The festival presented the award to the Before Midnight director at the film’s international premiere on Monday [11].

Richard Linklater’s first Competition entry Before Sunrise earned the Silver Bear for best director in 1995.

He returned to Berlin in 2004 with Before Sunset and brought Fast Food Nation to the 2007 Culinary Cinema Section.

The festival inaugurated the Berlinale Camera in 1986 with the goal of honouring film personalities or institutions “to which it feels particularly indebted and wishes to express its thanks.”

Since 2004 the Berlinale Camera has been sponsored by the Düsseldorf-based goldsmith Georg Hornemann.