The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951 at the initiative of U.S. Film officer Oscar Martay, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. It is considered the largest publicly-attended film festival worldwide and up to 400 films are shown in several sections, representing a comprehensive array of the cinematic world. Around twenty films compete for the awards called the Golden and Silver Bears. |