Tricia Tuttle is directing the Berlinale for the first time – and commutes between Berlin and London. In this interview, she talks about life between two cities, the international significance of the festival and its 75th anniversary highlights.
I'm most looking forward to welcoming the filmmakers whose work I've seen with my team over the last eight months and whose films are now screening in front of a large audience. I'm very curious to see how the audience will react. It's exciting.
You took over as director of the Berlinale in April 2024. You've had an intensive period of preparation for this year's festival. Have you had the opportunity to get to know Berlin outside of this?
I spend half my time in Berlin and the other half in London. My children are finishing high school there. When I'm in Berlin, I have to work or I'm travelling for business. But I'm looking forward to being here more often, having more free time, going to museums, galleries or concerts. I love big cities, it's exciting to meet people from different cultures, hear many languages and see great art. The first thing I did in Berlin was to buy a bike and look around the city. It's special to be able to discover a new place and a privilege to be able to learn a new language – even if German isn't easy.
You have many years of experience as a festival organiser, most recently you directed the London Film Festival. What is the biggest difference to the Berlinale?
There are many similarities, the London Film Festival is also a big public festival. But here in Berlin we mainly show premieres, especially world premieres, which only make up about 25 per cent in London. So the curation is very different. Another difference is that the Berlinale is linked to one of the most important film markets in the world. This is very relevant – also for the future of the festival.
Where do you see the Berlinale in comparison to the two other A-festivals in Cannes and Venice?
In my opinion, these are three very different festivals with different functions, both in terms of the audience and for the film industry. That's why we shouldn't make a comparison. As the first film market of the year, Berlin is, as I said, enormously important. We could also give Berlin even more importance on the international stage, and we're working on that. Sometimes I think that people in Germany don't realise enough that the Berlinale is a very prestigious, international festival.
It is often said that German film is in crisis. Too much average, too little real talent. What is your impression?
I don't want to say anything general about German film, I haven't been involved with it long enough for that. But of course we are always on the lookout for German films that can also make an impact internationally. And we have some incredibly good German productions and German co-productions in the Berlinale programme, for example Yunan and Was Marielle weiß, both of which are screening in the Competition. We are opening with a German film that is located in Berlin and belongs to the world class: The Light by Tom Tykwer. We would have made a different decision if the quality of these films didn't allow it.
19 films are screening in the international competition, including the new Linklater Blue Moon and Hong Sangsoo's What Does that Nature Say to You. Both are more about private situations and sensitivities. How political is this year's Competition?
The Berlinale is and remains a political festival. But I'm not putting together a programme for a political festival. Many films are sometimes inherently political, because the private sphere reflects the confrontation with the world we live in. The competition presents a range of very intimate stories, such as Ari by Léonor Serraille, a wonderful film. But we are also showing Kontinental ‘25 by Radu Jude, a very political work that deals with the housing crisis, the rise of nationalism and ethnic racism. All 19 films in the competition together reflect the entire diversity of cinema.
Which films are on your personal wavelength?
I have a very broad taste in film – and I love all 19 films in the competition.
Do you have a favourite?
I don't want to single out any title from the competition, the audience should make up their own minds and find out what they like. But every single film is very special, very unique.
After one-sided statements by film-makers on the Israel-Gaza war at last year's award ceremony, there was a scandal. How can this year's festival position itself on this?
In my experience, filmmakers speak out of conviction on topics that also appear in their films. Freedom of expression is very important to us, but at the same time we have to remember that these issues are very complex. Last year, together with my chief of staff Florian Weghorn, I sought the opinions of many people. We have been thinking about how we can shape conversations and our moderation in a way that always encourages respectful dialogue and brings up different aspects of a situation. The most important thing we have learnt from the events of 2024 is that, as a platform, we have to ensure that the discourse throughout the festival is not one-sided, but that many voices are heard.
Are you planning something special for the 75th anniversary of the Berlinale?
We're giving our audience the gift of a temporary festival lounge, the Hub75, right next to the Berlinale Palast. We will be offering free lectures and events for the public there in the mornings. It will also be a networking space for filmmakers, the press and the film industry. And to mark the anniversary, we will simultaneously broadcast the opening gala and the opening film in seven cities in Germany.
Is that why Tom Tykwer's Das Licht is not in the competition?
I knew immediately that I wanted to programme Das Licht as the opening film. And I wanted to show it in several cities. That's why it would have been unfair to include it in the competition. I also discussed this with Tom.
What else can we look forward to?
The other sections also offer great films for the audience this year, such as Honey Bunch by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli or Islands by Jan-Ole Gerster, both of which are screening in the Berlinale Special. The first weekend of the festival will be very intense: on Saturday evening we're showing Mickey 17 by Bong Joon Ho, with Robert Pattinson and Toni Colette, who are also coming to Berlin. It's going to be very exciting and a lot of fun.
The Person
Tricia Tuttle is from North Carolina in the South of the United States where she began her career playing music as guitarist for the band June. She has a Masters in Film Studies from the BFI and Birkbeck University, and a dual major BA in Literature and Radio, Television and Motion Pictures from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the 1990s, Tuttle moved to London.
Tricia Tuttle has over 25 years of experience in film festivals and education and has held senior roles at British Film Institute (BFI), British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) and the National Film and Television School (NFTS). Most recently, she held the role of Head of Directing Fiction at NFTS. Prior to this, she was at the BFI for a decade, first as Deputy Head of Festivals then as Festivals Director, leading the team to deliver both BFI London Film Festival (LFF) and BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival.
Since April 2024 the creative direction and management of the Berlin International Film Festival have been the responsibility of Tricia Tuttle.
February 2025