The 2025 Berlinale has unveiled its films in competition, including the latest Richard Linklater
Among the most anticipated films: Blue Moon, Dreams and Hot Milk. Who will be the winners of the Golden and Silver Bears?
This 75th edition marks the start of the mandate of the new artistic director Tricia Tuttlewho previously ran the BFI’s London Film Festival for five years. “We are extremely proud of the films in this year’s competition, they demonstrate the breadth of cinema and offer fascinating insights into different lives and places”she said. THE 19 movies in competition represent in all 26 countries. Eight are made by women.
Among the highly anticipated films, we find in particular Blue Moonthe latest feature film from Richard Linklateralready awarded a Silver Bear for Best Director for Boyhood in 2014. Biopic of the lyricist Lorenz Hartthe main roles will be played by Ethan Hawke (the director’s favorite actor), Margaret Qualley (The Substance), Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher) and Andrew Scott (Sherlock). A casting that promises!
Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-Soowho already collects four Silver Bears, will also be there with What Does That Nature Say to You.
Dreams brings together the director Michael Franco and the actress Jessica Chastain After Memorylast year’s critical success. The film features Isaac Hernandez as Fernando, a young Mexican ballet dancer crossing the border to live out his dreams in the United States.
Hot Milkthe screenwriter’s first feature film Rebecca Lenkiewicz (She Said) with Emma Mackey (revealed in Sex Education), Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps, is also one of the notable films in this selection. The world famous rapper A$AP Rocky is among the actors of If I Had Legs I’d Kick YouMary Bronstein’s latest film with Rose Byrne and Conan O’Brien.
On the French cinema side, we find Marion Cotillard In The Ice Tower by Lucile Hadžihalilović. She plays a tyrannical movie star playing the Snow Queen. And Michel Blancdied last October, in The Cachethe new film by Lionel Baier which takes place during the events of May 68.
Outside of competition, the Festival promises plenty of other great surprises. Among them, the highly anticipated world premiere of Mickey 17the last Bong Joon Ho with Robert Pattinson headlining. A complete stranger by James Mangold, with Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, has also been added to the special program of the Berlinale.
The festival introduced a new competitive section called “Prospects”whose programming includes 14 first feature films (12 of which are world premieres). “Perspectives, our new first fiction feature competition, brings together exceptional international filmmakers, from India to Mexico, from Taiwan to Egypt, from the United States to Slovenia”explains Tricia Tuttle.
The Berlin International Film Festival will take place from February 13 to 23. This year, the jury will be chaired by the director of May December, Todd Haynes. The other members who will accompany him have not yet been revealed…
Here is the list of 19 films in competition:
- Blue MoonRichard Linklater (United States/Ireland)
- The CacheLionel Baier (Switzerland/Luxembourg/France)
- DreamsMichel Franco (Mexico)
- Dreams (Sex Loved)Dag Johan Haugerud (Norway)
- What Does That Nature Say to YouHong Sang-soo (South Korea)
- Hot MilkRebecca Lenkiewicz (UK)
- If I Had Legs I’d Kick YouMary Bronstein (United States)
- Continental ’25Radu Jude (Romania)
- The lieIván Fund (Argentina/Spain)
- Mother’s BabyJohanna Moder (Austria/Switzerland/Germany)
- O ultimo azul (The Blue Trail)Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil)
- Reflection in a dead diamondHélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani (Belgium/France)
- Sheng xi zhi di (Living the Land)Huo Meng (China)
- Strichka chasu (Timestamp)Kateryna Gornostai (Ukraine)
- The Ice TowerLucile Hadžihalilović (France/Germany)
- AriLéonor Serraille (France/Belgium)
- Was Marielle white (What Marielle Knows)Frédéric Hambalek (Germany)
- Xiang fei de nv hai (Girls on Wire)Vivian Qu (China)
- YunanAmeer Fakher Eldin (Germany/Palestine)