Dieter Kosslick: “No matter how cold and icy, people love the Berlinale”

by Jorn Rossing Jensen

15/02/2012 - Half-way through the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, which ends on February 19, Festival Director Dieter Kosslick (pictured) hoisted the banner of success.

”A splendid opening of the new festival venue, Haus der Berliner Festspiele, in Schaperstraße, an increasing number of films and participants at the European Film Market and more than 250,000 tickets already sold – these are the midway results,” he said in an official statement.

”Audiences are pouring into the cinemas, celebrating world stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Angelina Jolie, Isabelle Huppert and Christian Bale. Last night, the festival hosted a new highlight, as Meryl Streep received the Honorary Golden Bear. No matter how cold and icy, people love the Berlinale.”

Kosslick also emphasised the thriving European Film Market, with a lively flow of visitors at the more than 400 stands and offices at the Martin-Gropius-Bau and the Marriott Hotel. More than 1,000 film professionals have attended the market’s industry debates and panel discussions on, among others, cross-media distribution.