Berlinale executive director foresees drastic changes in cinema

Mariette Rissenbeek, executive director of Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua recently that digitalization has completely changed cinema, which also impacts the outlook of the Berlinale.

The 2020 Berlinale, which will lift its curtain on Thursday, marks the 70th edition of the film festival, and also the first edition since Rissenbeek took the helm.

Rissenbeek expected there will be "very drastic" changes in cinema in the next few years, adding now one can not only make films with mobile phones, but also watch films on mobile devices. In Germany, many producers are working for streaming platforms rather than cinema.

"All these things of course will influence the festival," she said. When it comes to future planning, it is quite difficult to think in a ten-year term, but in a two- to three-year timeframe.

As a reform action, this year's Berlinale introduced a new section called Encounters which is dedicated to small budget films that are experimental, innovative and artistic, according to the executive director.

Speaking of Chinese films, Rissenbeek said, Chinese film industry has developed very strongly and will continue in the future. China has been co-producing with many countries, and the influence of Chinese film industry on Hollywood studio production has been big.

To celebrate the 70th edition of the film festival, this year's Berlinale invited seven pairs of filmmakers connected to the festival's history. They will discuss contemporary cinema and look ahead to the future ways the festival might develop in the upcoming years. There will also be a talk between Chinese directors Jia Zhangke and Huo Meng.