62nd Berlin International Film Festival
The 62nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 19 February 2012. British film director Mike Leigh was the president of the jury. The first five films to be screened in the competition were announced on 19 December 2011. American actress Meryl Streep was presented with the Honorary Golden Bear on 14 February. Benoît Jacquot's film Farewell, My Queen was announced as the opening film.
The Golden Bear went to the Italian film Caesar Must Die, directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, which also served as closing night film.
Juries
The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:Main Competition
- Mike Leigh, British filmmaker - Jury President
- Anton Corbijn, Dutch photographer and director
- Asghar Farhadi, Iranian filmmaker and producer
- Charlotte Gainsbourg, French actress
- Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
- François Ozon, French filmmaker
- Boualem Sansal, Algerian writer
- Barbara Sukowa, German actress
Best First Feature Award
- Matthew Modine, American actor
- Hania Mroué, Lebanese producer and distributor
- Moritz Rinke, German journalist and writer
Short Film Competition
- Sandra Hüller, German actress
- Emily Jacir,Palestine artist and producer
- David O'Reilly, Irish director, screenwriter and producer
Official Sections
In competition
The following films were in competition for the Golden Bear and Silver Bear awards:Official Awards
Main Competition
The following prizes were awarded by the International Jury: The Hollywood Reporter described the outcome as "a major upset". Der Spiegel said it was a "very conservative selection." Der Tagesspiegel criticised the outcome, "The jury shunned almost all the contemporary films that were admired or hotly debated at an otherwise pretty remarkable festival." Paolo Taviani said "We hope that when the film is released to the general public that cinemagoers will say to themselves or even those around them... that even a prisoner with a dreadful sentence, even a life sentence, is and remains a human being". Vittorio Taviani read out the names of the cast.- Golden Bear: Caesar Must Die by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
- Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: Just the Wind by Benedek Fliegauf
- Silver Bear for Best Director: Christian Petzold for Barbara
- Silver Bear for Best Actress: Rachel Mwanza for War Witch
- Silver Bear for Best Actor: Mikkel Boe Følsgaard for A Royal AffairSilver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Lutz Reitemeier for White Deer Plain
- Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for A Royal Affair
- Alfred Bauer Prize: Tabu by Miguel Gomes
- Special Award – Silver Bear: Sister by Ursula Meier
Honorary Golden Bear">Golden Bear">Honorary Golden Bear
Crystal Bears
- Generation Kplus : Arcadia by Olivia Silver
- Generation 14plus : Night of Silence by Reis Çelik
FIPRESCI">International Federation of Film Critics">FIPRESCI Prizes
- Competition: Tabu by Miguel Gomes
- Panorama: Atomic Age by Héléna Klotz
- Forum: Hemel by Sacha Polak