Nov 05, 2024
Listen Courageously – Cinematic Narratives in Times of Dissonance

The art of listening will be the overarching theme for the 23rd edition of Berlinale Talents, the vibrant talent hub of the Berlin International Film Festival.

Listening intently, considerately, carefully, and most importantly, courageously, builds upon the foundation of last year's “Common Tongues – Speaking Out in the Language of Cinema”, and will allow Berlinale Talents to continue its exploration of communication through film, taking it to a new level with “Listen Courageously – Cinematic Narratives in Times of Dissonance”.

Listening creates empathy, deconstructs the echo chambers that we often find ourselves in and invites new narratives into our orbit. A prerequisite for excellent storytelling, it challenges preconceived notions and long held beliefs, breaks down bias and ignorance, and through this, it eventually stimulates, intrigues and entertains audiences.

“In a world filled with media noise and constant audio-visual presence, we are faced with so much spectacle and opinion screaming for our attention, that it's easy to fall into a pattern of simply absorbing what we see and hear, rather than considering, investigating and understanding. The power of good filmmaking lies in empathy which again enables creativity. Through this, film shapes worldviews, morals, and narratives, both consciously and subconsciously, creating a limitless space for diverse storytelling. We want Berlinale Talents to be a brave space to listen in, to discover the new and exciting, to embrace the existence of ambiguity, and come out stronger for it,” says Berlinale Talents management duo, Nikola Joetze and Tobias Pausinger.

In 2025, Berlinale Talents will bring 200 exceptional emerging filmmakers from all over the world to Berlin, each with their unique backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Over the course of five days, they take part in an exciting programme of internal workshops, think tanks, panel talks, discussions and more, all of which run alongside the approximately 16 events which are open to public audiences. Topics around the focus theme “Listen Courageously” will be mirrored in the programme. Usually renowned festival guests – the jury president, awardees or filmmakers from the festival programme - among others are invited to the Berlinale Talents events.

In recent years, Cate Blanchett, İlker Çatak, Geraldine Chaplin, Tsai Ming-liang, Lupita Nyong'o, Ruben Östlund, Euzhan Palcy, Martin Scorsese, Kristen Stewart, and many more participated.

Designing this year's theme is Berlin-based graphic design duo Ada Favaron and Imad Gebrael, whose key visual portrays courageous listening as a process that must be nurtured, cultivated, and harvested. The depicted flowers embody assertiveness, with bold lines blending ears and petals, juxtaposing hard and soft elements to reflect our often conflicting feelings.

Berlinale Talents will take place from February 15 to 20, 2025 at HAU Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin. More information on Berlinale Talents can be found at berlinale-talents.de.

Berlinale Talents is a Berlinale Pro* initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival, a division of Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH, and is supported by the Minister of State for Culture and Media, Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German Federal Film Board, Mastercard and ARRI.

Press Office
November 5, 2024