Berlinale Palast. Minister of State for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth, Governing Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner, this year’s Jury President Lupita Nyong’o, as well as the Festival Management Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian (here pictured on the red carpet) kicked off the Berlinale with a festive opening.

During the Opening Gala, the International Jury was introduced. Hadnet Tesfai and Jo Schück will be the hosts of the evening. The event was broadcast on ZDF/3sat from 7.20 pm and streamed live.

The opening film, the world premiere of Small Things Like These which is screening in Competition, will be shown directly after. The director Tim Mielants, producers Matt Damon, Alan Moloney, Catherine Magee and Drew Vinton as well as their film team Cillian Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Emily Watson and Zara Devlin will introduce the film in the Berlinale Palast.

In addition to the members of the International Jury, the Encounters jury, the GWFF Best First Feature Award jury, the jury of the Berlinale Documentary Award as well as the Generation International Jury graced the Red Carpet.

Politics was also invited with protest again AFD : after intense discussion in the cultural sector, in the press and on social media as well as within the Berlinale team about the invitations of AfD politicians, a right-wing extremist party, to the Opening of the Berlinale, the d:rectors of the Berlinale had decided to disinvite the five previously invited AfD politicians.

See previous article announcing AFD politicians disinvited!

Model Papis Loveday holding the  “No racism! No AfD!” sign !

Festival Management Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian organised a protest on the red carpet with over 50 film professionals singing hand in hand DEFEND DEMOCRACY! outside of the Berlinale Palst two other protest were held!

Watch the full video of the evening!

Impressive list of attendees

Fatih Akin, Peri Baumeister, Meret Becker, Ruth Beckermann, Anna Bederke, Bibiana Beglau, Iris Berben, Christian Berkel, Anne Zohra Berrached, Black Cracker, Baran bo Odar, Maja Bresnik,  Anna Brüggemann, Thelma Buabeng, Welket Bungué, Caro Daur, Franz Dinda, Doris Dörrie, Andreas Dresen, Emma Drogunova, Uli Edel, Maren Eggert, Thea Ehre, Lars Eidinger, Elevator Boys, Mala Emde, Jakob M. Erwa, Sara Fazilat, Alexander Fehling, Veronica Ferres, Nora Fingscheidt, Wolfgang Fischer, Christian Friedel, Inka Friedrich, Liv Lisa Fries, Jantje Friese, Millane Friesen, Toni Garrn, Martina Gedeck, Jan-Ole Gerster, Matti Geschonneck, Godehard Giese, Matthias Glasner, Aelrun Goette, Lazaros Gounardiris, Valeska Grisebach, Jella Haase, Hendrik Handloegten, Uli Hanisch, Corinna Harfouch, Veit Helmer, Annekatrin Hendel, Hannah Herzsprung, Philipp Hochmair, Jerry Hoffmann, Max Hubacher, Johannes Huebl, Markus Imboden, Wolfgang Janßen, Jan Kampmann, Derya Kaptan, Meltem Kaptan, Romuald Karmakar, Florence Kasumba, Benedikt Kauff, Sibel Kekilli, Heiko Kiesow, Nikolai Kinski, Nastassja Kinski, Hanno Koffler, Vicky Krieps, Maren Kroymann, Henrika Kull, Philipp Lahm,  Hagai Levi,  Sophie Linnenbaum, Peter Lohmeyer, Sergei Loznitsa, Stefan Lukschy, Heike Makatsch, Oliver Masucci, Eva Mattes, Ulrich Matthes, Denise M’Baye, Mia Maariel Meyer, Claudia Michelsen, Helke Misselwitz, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, Nele Mueller-Stöfen, Marius Müller-Westernhagen, Johannes Naber, Luisa Neubauer, Steffi Niederzoll, Jannis Niewöhner, Cihan Ökmen, Christiane Paul, Peaches, Andreas Pietschmann, Trystan Pütter, Ayşe Polat, Burhan Qurbani, Lorena Rae, Anne Ratte-Polle, Oskar Roehler, Pheline Roggan, Saoirse Ronan, Lina Rusnak, Celia Šašić, Andrea Sawatzki, Alexander Scheer, Sebastian Schipper, Jan Schomburg, Albrecht Schuch, Anna Schudt, Emilia Schüle, Jannik Schümann, David Schütter, Jessica Schwarz, Aenne Schwarz, Hans-Christian Schmid, Maria Schrader, Robert Schwentke, Christian Schwochow,  Masha Sedgwick, Riccardo Simonetti, Robert Stadlober, Lilith Stangenberg, Katharina Stark, Florian Stetter, Laila Stieler, Aylin Tezel, Anna Thalbach, Rosalie Thomass, Jördis Triebel, Christine Urspruch, Lena Urzendowsky, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Lisa Vicari, Jürgen Vogel, Achim von Borries, Katja von Garnier, Julia von Heinz, Melanie Waelde, Lisa Wagner, Antonio Wannek, Ina Weisse, Wim Wenders, Lucy Alena Wilke, Lavinia Wilson, Tom Wlaschiha, Johanna Wokalek, Ronald Zehrfeld, Timocin Ziegler u.a.