San Francisco Frontiers - 'Family and intimacy under pressure' at Berlin film festival

AFP sat down with festival director Tricia Tuttle, who is in her second year at the helm, for a look-ahead at Europe's first big cinema festival of the year.

Here are five things to expect from this year's festival, which runs until February 22.

- 'Reflecting international cinema' -

Of more than 200 films shown during the 10-day festival, 22 will compete for the coveted Golden Bear, which was won last year by the drama "Dreams" from Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud.

In assembling this year's diverse programme, Tuttle said that "the guiding principle was to reflect where international cinema is right now".

She said that she had noticed "family and intimacy under pressure, questions of care, power, belonging, and the experience of living between worlds" as themes running through this year's selection.

"Many of the films look at how private lives are shaped by larger political and social forces."

The festival will also honour Malaysian actor Michelle Yeoh -- who won the best actress Oscar in 2023 for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" -- with a lifetime achievement award.

- Spotlight on women directors -

As in 2025, women directed most of the films being screened at the festival.

Among those in the official competition, nine out of 22 were directed by women, a higher proportion than at the Cannes or Venice festivals.

"One thing that is encouraging for me is the number of second and third time female film-makers who have made strong work," Tuttle said.

The opening film, "No Good Men", is itself the third feature-length film from Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat.

"It's about Afghan women's experience, which you wouldn't see if it wasn't for Shahrbanoo's work," Tuttle said.

Sadat fled her home country following the Taliban takeover in 2021 and now lives in Hamburg.

- American films remain elusive -

In contrast to Cannes or Venice, which regularly attract Oscar contenders, Berlin does not feature as many large-scale US productions and the sprinkle of stardust that often accompanies them.

"Some of the biggest authored films of the year, those sort of commercial-arthouse crossover films, haven't launched out of festivals this year," Tuttle noted, perhaps in a nod to titles such as "One Battle After Another", "Sinners" and "Marty Supreme".

For such films, which can easily cost more than $100 million to make, producers and distributors are increasingly keen on controlling all aspects of a film's release.

"Festivals can be busy, noisy places where you might not get the cut-through that you want," according to Tuttle -- not to mention running the risk of negative reviews from critics.

- The era of co-productions -

This year's festival will notably feature European co-productions with financing from several countries.

According to Tuttle, "there's an opportunity right now for Europe, for European producers to work together" as the industry more broadly continues to fracture.

She cites the example of Joachim Trier's "Sentimental Value", nominated for nine Oscars, which is a co-production between Norway, Denmark, France and Germany.

"Sentimental Value is a film that is made by many countries in terms of investment, but it's very much the work of an author and a really important filmmaker," said Tuttle.

- Streaming platforms almost absent -

Unlike in Venice, where three Netflix-produced films entered the official competition, the giants of the streaming world are relatively marginal in Berlin.

"There's real value to be had in theatrical exhibition, not just because there's money to be made there ... but also, for us as movie fans, it's the best way to see a film," said Tuttle.

The only Netflix film at this year's Berlinale will feature in the "Special Presentation" section -- outside of the official competition.

"Un hijo proprio" ("A Child of My Own") is a documentary-length feature telling the story of a Mexican woman who invents a pregnancy in an attempt to escape pressure from her family to have a child.

L.Nguyen--SFF