General Guidelines for Submission and Participation

2.1 General Regulations

• Only films that have been formally submitted can be considered for selection.
• Film registrations are accepted exclusively online at www.berlinale.de.
• Submission deadlines (the following deadlines must be met without exception):
  Feature-length films: registration of films and receipt of selection screeners by November 4, 2024
  Short films: registration of films and receipt of selection screeners by November 13, 2024
• Films which have been submitted and viewed for previous editions of the Berlinale may not be registered again.
• Only films completed within the 12 months prior to the start of the festival may be registered.
• World premieres are preferred in all sections. However, except for German films, a theatrical release as well as a festival participation in in the main country of origin will be accepted. European premieres are considered only by the sections Panorama, Generation, and Forum. German premieres are not eligible. Kindly note the respective premiere status minimum requirement of each section. Further information on the definition of the various premiere statuses can be found in the FAQ.
• While feature-length films need a minimum running time of 60 min, Berlinale Shorts accepts films up to 30 min, short films for Generation will be accepted up to 20 min.
• Series are programmed by process of invitation to submit, for more information, please contact .
• The Festival Director reserves the right to rule on any cases not provided for in these guidelines individually.
• Every submitter will receive a written notification about the result of the selection screening. Due to the large number of submissions received, we are unable to provide individual feedback on selection decisions.
• Details regarding film registration for the European Film Market can be found at www.efm-berlinale.de.

2.2 Processing Fee

Films will only be considered for selection after the processing fee is received.

The fee is charged to cover our administrative costs. It is therefore not possible to receive a refund even if your film is not selected or fails to meet the submission guidelines. Please carefully check our guidelines before submitting. The fee for submitting a feature-length film is 175 euros (7 % VAT included) regardless of the number of sections for which the film is entered. The fee for short films is 75 euros.

Payment methods
Payment of the fees can only be made online by credit card or via PayPal during the film registration process.

Mastercard, Visa and American Express are all accepted.

Special conditions for film schools:
It is possible to submit up to ten short films for 250 euros and/or up to six feature films for 350 euros. Queries about collective submissions can only be made by the responsible film school employee to the Berlinale’s via email.

Individual student submissions will be charged the regular processing fee at the aforementioned rates. A discount cannot be granted.

2.3 Selection Screeners

The selection screener of the submitted film must be made available to the festival via upload after the completion of the online film submission. For selection screenings all films have to be submitted in their original version with English subtitles unless the original version of the film is English.

Before uploading the selection screener, please ensure that it complies with the festival’s technical specifications for selection screeners. The minimum requirement for the selection process is that the film is at least at picture lock stage. Once submitted, the selection screener cannot be replaced with a more up-to-date version.

In exceptional cases, we can accept a DCP as an alternative technical format for the selection screenings. Please note, however, that a supplementary handling fee of 200 euros (incl. 7% VAT) is charged in addition to the regular processing fee (2.2) for selection screeners submitted in a DCP format and it will not be possible to receive a refund or make subsequent changes to the billing address. If you would like to submit a DCP for the selection screenings, please contact the programme organisation in advance (at ).

By submitting the online film registration form, the submitter agrees that, for organisational purposes, the festival retains submitted selection screeners until the end of the festival’s current edition (effective date: April 15, 2025). The submitter also agrees that selection screeners (except DCPs) will be made available online in encrypted form to selected festival employees for the purpose of film selection.

If an invitation is extended, the Berlinale will also use the corresponding selection screener(s) for internal festival preparations.

2.4 Declaration of Rights Upon Submission of the Film

The Berlinale will only accept the submission of a film if the submitter is the holder of all usage rights to the film necessary for the submission and use of the film within the context of participation in the Berlinale, as specified in paragraph 4 of the General Guidelines for Submission and Participation, and if the submitter can also effectively grant the Berlinale these rights. The Berlinale reserves the right to demand appropriate proof of these rights and to reject the submission upon failure to provide it.

3.1 General Regulations

Only officially selected films can participate in the Berlinale. The invitation to participate is issued by the Festival Director together with the Co-Directors of Film Programming or the section heads, respectively.

Programming of the selected films is likewise made by the Festival Director together with the Co-Directors of Film Programming or the section heads, respectively, and is final. Each film can be screened up to five times during the festival in Berlin. In addition, participants can authorise additional screenings of the selected film during the festival in the appropriate section on the Participation Form.

To participate in the Berlinale, the submitter (hereafter or after signing the participation form respectively referred to as "the participant") must accept the invitation in writing, submit the final festival version of the film by the deadline and provide the festival with the supplementary documents, media and information.

Every film presented in the Berlinale programme receives a certificate of participation following the festival.

3.2 Participants' Obligations

No film may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its participation has been publicly announced. During the festival, no participating film may be screened outside the festival venues prior to its official presentation at the festival.

Participation in the festival requires the unconditional adherence to all regulations set out in these guidelines. Producers, distributors and other people or organisations submitting a film must ensure that any third parties connected to the production agree to its participation in the festival. Additional terms and conditions of participation apply for the individual sections.

The Festival Director of the Berlinale reserves the right to rule on any cases not provided for in these guidelines.

3.3 Presence in Berlin

The Berlinale expects the invited films’ directors and main cast to attend the presentation of their films in Berlin, if possible. The festival is not in the position to cover travel expenses, although a certain number of hotel rooms are made available. The Berlinale Guest Management will take care of arrangements for your stay.

3.4 Official Logo and Advertising

The participant must ensure that the official festival logo is clearly visible on all advertising and promotional measures for the participating films. The Berlinale provides specific logos for each section of the programme. Please direct any enquiries by e-mail to the respective section.

3.5.1 Participation Form

As soon as a film is invited to the Berlinale programme, the submitter must confirm their acceptance of the invitation by completing and signing the Participation Form and returning it to the Berlinale. The form is available for download on the “My Film Entry” webpage once the invitation has been issued.

3.5.2 Festival Version of the Film

The final festival version of the film must be delivered to the Berlinale by the deadline of January 29, 2025. The festival’s current technical format specifications as well as information regarding the delivery of media can be found in the Technical Requirements.

Storage
The Berlinale will bear the costs for the storage and insurance of film media for the period during which such media is within its area of responsibility. In the event that a medium is damaged or lost during this period, the Berlinale’s liability is limited to the costs for replacement of the damaged component (in the case of DCPs, for instance, the cost of the data carrier/hard disk). In the case of the medium being found to be damaged upon its return shipment, a notice of damage or claim for damages, respectively, must be received by the Berlinale within 14 days of the return shipment of the medium.

Return Shipment
Physical media delivered to the festival will only be returned upon specific instruction by the participant and solely at the participant’s own expense.

All physical media that have not been requested within two months after the festival, will be destroyed if no other arrangements have been made beforehand.

3.5.3 Film Information

After a film has been invited and the participant has completed, signed and returned the Participation Form, the information given during the film submission process (director, production, actors) must be confirmed and/or supplemented and sent to the Berlinale by e-mail.

3.5.4 Press and Promotional Material

Acceptance of the invitation obliges the participant to provide press and promotional material and to authorise its release for the uses stated in clauses 3.5.4.1 and 3.5.4.2 of these General Guidelines for Submission and Participation.

3.5.4.1 Photos, Press Kits, Posters

The participant must provide the following material:

• film stills and a portrait of the director with captions in electronic form
• film poster in electronic and printed form
• press kit as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file (printed copies following consultation with the Press Office)

The Berlinale will pass on this material to third parties for the purpose of editorial coverage of the Berlinale, time-limited to April 30, 2025.

The image material will also be used for the Berlinale’s publicly available print products (festival publications) and online media of the Berlinale and its media partners (websites, apps, social media channels, media libraries) where they will remain available without any time or territorial restrictions.

3.5.4.2 Film and Audio Clips for TV, Radio and Online Media Coverage (EPK)

The participant agrees to provide various film and audio clips (“EPK”) via upload on the Berlinale FileRun server for use in journalistic coverage of the Berlinale in suitable formats via file upload.

The participant will receive the necessary login details required for file uploads around three weeks before the start of the festival.

Please note the technical requirements for FileRun uploads (249 KB).

The material will be made available to the press for use as a download or in other formats. The Berlinale will make the aforementioned clips available to TV and radio stations and online media (including podcasts and other multimedia formats as well as social media channels). These third parties may use them until April 30, 2025 for the purpose of editorial coverage of the Berlinale. Any media coverage created up to that point may be used on the online platforms without any time or territorial restrictions.

In addition, the clips may be used for the Berlinale’s online media (websites, apps and social media channels) and may remain available there without time or territorial restrictions. They may also be used for festival stage presentations as described in clause 3.5.5.2.

3.5.5 Trailer or Film Excerpts for Berlinale's Online Media and Berlinale events

3.5.5.1 Trailer or Film Excerpt for Berlinale's Online Media

It is possible for the participants to provide a 30–120 second trailer or film excerpt for the presentation of their film in the Berlinale’s online media. The upload can be carried out via the respective link in the participant's "My Account".

The trailer or film excerpt may be made available by the Berlinale for public use within the context of their online media (websites, apps, social media channels) – without any time or territorial restrictions – including in the form of a non-downloadable file (streaming) or editorial contributions.

The language of the trailer/film excerpt must be English, or the original language with English subtitles.

3.5.5.2 Film Excerpt for Stage Presentations during Berlinale events

Films in the Berlinale programme that are announced or introduced as part of a festival event and/or receive an award at the awards ceremony can be represented with excerpts of a maximum length of 60 seconds each. For this, the participant provides an excerpt from their film of at least 60 seconds in length by uploading the file via the FileRun server. Please note the technical requirements for FileRun uploads (249 KB). The festival then makes the final selection of the excerpt from the material provided. Approximately three weeks before the start of the festival, the participant will receive the access data required for the file upload.

The selected excerpt will be shown in cinemas during the relevant festival events; these events may be broadcast live by the festival’s media partners and will remain available indefinitely on their media libraries and their other online media.

The selected excerpt will be shown on stage during the relevant Berlinale events. These events may be broadcast live by the festival’s media partners. The Berlinale will make the provided film material available to its respective media partners for this purpose and those partners have permission to use the material until April 30, 2025. The programmes created, including the provided material, will remain available indefinitely on the media libraries and other online media belonging to the Berlinale’s media partners.

In addition, the selected excerpt will be used as part of the festival’s events documentation in the Berlinale’s online media (websites, apps, social media channels) and will remain available there without any time or territorial restrictions.

3.5.6 Final Version for the Festival’s Internal Preparations and the Non-Public Archive of the Berlinale

The participant has the opportunity, via the Berlinale Media Service (see the following clauses), to provide a final version of the invited film as a H.264 for the festival’s internal preparations (3.5.6.1) and for the Berlinale’s internal archive (3.5.6.2).

The technical specifications for this final version are the same as for the selection screener (mp4, AAC, stereo). The final version for the festival's internal preparation and the internal archive of the Berlinale can be uploaded via the respective link in the participant's "My Account".

3.5.6.1 Internal Preparations via the Berlinale Media Service

Screenings in the context of the festival’s internal preparations are facilitated by the Berlinale Media Service – a secure and exclusive area made available by the Berlinale. The Berlinale uses the Media Service for the preparation of the current festival. Time-restricted access to films via the Berlinale Media Service is granted on an individual basis to selected employees of the Berlinale and – if applicable – selected persons upon personal invitation by the Berlinale.

User Groups, Scope and Period of Access

By releasing a video file for the festival’s internal preparations in the context of the Berlinale Media Service, the participant agrees to it being made available without territorial restrictions and under the stated conditions to the following user groups:

• selected Berlinale employees as well as film industry professionals upon personal invitation by the festival
• the Berlinale's educational initiatives (only applicable for films selected for the Generation festival section)

Availability window (if not agreed otherwise): from the date of agreement to April 15, 2025.

3.5.6.2 The Berlinale's Internal Archive

It is in the long-term interests of the Berlinale to save a digital copy of every participating film in its internal archive in order to keep it as a reference point for the identity of the festival and its programming work as well as for the profile of its sections. The films in the Berlinale archive are exclusively available to the festival’s employees for internal use.

3.5.6.3 Security and Monitoring

Each film is made accessible as an encrypted data stream using certified DRM systems (Multi-DRM), including a watermark and personalised authorisation via the Berlinale’s “My Account” system.

The Berlinale obliges all users to protect their account from access by third parties as well as not to use the contents made available to them for any purpose other than ones explicitly contractually permitted, in particular not to record them, neither completely nor partially.

The Berlinale is not liable in cases where the users themselves are responsible for a violation of these obligations, nor in cases of a misuse of the Berlinale Media Service or the “My Account” system by third parties.

3.5.6.4 Confidentiality

A film’s screening via the Berlinale Media Service equates to a “private screening” and thus does not affect its premiere status. There will be no public announcement of which films have been released for use via the Berlinale Media Service. The participants, as well as all users of the Berlinale Media Service, must treat information about a film’s availability via the service as strictly confidential.

3.5.6.5 Changes to the Berlinale Media Service

The Berlinale reserves the right to change or terminate the services offered by the Berlinale Media Service at any time. The Berlinale will inform the participants of such an event in good time.

By releasing a film to the Berlinale Media Service, the participant fully accepts the terms and conditions presented here in their entirety.

The participant grants the Berlinale free of charge the non-exclusive, sub-licensable right without any territorial restrictions to use the film as well as the press and promotional material mentioned in paragraph 3.5.4 and the trailer/film excerpt mentioned in paragraph 3.5.5, for the purpose of the presentation of the film at the Berlinale, in particular for this purpose to copy the film completely or partially, not limited to the originally used image and sound storage medium, to distribute, publicly display, screen or broadcast it, to make it available for access and to enter it into electronic databases and data networks. This granting of rights is valid for the use of the film in the context of the Berlinale Media Service until April 15, 2025, and for the disclosure of the press material to third parties for use in the context of journalistic coverage until April 30, 2025

Archiving Rights

The granting of the following rights is valid indefinitely but can be revoked at any time: use of the film in the Berlinale’s internal archive; use of photographs for the Berlinale’s publicly accessible print and online media according to paragraph 3.5.4.1; use of the trailer/film excerpt according to paragraph 3.5.5.

Indemnification

The participants declare and guarantee that they are the holders of all usage rights necessary for the use of the film in the context of this agreement and that they are in a position to effectively grant the Berlinale these rights. The participants affirm that any third parties involved in the production and distribution of the film have agreed, where necessary, to its use in the context of the Berlinale as specified in this agreement. The participants guarantee that by using the film in the context of this agreement, no rights of third parties, including persons depicted in the film, are infringed.

The participants indemnify the Berlinale from all claims by third parties, in particular by third party copyright holders, which may be raised against the Berlinale. Any impairment of the rights granted here which the participants may become aware of must be communicated immediately to the Berlinale. The Berlinale is entitled to take appropriate measures to defend itself against claims by third parties or to pursue its rights. The participants will coordinate their own measures with the Berlinale in advance. The indemnification also comprises the reimbursement of costs incurred by the Berlinale as a result of any necessary legal pursuit of its rights and/or legal defence, provided they are not reimbursed by third parties. Other claims by the Berlinale regarding a breach of warranty remain unaffected.

The Berlinale has unlimited liability for damage to the extent that the cause of damage is based on an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty by the Berlinale or one of its legal representatives or agents. The Berlinale is liable for ordinary negligence solely in the case of a breach of duty, the fulfilment of which is essential to the achievement of the purpose of the contract and upon which the contracting party may regularly rely (material obligation) and to the extent that the Berlinale would typically have been expected to be aware of such damages based on the circumstances prevailing upon conclusion of the contract. Liability on the part of the Berlinale is excluded in all other cases. This applies likewise to its agents and other parties acting on its behalf. This limitation of liability does not apply to damage claims from injury to life, limb and health, the assumption of a quality guarantee or a fraudulent concealment of defects by the Berlinale.