Berlinale Film Festival

Independence

Trip price

Trip duration

BA Film Studies, MA International Film Production, MSc Virtual Production are are eligible to participate on this opportunity. Students enrolled on BSc Media Production and BA Media Communication are also welcome to apply. There is a maximum of 20 places available, with a minimum of 15 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

Trip description

Students will experience first-hand how a major international film festival (Berlinale) functions in terms of film industry business (market place), programming, policy and delivery. Students will witness a range of world cinema screenings and gain an understanding of the significance of Berlin as a location for the festival, including its centrality for European film production from the 1910s onwards.

Students will gain experience of managing their own itineraries as delegates of the festival, they will learn to navigate a film festival programme which involves multiple programme strands, themes and venues with around 400 different screenings and events. They will gain experience of Berlin’s rich cultural and political heritage and learn about the significance of its history in the post-War period.

This visit to the Berlin film festival including participating in screenings, masterclasses, attending workshops and talks from directors, producers and industry personnel . This is in conjunction with Film Studies film industry modules across all three levels, which cover the study and practice of the film industry and exhibition. It is also in conjunction with the MA International Film Production, a practical industry-facing programme focused on film pitching, financing and marketing/distribution for filmmakers and producers, and for who’s students the festival and its European Film Market provides a wealth of opportunity for witnessing the buying, selling and promotion of films first hand. The trip will also be open to all School of Creative Industries and Culture students.

Students will learn about the history and development of the festival, from the early 1950s and the impact of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and how the festival relates to latter 20th Century European history and beyond. The Berlinale is now one of the world’s most important film festivals and screens a range of world cinema which may not otherwise be available in the UK. It is also noteworthy for including talks by film directors and industry personnel which students will be able to access and encouraged to attend. Students are also encouraged to take all opportunities to network with industry personnel and to take advantage of activities laid on specifically for students in relation to future careers and employability in the film industry.

Skill development

This opportunity has been designed to help develop the following DMU Graduate Attributes:

Networking

Confidence

Critical Thinking

Organisational skills

Learning objectives

Students will experience first hand how a major international film festival functions in terms of programming, policy and delivery which relates directly to a range of Film and Media Studies modules at levels 4-6. They will witness a range of world cinema screenings, and gain an understanding of the significance of Berlin as a location for the festival, including its centrality for European film production from the 1910s onwards.

Students will gain experience of managing their own itineraries as delegates of the festival, they will learn to navigate a film festival programme which involves multiple programme strands, themes and venues with around 400 different screenings and events. They will gain experience of Berlin’s rich cultural and political heritage and learn about the significance of its history in the post-War period.

Cultural activities

Cultural activities are largely centred around the Berlinale Festival which has films and events running from early morning to late into the evening, from archive and restored films to the latest red-carpet releases with film stars and directors in attendance. The Festival is centred around the Potsdamer Platz, but screenings are held in cinemas across the city including in the former East Berlin.

In addition to attendance at Festival events, students will be encouraged to explore key sites in Berlin and to understand how the history of film festival and the history of Berlin itself, are intertwined. Places of significance include the Film Museum (as part of the delegate festival pass), the Holocaust Memorial, Museum Quarter, Alexanderplatz, The Tiergarten and Zoo areas and the Berlin DDR Museum.