Competition: where are shown films made for the big screen and broad audiences.
Panorama: where the emphasis is on independent and art-house cinema. These films are made in a personal style and attract a demanding, passionate audience.
The Generation section presents lively cinema aimed at young audiences.
The Perspektive Deutsches Kino introduces international audiences to the latest developments and stylistic trends in the German film industry.
The Berlinale's most experimental section is the International Forum of New Cinema offering a sharper focus on experimental formats and "distant" film-producing countries. It's a chance to discover highly original, often provocative and disturbing cinema.
The Retrospective is a special section for those looking for hidden treasures. The programme puts the festival's contemporary films into an historical context re-discovering classics and giving due homage great film actors and film-makers.
In the Perspektive Deutsches Kino and Generation programmes short film awards are bestowed.
In terms of locations, superb cinemas across the city, including the Arsenal, CinemaxX and CineStar host the films. Look for the Festival official poster series to get further detailed information. There's the Babylon where they often have English movies (Dresdener Str. 126; Kreuzberg; ph. +49 (0)306160 9693; U- Bahn Kottbusser Tor); Cinemaxx Potsdamer Platz or the Cinestar Sony Center are huge multiplex that project movies in original languages. (both in Potsdamer Platz, U/ S Bahn Potsdamer Platz; respectively phone numbers: (0)30 44316316; (0)30 26066260).
