The Berlinale announces a gender-neutral award for the best performances without distinction between men and women

Awards ceremony at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale, on February 29.Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters

The Berlin International Film Festival has announced this Monday a series of decisions regarding the 2021 edition, among which the delivery of a “gender neutral” award that will recognize the interpreters without distinguishing between actors and actresses stands out. “For the first time, the awards will be defined in a gender-neutral way. Instead of the awards for the best actor and the best actress, a Silver Bear will be awarded for the best leading performance and a Silver Bear for the best supporting performance, ”the festival reported in a statement. In addition, the organization has confirmed that the edition will be face-to-face and that its traditional market, the European Film Market (EFM) will be held through a hybrid model (of physical and virtual presentations).

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“The festivals and markets are places of meeting and communication. This applies to both the public and the industry. We see an important and unique feature of festivals in their living relationship with the public. In times of the coronavirus pandemic, it has become even clearer that we still need spaces for analogue experience in the cultural sphere ”, the directors of the Berlinale, Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, have assured in this regard.

Regarding this new award category, regardless of gender, both directors have remarked: "We believe that it is a sign of a more gender-sensitive awareness in the film industry." In addition, the festival has reported that the former Alfred Bauer award, Silver Bear, which was suspended in 2020 due to findings regarding the position of the first Berlinale director Alfred Bauer under National Socialism, will no longer be awarded in the future. . "The evaluation of an external specialized historical study on Alfred Bauer will be available at the end of the summer and then it will be published," they have assured.

The festival and the market, which will take place from February 11 to 21, will be held in accordance with the rules and regulations applicable at that time, "ensuring the highest possible security for all guests." "The adjustments in the structure of the festival, the programming of the films and the total number of invited films will be defined by the festival management in the coming weeks," they added.