European Film Academy, European Film Promotion, and Europa International have issued a joint statement in appreciation of beleaguered Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle ahead of a critical meeting on Thursday of the festival’s management company, Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH (KBB).
Earlier today Germany’s Bild newspaper reported that German minister of state for culture Wolfram Weimer had called for an extraordinary meeting of the KBB after the recent edition of the festival – Tuttle’s second as director – was overshadowed by politics and high emotion.
“We look back on a strong and inspiring Berlinale and would like to express our sincere appreciation for the work of Tricia Tuttle as director of the festival,” said European Film Academy, European Film Promotion, the network of Europe’s national film promotion institutions, and Europa International, the international distributors organisation.
The statement continued: “This year’s Berlinale lineup showcased a remarkable breadth of European cinema and brought together audiences and industry professionals from around the world. Under Tricia Tuttle’s leadership, the Berlinale has reinforced its role as a key international festival and marketplace for European film.”
It concluded: “We value the artistic vision and commitment she has brought to the festival. We believe her leadership provides a strong foundation for the Berlinale and for European cinema to move forward with confidence into the future.”
Tuttle just completed her second tour as director of the festival and the 76th edition turned out to be a turbulent one. Germany’s environment minister reportedly walked out of Saturday’s (February 21) closing ceremony after a pro-Palestinian speech by an award winner; jury president Wim Wenders said at the start of the festival that filmmakers were the opposite of politics, and former Berlinale attendees including Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo issued an open letter attacking the festival’s stance on Gaza.
Tuttle addressed the turbulence in an interview with Screen last week.
No comments yet