Golden Bear
The Golden Bear is the top prize awarded by the Berlin International Film Festival for the best film in its Competition section.
Berlin International Film Festival: An annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany, featuring international competition and public screenings. The festival established the Golden Bear as its highest competition award.
César Award: France’s national film awards, presented annually by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma. César-winning films have also earned the Golden Bear, linking the festival prize to French cinema.
Palme d'Or: The top prize awarded to the best film in the Cannes Film Festival’s main competition. It is the Golden Bear’s closest counterpart at another major European film festival.
International film festival: A recurring event that screens films, often across national boundaries, and may present awards. The Golden Bear is one of the most prominent prizes within this global festival system.
Berlinale Palast: A cinema and event venue on Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz that hosts major Berlinale screenings. The festival’s awards ceremony takes place at this central Berlinale venue.
Taxi (1998 film): A 1998 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi, filmed largely inside a Tehran taxi. It won the Golden Bear in 2015, despite Iranian authorities barring Panahi from filmmaking.
Golden Lion: The top prize awarded to the best film in the Venice Film Festival’s main competition. Like the Golden Bear, it names an animal-shaped award for a major European festival’s best film.
Film distribution: The process of making films available to audiences through cinemas, streaming, television, and other channels. Winning the prize can raise a film’s profile with distributors and international audiences.
Berlin International Film Festival awards: The awards presented by the Berlin International Film Festival for achievements in its competitions and other programs. The Golden Bear sits at the top of the festival’s larger awards structure.
There Is No Evil: A 2020 Iranian drama film directed by Mohammad Rasoulof about capital punishment and moral responsibility. It won the 2020 Golden Bear while its director was unable to attend the festival.