As the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival draws to a close, it’s time for the first of the three major international film festivals to give out its awards. This year’s Berlin jury is being headed by Kristen Stewart, and the selections promise to reflect the actress’ famously good taste in movies. But a strong lineup featuring a variety of innovative films from the world’s top directors ensures that their job will never be easy. From a timely documentary about the war in Ukraine to a variety of dramas about men trapped in small spaces (see: “Inside” and “Manhole”), the eclectic collection of films had something for everyone.
At last year’s festival, Carla Simon’s Spanish Drama “Alcarras” won the coveted Golden Bear. Several of the biggest names in global cinema also walked away with big prizes, as Claire Denis won the Silver Bear for Best Director for “Both Sides of the Blade” and Hong Sang-soo won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for “The Novelist’s Film.”
This year’s festival also saw Steven Spielberg make the trip to Berlin to accept the honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement. He delivered a passionate acceptance speech where he reflected on his unique relationship with German audiences and made it clear that he has no plans to retire any time soon.
“If this honor means that my work has found a home in Germany, then tonight, I feel like I’m home too,” Spielberg said (via Variety). “This honor has particular meaning for me because I’m a Jewish director. I’d like to believe that this is a small moment in a much larger, ongoing effort of healing the broken places of history – what Jews call Tikkun Olam, the repairing and restoring of the world.”
Keep reading for the complete list of winners from the 2023 Berlin Film Festival.
Golden Bear
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
Silver Bear Jury Prize
Silver Bear for Best Director
Silver Bear for Best Lead Performance – “20,000 Species of Bees,” Sofia Otero
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance – “Till the End of the Night,” Thea Ehre
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay – “Music,” Angela Schanelec
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution – Disco Boy,” Hélène Louvart, cinematography
Encounters winners:
Best Film – “Here,” Bas Devos
Best Director – “The Echo,” Tatiana Huezo
Special Jury Award – “Orlando, My Political Biography,” Paul B. Preciado; “Samsara,” Lois Patino
Documentary winners:
Best Documentary – “The Echo,” Tatiana Huezo
Documentary Special Mention – “Orlando, My Political Biography,” Paul B. Preciado
Best First Feature – “The Klezmer Project,” Leandro Koch, Paloma Schahmann
Berlinale Shorts winners:
Golden Bear – “Les Chenilles,” Michelle Keserwany, Noel Keserwany
Silver Bear – “Dipped in Black,” Matthew Thorne, Derik Lynch
Special Mention – “It’s a Date,” Nadia Parfan
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