It’s been confirmed that Tricia Tuttle will remain the director of the Berlin International Film Festival, following a supervisory board meeting on Wednesday.
In a statement, the festival said the board confirmed “the importance of the independence of our work,” and denied German outlet Bild’s claim that a condition of Tuttle’s Ongoing employment would depend on the Berlinale and its invited participants approving a newly established “code of conduct,” which would outline concrete steps to address and prevent “antisemitism.”
This latest development after cinema professionals across Europe and beyond, including Sean Baker, Kleber Mendonça Filho, and Tilda Swinton signed an open letter backing her to stay in the job. On Tuesday, film festival directors from around the world, including Cannes head Thierry Frémaux, Toronto Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey, San Sebastian director José Luis Rebordinos, Rotterdam head Vanja Kaludjercic, and Locarno director Giona A. Nazzaro, signed an open letter saying they “stand in support of Tricia Tuttle’s wish to continue as Berlinale Festival Director in full trust and with institutional independence.”
This year’s festival drew heavy scrutiny, fueled by complaints that high-profile guests avoided political engagement and by claims that the event itself was attempting to police or silence political expression.
Somehow, the backlash flipped course during the closing ceremony, where multiple award recipients used their moments onstage to openly express solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The situation escalated to the point where Carsten Schneider, Germany’s Federal Environment Minister, reportedly exited the venue mid-ceremony.
In his acceptance speech, Palestinian filmmaker Abdallah Al-Khatib, who won the top prize in the Perspectives section for “Chronicles From the Siege,” accused the German government of “being partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel,” igniting one of the most politically charged moments in the festival’s recent history.
Tuttle appears to have navigated the immediate backlash, at least for the time being. Still, attention is already shifting to next year’s festival, as many wonder whether fresh disputes could surface once more in an atmosphere that remains as politically charged as ever.
For months, people close to CEO David Ellison had hinted that he would leave if state AGs didn't drop their antitrust suit against the $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery merger.