Todd Haynes © Samir Hussein / Wire Image

The US-American director, screenwriter and producer Todd Haynes will be President of the International Jury of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.

“Todd Haynes is a dazzlingly gifted writer and director with an impressive range; his body of work is at once stylistically versatile but also unmistakably his. Ever since his debut feature Poison won the TEDDY AWARD in 1991, the Berlinale has followed and loved his filmmaking, and we are overjoyed to have him join the festival as the President of the International Jury for our 75th edition,” says Berlinale Director Tricia Tuttle.

 

Over nearly 40 years, Todd Haynes has been one of the most bold and distinctive filmmaking voices in US-American cinema, beloved for his great sensitivity in exploring the interior worlds of outsiders and women, and his fascinating investigations into gender and identity.

 

His skill at creating complex characters has attracted many of the world’s finest actors. Stars such as Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Christian Bale and Ewan McGregor have played the multi-layered characters in his films. Todd Haynes' films and their actors have won awards at numerous international film festivals.

 

Emerging into international prominence in the early 1990s as part of a thrilling new generation of US American directors (dubbed “New Queer Cinema” by critic B. Ruby Rich), by the time of his four-time Oscar nominated film, Far from Heaven (2002), Haynes was fully established as a major force in US filmmaking. His feature film debut Poison received the TEDDY AWARD, the queer film prize at the Berlinale, in 1991, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Other key works include Safe (1995), Velvet Goldmine (1998), the fictional Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There (2007), which won the Grand Jury Prize in Venice, the mini-series Mildred Pierce (2011), Carol (2015), Wonderstruck (2017), Dark Waters (2019), The Velvet Underground (2021) and May December (2023).

 

Berlinale Talents Key Visual and Theme for 2025: "Listen Courageously – Cinematic Narratives in Times of Dissonance" © Ada Favaron and Imad Gebrael
The art of listening will be the overarching theme for the 23rd edition of Berlinale Talents, the vibrant talent hub of the Berlin International Film Festival.

 

Listening intently, considerately, carefully, and most importantly, courageously, builds upon the foundation of last year's “Common Tongues – Speaking Out in the Language of Cinema”, and will allow Berlinale Talents to continue its exploration of communication through film, taking it to a new level with "Listen Courageously – Cinematic Narratives in Times of Dissonance".

 

Listening creates empathy, deconstructs the echo chambers that we often find ourselves in and invites new narratives into our orbit. A prerequisite for excellent storytelling, it challenges preconceived notions and long held beliefs, breaks down bias and ignorance, and through this, it eventually stimulates, intrigues and entertains audiences.

 

"In a world filled with media noise and constant audio-visual presence, we are faced with so much spectacle and opinion screaming for our attention, that it's easy to fall into a pattern of simply absorbing what we see and hear, rather than considering, investigating and understanding. The power of good filmmaking lies in empathy which again enables creativity. Through this, film shapes worldviews, morals, and narratives, both consciously and subconsciously, creating a limitless space for diverse storytelling. We want Berlinale Talents to be a brave space to listen in, to discover the new and exciting, to embrace the existence of ambiguity, and come out stronger for it," says Berlinale Talents management duo, Nikola Joetze and Tobias Pausinger.

 

In 2025, Berlinale Talents will bring 200 exceptional emerging filmmakers from all over the world to Berlin, each with their unique backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Over the course of five days, they take part in an exciting programme of internal workshops, think tanks, panel talks, discussions and more, all of which run alongside the approximately 16 events which are open to public audiences. Topics around the focus theme "Listen Courageously" will be mirrored in the programme. Usually renowned festival guests – the jury president, awardees or filmmakers from the festival programme - among others are invited to the Berlinale Talents events. In recent years, Cate Blanchett, İlker Çatak, Geraldine Chaplin, Tsai Ming-liang, Lupita Nyong'o, Ruben Östlund, Euzhan Palcy, Martin Scorsese, Kristen Stewart, and many more participated.

 

Designing this year's theme is Berlin-based graphic design duo Ada Favaron and Imad Gebrael, whose key visual portrays courageous listening as a process that must be nurtured, cultivated, and harvested. The depicted flowers embody assertiveness, with bold lines blending ears

Actor and director Giulio Base is the new creative director of the TFF. A perfect fit, not only is he originally from Torino, kind of a must in order to be suitable for the TFF,  he is also married to Tiziana Rocca, herself a celebrity and best connected to Hollywood. No wonder then that Hollywood stars are present at the current TFF edition. For the very first time this is happening in Torino, so many American actors are discovering Torino, this beautiful and elegant capital of the Piemonte. Most of them are here for the very first time. While theTFF is not an A-listed film festival like Venice, it is going strongly into competition with the Rome Film Festival. And it has something like no other city. The wonderful Museum of Cinema with new elected creative director Carlo Chatrian, who just left the Berlinale. Torino has all ingredients to become a hot spot for film lovers, as for the industry it has been for many years with the Torino Film Lab and co-production market.

 

Sharon Stone and Matthew Broderick received on the opening ceremony the Stelle della Mole awards. 

 

The magnificient diva and bright actress shared her connection to Italy at the press conference. Sharon Syone said:

"When i was 19 I moved to Milan and became a model, I began my carrier in Italy with of course an Italian boyfriend and since then I love Italy. I later brought my kids here, I wanted them to discover the rich Italian culture. I will be soon back to Torino for a painting show.

In the current time, the world is facing many conflicts. Sharon Stone then explained that the dialogue is the only way out. "Art is the most beautiful way to express emotions and communicate." Everythig is changing when you express through film, the best way to express ourself without violence.

And when adressed about her opionion of AI Sharon Stone said:

We can shoot fast, film making is fast, fast now to make films. And when addressed to share her tuoughts about Ai, the American actress made it clear that she does not see any threat and actually embracing new technologies entering our homes, our daily life. 

Also American actress Angelina Jolie expressed similar thoughts. 

 

Actor and director Giulio Base is the new creative director of the TFF. A perfect fit, not only is he originally from Torino, kind of a must in order to be suitable for the TFF,  he is also married to Tiziana Rocca, herself a celebrity and best connected to Hollywood. No wonder then that Hollywood stars are present at the current TFF edition. For the very first time this is happening in Torino, so many American actors are discovering Torino, this beautiful and elegant capital of the Piemonte. Most of them are here for the very first time. While theTFF is not an A-listed film festival like Venice, it is going strongly into competition with the Rome Film Festival. And it has something loke no other city. The wonderful Museum of Cinema with new elected creative director Carlo Chatrian, who just left the Berlinale. Torino has all ingredients to become a hot spot for film lovers, as for the industry it has been for many years with the Torino Film Lab and co-production market.

Sharon Stome and Matthew Broderick received on the opening ceremony the Stelle della Mole awards. 

The magnificient and bright actress shared her connection to.Italy at the press conference.

 When i was 19 I moved to Milan and became a model, I began my carrier in Italy with of course an Italian boyfriend and since then I love Italy. I later brought my kids here, I wanted them to discover the rich Italian culture. I will be soon back to Torino for a painting show.

In the current time, the world is facing many conflicts. Sharon Stone then explained that the dialogue is the only way out. "Art is the most beautiful way to express emotions and communicate." Everythig is changing when you express through film, the best way to express ourself without violence.

And when adressed about her opionion of AI Sharon Stone said:

We can shoot fast, film making is fast, fast now to make films. And when addressed to share her tuoughts about Ai, the American actress made it clear that she does not see any threat and actually embracing new technologies entering our homes, our daily life. 

Also American actress Angelina Jolie expressed similar thoughts. 

 

Actor and director Giulio Base is the new creative director of the TFF. A perfect fit, not only is he originally from Torino, kind of a must in order to be suitable for the TFF,  he is also married to Tiziana Rocca, herself a celebrity and best connected to Hollywood. No wonder then that Hollywood stars are present at the current TFF edition. For the very first time this is happening in Torino, so many American actors are discovering Torino, this beautiful and elegant capital of the Piemonte. Most of them are here for the very first time. While theTFF is not an A-listed film festival like Venice, it is going strongly into competition with the Rome Film Festival. And it has something loke no other city. The wonderful Museum of Cinema with new elected creative director Carlo Chatrian, who just left the Berlinale. Torino has all ingredients to become a hot spot for film lovers, as for the industry it has been for many years with the Torino Film Lab and co-production market.

Sharon Stome and Matthew Broderick received on the opening ceremony the Stelle della Mole awards. 

The magnificient and bright actress shared her connection to.Italy at the press conference.

 When i was 19 I moved to Milan and became a model, I began my carrier in Italy with of course an Italian boyfriend and since then I love Italy. I later brought my kids here, I wanted them to discover the rich Italian culture. I will be soon back to Torino for a painting show.

In the current time, the world is facing many conflicts. Sharon Stone then explained that the dialogue is the only way out. "Art is the most beautiful way to express emotions and communicate." Everythig is changing when you express through film, the best way to express ourself without violence.

And when adressed about her opionion of AI Sharon Stone said:

We can shoot fast, film making is fast, fast now to make films. And when addressed to share her tuoughts about Ai, the American actress made it clear that she does not see any threat and actually embracing new technologies entering our homes, our daily life. 

Also American actress Angelina Jolie expressed similar thoughts.