Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Berlin Film Festival Wipes Out Best Actor/Actress, Goes Non-Gender in All Awards, Will This Be a Trend for All Awards?

Best Actress, Best Actor? No more. At least at the Berlin Film Festival. They’re going non-gender and handing out one acting prize for lead and supporting this winter.

I think it’s just a way of saving money making statues. Cheap Germans.

“The Berlinale has reorganised the prizes awarded by the International Jury in the Competition. For the first time, the performance awards will be defined in a gender-neutral way. Instead of the awards for the Best Actor and the Best Actress, a “Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance” and a “Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance” shall each be awarded on a gender-neutral basis.”

So there’s no longer a distinction between men and women, and all the gradations. Will this become the norm now for all awards shows? (If you have an opinion on this, all hell will break out, so tread carefully.)

The Berlin Film Festival also says they’re planning a physical film festival despite the high rate of COVID in Europe,  and Americans’ inability to travel there. Good luck!

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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