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Berlin International Film Festival will not accept official delegations from Russia

16 March 2022 18:54 (UTC +04:00)

The organizers of the Berlin International Film Festival have decided to exclude official Russian agencies and delegations, as well as individual Russians who support Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, APA reports citing Perild.

Earlier, the International Chess Federation announced the removal of the national teams of Russia and Belarus from the competition.

“The Berlinale takes a clear position against a general boycott of cultural works based on their origin. Another thing is to exclude official state institutions from participation in the Berlinale, in this case Russian institutions or delegations,” the film festival organizers said in a statement.

In addition, the release states that it was decided to exclude those who support the war unleashed in Ukraine. At the same time, independent participants from Russia will be able to take part in the review.

According to the organizers, Russia’s military actions “cannot be an intention to exclude filmmakers or cultural figures from the Berlinale on the basis of their nationality”, as often “the works contain criticism of the respective regimes.”