Berlin Film Festival 2025: Star-Studded Films and Exciting Premieres Await
The 75th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, also known as the Berlinale, is set to kick off with an exciting lineup of films that promise to captivate audiences and critics alike. The festival will be presided over by Todd Haynes, the acclaimed director of May December, and will feature a diverse array of international cinema.
One of the most anticipated films in the competition is Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott. The film charts the final days of Lorenz Hart, half of the legendary songwriting duo Rodgers & Hart, and is set against the backdrop of the opening night of Oklahoma!. The project has already been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics and is slated for release in May 2025.
Another highlight of the competition is Michel Franco’s Dreams, featuring Jessica Chastain and Isaac Hernández. The film follows the journey of a young ballet dancer from Mexico who dreams of international recognition and a life in the United States. Chastain plays his lover, a socialite and philanthropist, adding depth to the narrative.
Tillotma Shome’s ‘Baksho Bondi’ at Berlinale 2025
India will also have a presence at this year’s festival, with the world premiere of Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), directed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi. The film stars Tillotama Shome, Chandan Bisht, and others, and marks a major collaboration between India, France, the USA, and Spain. This promises to be a captivating film with unique storytelling and powerful performances.
Other notable films include Hot Milk, a debut feature by Rebecca Lenkiewicz starring Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, and Vicky Krieps, and Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, which features Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, and Conan O’Brien.
The festival will also debut two films from China: Girls on Wire by Vivian Qu and Living the Land by Huo Meng. These films continue the festival’s tradition of showcasing diverse international cinema.
Tricia Tuttle, the new artistic director, has added a fresh competitive section called Perspectives, featuring 14 debut films, including 12 world premieres. Her goal is to keep the festival edgy and political while expanding its reach.
Other highlights include the screening of James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, and a tribute to Tilda Swinton with a screening of Peter Wollen’s Friendship’s Death from 1987.
Women Directors Take Center Stage with 8 Films at Berlinale 2025
With films from 26 countries and 8 films directed or co-directed by women, this year’s Berlinale is shaping up to be a celebration of cinema’s diversity and creativity. The festival will take place from February 13 to 23, 2025, and promises to be a major event for filmmakers and movie fans alike.
As the festival approaches, excitement is building for the announcement of the Golden and Silver Bear winners, which will be selected by Todd Haynes’ jury.
Full Lineup for the 2025 Berlin Film Festival
COMPETITION
- “Ari” by Léonor Serraille (France/Belgium) – World Premiere
Starring: Andranic Manet, Pascal Rénéric, Théo Delezenne, Ryad Ferrad, Eva Lallier - “Blue Moon” by Richard Linklater (USA/Ireland) – World Premiere
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott - “La cache” (“The Safe House”) by Lionel Baier (Switzerland/Luxembourg/France) – World Premiere
Starring: Dominique Reymond, Michel Blanc, William Lebghil, Aurélien Gabrielli, Liliane Rovère - “Dreams” by Michel Franco (Mexico) – World Premiere
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Isaac Hernández, Rupert Friend, Marshall Bell - “Drømmer” (“Dreams (Sex Love)”) by Dag Johan Haugerud (Norway) – International Premiere
Starring: Ella Øverbye, Selome Emnetu, Ane Dahl Torp, Anne Marit Jacobsen - “Geu jayeoni nege mworago hani” (“What Does That Nature Say to You”) by Hong Sangsoo (South Korea) – World Premiere
Starring: Ha Seongguk, Kwon Haehyo, Cho Yunhee, Kang Soyi - “Hot Milk” by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (United Kingdom) – World Premiere | Debut Film
Starring: Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, Vicky Krieps, Vincent Perez - “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” by Mary Bronstein (USA) – International Premiere
Starring: Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, Conan O’Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Ivy Wolk - “Kontinental ’25” by Radu Jude (Romania) – World Premiere
Starring: Eszter Tompa, Gabriel Spahiu, Adonis Tanța - “El mensaje” (“The Message”) by Iván Fund (Argentina/Spain) – World Premiere
Starring: Mara Bestelli, Marcelo Subiotto, Anika Bootz, Betania Cappato - “Mother’s Baby” by Johanna Moder (Austria/Switzerland/Germany) – World Premiere
Starring: Marie Leuenberger, Hans Löw, Claes Bang, Julia Franz Richter - “O último azul” (“The Blue Trail”) by Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil/Mexico/Chile/Netherlands) – World Premiere
Starring: Denise Weinberg, Rodrigo Santoro, Miriam Socorrás, Adanilo - “Reflet dans un diamant mort” (“Reflection in a Dead Diamond”) by Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani (Belgium/Luxembourg/Italy/France) – World Premiere
Starring: Fabio Testi, Yannick Renier, Koen De Bouw, Maria de Medeiros, Thi Mai Nguyen - “Sheng xi zhi di” (“Living the Land”) by Huo Meng (People’s Republic of China) – World Premiere
Starring: Wang Shang, Zhang Chuwen, Zhang Yanrong, Zhang Caixia, Cao Lingzhi - “Strichka chasu” (“Timestamp”) by Kateryna Gornostai (Ukraine/Luxembourg/Netherlands/France) – World Premiere | Documentary Form
Starring: Olha Bryhynets, Borys Khovriak, Mykola Kolomiiets - “La Tour de Glace” (“The Ice Tower”) by Lucile Hadžihalilović (France/Germany) – World Premiere
Starring: Marion Cotillard, Clara Pacini, August Diehl, Gaspar Noé - “Was Marielle weiß” (“What Marielle Knows”) by Frédéric Hambalek (Germany) – World Premiere
Starring: Julia Jentsch, Felix Kramer, Laeni Geiseler, Mehmet Ateşçi, Moritz Treuenfels - “Xiang fei de nv hai” (“Girls on Wire”) by Vivian Qu (People’s Republic of China) – World Premiere
Starring: Liu Haocun, Wen Qi, Zhang Youhao - “Yunan” by Ameer Fakher Eldin (Germany/Canada/Italy/Palestine/Qatar/Jordan/Saudi Arabia) – World Premiere
Starring: Georges Khabbaz, Hanna Schygulla, Ali Suliman, Sibel Kekilli, Tom Wlaschiha
BERLINALE SPECIAL GALA
- “After This Death” by Lucio Castro (USA) – World Premiere
Starring: Mia Maestro, Lee Pace, Rupert Friend, Gwendoline Christie, Philip Ettinger - “A Complete Unknown” (“Like a Complete Unknown”) by James Mangold (USA) – German Premiere
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook - “Heldin” (“Late Shift”) by Petra Volpe (Switzerland/Germany) – World Premiere
Starring: Leonie Benesch, Sonja Riesen, Urs Bihler, Margherita Schoch, Jürg Plüss - “Islands” by Jan-Ole Gerster (Germany) – World Premiere
Starring: Sam Riley, Stacy Martin, Jack Farthing, Dylan Torrell - “Köln 75” by Ido Fluk (Germany) – World Premiere
Starring: Mala Emde, John Magaro, Michael Chernus, Alexander Scheer
