The Berlin Film Festival, known as the Berlinale celebrates its 74th edition this year, which will take place in the German capital from 15 to 25 February. Two years after a major international success for Catalan cinema, the awarding of the Golden Bear to Alcarràs (Vilaüt, Avalon, Elastica, Kino Produzioni) by Carla Simón, a new edition arrives in which the Catalan audiovisual sector will once again be represented on the programme. 

Four productions will have their world premières in renowned sections of the festival; one project in development will be presented at the Co-Production Market; four professionals and one Catalan project will participate in Berlinale Talents and more than 75 Catalan companies will attend the market space, the European Film Market. 

Selected Catalan productions

The Panorama section, will include a presentation of the feature film Memorias de un cuerpo en llamas (Playlab Films, Substance Films), by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, a portrait of pleasure and desire through the memory and intimacy of three sixty-five-year-old women. The film has benefited from the Ministry of Culture grants for minority co-productions.

Meanwhile, the Swedish-Peruvian director Klaudia Reynicke will compete in Generation Kplus with her film Reinas (Inicia Films, Maretazo, Cine, Alva Film), also a beneficiary of the minority co-production grant. The film is a coming-of-age family film set in Peru in the nineties, which had its world première at the last edition of the Sundance Film Festival.

And Catalan short films will be represented in Berlin with Cura sana (ESCAC) by Lucía G. Romero, a film that is also part of Shortcat 2024, the programme for the international promotion of Catalan short films supported by Catalan Films, the Catalan Ministry of Culture's brand for the internationalisation of the Catalan audiovisual industry. Cura Sana, selected for Generation 14plus, follows the story of two German women in a situation of domestic violence. 

Finally, Berlinale Forum will be screening Anna Cornudella's debut film, La hibernació humana (Japonica Films, Batiak Films), an experimental fiction that explores human beings and their animalistic nature, which has passed through laboratories and markets such as Abycine WIP, Márgenes WIP and the Primer Test del REC.

Catalan presence in the industry’s activities

Once again, the Catalan audiovisual industry will be represented at the European Film Market (EFM), with a delegation of over 75 companies from the sector. They will be accompanied by Catalan Films, the Catalan Ministry of Culture's brand for the internationalisation of the Catalan audiovisual industry.

In addition, the EFM's Co-Production Market programme will include the presentation of the project Hold Time for Me, a co-production between Catalonia (Migranta Films), Germany (Seera Films) and Angola (Uika Filmes), directed by Fradique, which will be part of the Rotterdam-Berlinale Express initiative.