Berlin Film Festival Will Not Boycott Russian Films, But Will Exclude Official Delegations

deadline.com:

The Berlin International Film Festival has joined fellow events including Cannes and Venice in saying it will not ban Russian movies at the next edition of its fest, but will block official Russian delegates.In a statement, organizers wrote, “Even in face of the criminal Russian war of aggression, therefore, it cannot be the intention to exclude filmmakers or cultural workers from the Berlinale on the basis of their nationality, or to isolate them.”“All too often, it is precisely their works that convey criticism of the respective regimes.

Consequently, the Berlinale takes a clear stand against a general boycott of cultural works on the basis of their origin, as this would also suppress many critical voices.

And the world needs those critical voices,” they continued.However, “official state institutions and, in this case, Russian institutions or delegations as well as supporting actors of the regime” will be excluded, the fest added.Calls for a boycott of Russian cinema originated from the Ukrainian Film Academy and have been supported by a range of high-profile Ukraine filmmakers as well as international institutions including the European Film Academy and the Polish Film Institute.On the other hand, there have been concerns about the idea of a cultural boycott and the impact that would have on Russian filmmakers who have used their art to criticize the Putin regime.Last night, a Russian filmmaker penned an anonymous guest column for Deadline in which they addressed the subject.New and returning series on broadcast, cable and streamingSeries that made it or didn’t make it in 2020-21Broadcast networks’ fall lineups and schedules