A new prize for first-time feature filmmakers is to be introduced at the forthcoming Berlin International Film Festival (February 6-17, 2002) in collaboration with the Premiere World digital pay TV platform.

The "Premiere First Movie Award", which will given to the best debut film by a jury of five well-known international personalities, will open to films showing in the Official Competition, Panorama, Forum, Kinderfilmfest and Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

In addition to sponsoring the new award, Premiere World has committed as a new major partner of the Berlinale to staging a daily one-hour show "Premiere World Berlinale 2002" in a prime-time slot and unscrambled as well as live presentations of the festival's opening and closing events.

"I am delighted that we have gained a creative and competent partner in Premiere World, a partner that loves the cinema and will help us make the Berlinale a marketplace for ideas and talent", festival director Dieter Kosslick declared . "Our idea of developing new projects for up-and-coming film-makers has been received with great enthusiasm by Premiere World".

This new award will be in addition to the other official festival distinctions such as the Golden Berlin Bear for best film and Silver Berlin Bears in the categories Jury Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, an outstanding Individual Contribution, Best Film Music, and the "Blue Angel" prize for the best European film.