Generation Regulations

Generation with the two competition programmes Kplus and 14plus presents a comprehensive programme of contemporary films exploring the lives and worlds of children and teenagers.

1. Eligibility

Eligible for Generation are fiction feature films, documentaries, animation or experimental films which

• are either feature-length films of at least 60 minutes running time or short films with a maximum running time of 20 minutes.
• have not been screened at any European film festival outside of their country of origin.
• have not been released theatrically or presented publicly in Europe outside of their country of origin.
• have not been presented publicly in Germany.
• have neither been broadcasted nor presented on the internet/VOD outside of their country of origin.
• were completed within the 12 months prior to the start of the festival.
• are available in the formats DCP or QuickTime ProRes – 35mm or other formats only upon request.
• have never been submitted for selection at the Berlinale.

World premieres are prioritised (see General Information on Premiere Status). German films applying for Generation need to be a European premiere as minimum requirement and may not have been presented publicly in Germany (festival, theatrical release, TV, internet, VOD).

The film’s country of origin is determined by the registered office address of the production company. In case of international co-productions the main country of production will be considered as country of origin.

For all applications, the General Guidelines for Film Submission and Participation apply. The Festival Director reserves the right to decide on any eventuality not foreseen in these guidelines.

2. Selection and Programming

The Festival Director and the head of Generation invite films to participate in Generation. The section head decides in which of the two competitive strands of the section a selected film will be programmed. 

3. Language Version and Subtitles

All selected films are screened in their original version with English subtitles. The film’s producer is responsible for meeting the costs of subtitling and providing the subtitled version on time.

The version (to be) released in the country of origin is regarded as the original version.

Generation Kplus films will be presented with an additional German voice-over performed by professional speakers. For this reason, a complete dialogue list in the original language must be supplied for every film invited to this competition.