Frequently Asked Questions

What is the deadline for submitting a Press Accreditation application?
The deadline is January 9, 2024 and the accreditation must be paid in advance online by February 1, 2024 (payments on-site are not possible).

I do not have all the required documents for my accreditation application. Can I submit them later?
Your accreditation request can only be processed if all required documents were provided. Please let us know until when you can hand in missing documents by using the comment box at the end of your application form. Late submissions can be sent via mail to the Press Office:

Print/Online/PR

TV/Radio

Photo

I am both a film professional and a journalist. Can I apply for both accreditations?
No, only one form of accreditation can be issued. To verify which kind of accreditation corresponds best to your professional profile, please check the respective pages for Professionals & EFM or Press.

I wish to apply for different media accreditations (e.g. print/online journalism and photo journalism)
Multiple accreditations for different activity fields are not possible. Please state your main field of work during the Berlinale.

What are my access options?
Information can be found under Access Information.

Where and when can I collect my accreditation badge?
Before the festival starts, a badge pick-up document will be sent to the email address you have provided with all the relevant information regarding the collection of your accreditation badge. Accreditation badges will be issued at the Berlinale Service Center (ground floor Atrium Tower, Theaterufer, 10785 Berlin).

Will there be press screenings? How can I access them?
Tickets for press screenings for accredited press (except technicians, photographers and PR agents without screenings access) are available free of charge and can only be booked in advance online. Tickets are subject to availability on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are exclusively issued for the personal use of accredited press and are only valid in combination with an accreditation badge (the badge must be presented for inspection at the cinema entrance). A maximum of one ticket per screening, film and (90 minute) time slot may be booked. There is no guarantee that you will obtain a ticket for a specific screening or that a specific number of tickets will be available. Tickets for press screenings can be booked online until shortly before the event begins. Cancellations must be made by 30 minutes before the start of the event.

Accredited press can book tickets online for the public screenings. An allocated number of press tickets for the films of all sections are available.

Will there be online press screenings?
No. Press screenings and public screenings will only take place in cinemas. There will be no online screenings.

Can I attend the Press Conferences with my accreditation badge?
Yes. Admission subject to availability of seats.

I do not have access to the online services (Attendee List, Hotel Booking). What can I do?
Please note that, for technical reasons, online services can only be used shortly after your payment is proceeded. If you still cannot access them after ten minutes, please contact the
, Tel. +49 30 25920-800

How can I gain access to press materials?
For information on the availability of press materials and their download periods, please see the menu item "Press Material" on this website.

How do I apply for an Accreditation?

For a detailed guide see: Accreditation Procedure.

What do I do if I've forgotten my user name for the "My Account"?

For data protection reasons, user names may not be provided. You will find your user name in the email confirming the creation of your account and in the email confirming your accreditation. For further questions, please contact .

Payment

How can I pay for my accreditation?
You can only pay online for your accreditation. All payment options are listed in the Payment section.

Can I also pay the accreditation fee when I pick up my badge at the counter?
Payment at the accreditation counter is not possible. The accreditation must be paid for online in advance by February 1, 2024.

What happens if I have not paid the accreditation fee by February 1, 2024?
Late payments may lead to delays in collecting the accreditation badge and in gaining access to the Online Ticket Shop and/or the EFM Online Services. The Early Bear / Regular rate for (Online) Market Badges and Festival Accreditations only applies until February 1, 2024. From February 2, 2024 onwards, these orders will be charged at the currently applicable rate (except Press Accreditation).

Will I receive an invoice?
After completing your payment, you will receive an invoice by e-mail. You can also download this invoice at any time via the “My Accreditation” button in “My Account”. Before making your payment, you will have the opportunity to edit the billing address. Please note that it will not be possible to make any changes to the billing address after payment.

How can I cancel my accreditation?
Refunds for Press, Student and Festival Accreditations that have already been paid for are only possible until February 1, 2024, and only if a written notice of cancellation is sent to .
It is not possible to cancel an (Online) Market Badge once it has been paid for.

Why does PayPal show that my payment is going to KBB GmbH?
The Berlinale is a division of Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH (Cultural Events of the Federal Government in Berlin Ltd), KBB for short. Payments are therefore made to the KBB GmbH account.

Ticketing / Cinema Access

Who has access to online ticketing?
Holders of paid-for or free-of-charge festival accreditations, student and press accreditations will receive their personal login to the separate online ticket shop by e-mail, approximately  one week before the start of the Festival. Accredited participants who have only acquired a (Online) Market Badge will not be granted access to the online ticket shop.

For which screenings can I book a ticket?
For festival screenings in every section - but not for every time slot or for every venue - as well as for the public events of Berlinale Talents. In the online ticket shop, you will only be offered tickets for films to which you have access in accordance with your accreditation.

Where do I book my free tickets?
In a separate online ticket shop for accredited visitors. In order to gain personal access to the online ticket shop before the festival, you must pay the accreditation fee by February 1, 2024. Your personal login to access the separate online ticket shop for accredited visitors will be emailed to you approximately one week before the start of the Berlinale.

How many tickets can I book?
A maximum of one ticket is issued per film and time slot. There is no guarantee of tickets for a certain screening or a specific total number of tickets. All accredited tickets are issued according to availability on a first-come, first-served basis.

How can I cancel my ticket? 
Accredited persons are not permitted to allow their tickets to go unused. Tickets that have already been booked but cannot be used must be cancelled online at least 60 minutes (for press screenings 30 minutes) before the start of the screening.

Can I use my account to book tickets for colleagues?
No. Tickets are exclusively for your personal use and are only valid in combination with your accreditation badge.

During the Festival

When and where can I collect my badge?
About one week before the festival starts, you will receive an e-mail containing information about how to pick up your accreditation. The pick-up document attached to this e-mail must be presented (digitally or in printed form) at the accreditation counter when picking up your badge, in combination with a valid ID. The badge can only be collected if it has already been paid for online in advance. 

Can I appoint someone else to collect my accreditation?
If you wish to entrust a third party with the collection of your accreditation, this person is required to present your badge pick-up document as a form of authorisation

Are group collections possible for members of the same company?
Group collection is only possible for groups of ten or more people. Please contact your designated accreditation office for further information.

What do I do if I have lost my accreditation badge?
Please immediately report the loss of your accreditation badge to the office that issued your accreditation. The reissue of your badge will cost €30 and may take up to 24 hours.

I have experienced/witnessed abusive or discriminatory behaviour at the Berlinale, what can I do?
To implement the Berlinale’s Anti-Discrimination Code of Conduct, an Awareness Team of trained anti-discrimination advisers from the - Association for Anti-Discrimination and Educational Work (BDB e.V.) and the Berlin State Association for Self-Help (LV Selbsthilfe Berlin e.V.) is available by telephone and email in German and English both during and following the festival. The ways in which the Awareness Team can be contacted during the upcoming festival will be published on this page and in the Berlinale programme booklet by February.

The Awareness Team is there to listen, understand and advise people confidentially and, in the first instance, always anonymously. At the request of the person seeking advice, the Awareness Team will inform the Berlinale and will consult it about possible measures to be taken. The implementation of these measures is the responsibility of the Berlinale. The service is aimed at anyone who, during the Berlinale, witnesses, experiences or is affected by discrimination as laid out in the festival’s Code of Conduct. We are very grateful for your active assistance and encourage all visitors, guests, partners and employees to report any incidents to the Awareness Team. The Berlinale aims to create a safe, sustainable and inclusive environment in which everyone is treated with respect and as equals.

Practical Information and Miscellaneous

I am an invited guest of the Berlinale/member of a film crew. How can I gain access to the EFM?
Access to the exhibitors within the EFM locations (Gropius Bau & Marriott Hotel) will be restricted. Access with a Festival Accreditation will be permitted on the following dates: February 15 all day, February 16 to 19 from 5 pm and on February 20 and 21 all day. To gain unrestricted access to the EFM venues, Market Screenings, Industry Sessions and the EFM online features, please order an additional Market Badge via .

What is the Berlinale doing to protect my data?
The Berlinale takes great care in handling your private data. See the Privacy Policy for all relevant information on what happens to your data. For further questions regarding data protection, please contact the data protection officer at .

Does the Berlinale provide any support for visa applications?
Participants who require a visa to travel to Germany should contact the German Embassy responsible for their place of residence as soon as possible. More information and visa application forms can be found on the German Federal Foreign Office website. From mid-December onward, the Berlinale will inform the respective German Embassy or Consulate General of your participation in the festival to facilitate your visa application.

Covid-19 Information

Which rules and regulations do I have to observe?
There are currently no Covid-19 regulations in force in Germany. The festival nevertheless asks accredited visitors to keep themselves informed about any applicable regulations and to check whether they meet the current requirements.