The Berlinale has traditionally been a major showcase of European talent. Why then, in 2003, was the country with the largest number of films in competition (5 of the 22) the U.S.? Because the Berlinale generates buzz! Hollywood and Berlin work hand-in-hand very well. The studios like the Berlinale because it is a major launching pad for Oscar campaigns and European releases; Berlin likes the studios because they send their top stars and generate lots of media publicity for the festival. These two factors have helped to make the Berlinale one of the top three festivals in the world, behind Cannes and alongside Venice.

Several of this year’s films hoped Berlinale buzz would help their Oscar chances. The Berlinale is the first major European festival of the year, coming just after the Golden Globes and during the week that Oscar nominations are announced. Academy Award “specialist” Miramax had three hopefuls this year – festival opener Chicago, festival closer Gangs of New York (which both screened out of competition) and The Hours. Rick Sands, Miramax’s chief operating officer, explained that, “Berlin is historically the festival we go to for our potential Oscar films, for example Shakespeare in Love and The English Patient. It has always been a big festival because talent, their agents and managers realize the importance of the key festivals and have lent us their support over the years.” After the success of Shakespeare in Love in 1999 (which had its international premiere in Berlin, opened in major markets across Europe in the weeks after, and kept its momentum up to its seven Oscar win), Miramax takes the Berlinale very seriously. Nadia Bronson, an international consultant who advises Miramax and Paramount among others, agrees. “[Berlin] is all about exposure. Not only does it help the international release of a film at that time of the year, but it is that extra ‘reminder push’ before the Oscars.”

But even films not up for Oscars use the Berlinale as a European springboard. Universal sr. VP of international theatrical distribution and marketing Randy Greenberg says, “Berlin is a fantastic launch pad for Europe in the first quarter of the year.” Universal’s film The Life of David Gale is also in competition at the Berlinale, which raises its profile. As Greenberg notes, “[The Berlinale] makes excellent use of the German media, and the festival itself is prestigious, so it gives the film a certain level of awareness within a knowledgeable festival audience.” Plus, he says, a Berlin premiere helps the box office of any film, especially one that might otherwise be swamped by all the Oscar campaigning.

So it’s likely that the love affair between Hollywood and the Berlinale will continue. With the Oscar nomination success of Chicago (13 nominations), Gangs of New York (10), and The Hours (9), as well as Wettbewerb (competition) titles Hero and Adaptation, it seems that the Berlinale knows how to pick winners. And the studios are hoping that the presence of nominated actors Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Nicolas Cage, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ed Harris, John C. Reilly, and Catherine Zeta-Jones on the Berlinale red carpet will help raise their profiles too. All in all, Hollywood and Berlin are a very happy couple! (Kirsten G)