Berlinale Series Screenings Names New Head; Industry Events Get Re-Branded

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Julia Fidel is the new head of the TV screenings that take place during the Berlin Film Festival.

TV has had an increasingly high-profile role at Berlin, with a series of screenings that are open to the public. There are also industry days and a market, which are being re-branded from Drama Series Days to Berlinale Series Market. The Zoo Palast will remain the chief venue for the screenings and the industry events.

Fidel previously worked for the Panorama and Generation sections of the film festival, and served on the selection committee for the latter. She has also worked on various films as a choreographer and press agent.

“In recent years, serial narration has given the language of cinema a new push, making a big contribution in shaping how we see ourselves through iconic characters or topics,” said Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian. “The Berlinale was the first film festival to embrace this format, and we would like to encourage it and help it grow organically within the rest of the program, providing a sound platform both for the audience and the EFM.”

Solmaz Azizi stepped down as head of  Berlinale Series earlier this year when the event’s coordinator, Judith Klein, also exited.

The Berlinale Series Market is organized by the European Film Market, the Berlinale Co-Production Market and Berlinale Talents. Katharina Böndel will be in charge of the Berlinale Series Market, and Anna-Katharina Brehm will be responsible for the event’s conference program.

The Berlinale Series screenings and Berlinale Series Market will take place Feb. 24-26, 2020.