A Glimpse into the Berlin International Film Festival

For lecturers and teachers planning an educational tour that goes beyond the textbook, few destinations offer the blend of history, culture, and cutting-edge industry like Berlin.

Yet, for those specialising in media and film study, the city transforms into a global stage every February, hosting one of the world’s most prestigious film events: the Berlin International Film Festival, also commonly known as the “Berlinale”.

This isn’t just a fancy red carpet event; it’s one of the biggest and best movie festivals on the planet. It’s the perfect, high-impact destination for your next student field trip. Ready to give your group a significant dose of inspiration? Let's dive into why planning student trips to Berlin around the Berlinale is a brilliant idea.

What is the Berlin Film Festival?

Think of the Berlin Film Festival as one of the "Big Three" global film events—it sits right alongside the Cannes and Venice film festivals. But the biggest differentiator is that the Berlin Film Festival is the most public-facing film festival in the world.

While other major festivals can feel exclusive, the Berlinale sells over 300,000 tickets to regular movie fans every year. This means your students won't just hear about the industry; they will have the chance to sit in crowded cinemas and experience the excitement of a world premiere, right alongside directors, critics, and the public. That buzz is a fantastic experience that you just can't replicate in a lecture hall.

The Berlin Film Festival is an 11-day marathon of around 400 films, ranging from massive Hollywood dramas to smaller, groundbreaking shorts, all competing for the prestigious Golden and Silver Bear awards. For film study groups, the variety offers a wealth of inspiration for their own projects.

The history behind the Berlin Film Festival

To fully appreciate the Berlinale, it is a good idea to start by looking into its somewhat rebellious backstory. The Berlin Film Festival was not only founded to celebrate a wide variety of movies from around the world; it was initially born out of defiance.

A beacon of light in post-war Berlin

The festival kicked off in June 1951, just six years after World War II, when Berlin was famously divided. The idea actually came from a man named Oscar Martay, who was a Film Officer for the American military administration stationed in West Berlin. He convinced the US military to fund the festival in the hopes of creating a "showcase of the free world"—a cultural lighthouse shining into the Soviet-controlled East.

The very first festival opened with Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller, “Rebecca”. It was an instant hit with the public, and it immediately cemented the Berlin Film Festival as an event with massive popular appeal.

How the winners were chosen

In the early years, the festival did something unique. The audience, not an international jury, decided who won. For the first five years, from 1951 to 1955, the public's votes determined the winners of the coveted Golden Bear, which is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the festival.

This highlights the festival's commitment to its viewers, which is a core theme that remains present today. This makes Berlin an ideal destination for any student studying media and film, as it can show students how an audience's engagement and feelings can shape how movies and films are perceived and potentially even developed going forward.

Where did the Golden Bear idea come from?

The iconic Golden Bear trophy was designed by German sculptor Renée Sintenis. She was a world-famous artist and a celebrated figure in 1920s Berlin. She designed the Golden Bear trophy in 1932. The bear was chosen as it is seen as the symbolic animal of Berlin.

Replicas of her design were first handed out in 1953 and have been given to winners ever since. The same local foundry in Berlin continues to create these beautiful bronze statues to this day.

What to expect at the Berlin Film Festival

The real value of bringing your students to Berlin during the festival is the access your group gets to different layers of the global film ecosystem. The Berlinale is divided into sections, each offering a unique learning experience for a media and film study student group.

The sections of the festival

Competition: This is the main event where the biggest names and most anticipated films compete for the Golden Bear. It’s perfect for seeing what's currently considered the best of global cinema.
Panorama: Here’s where your students will find films with strong political, social, and often challenging themes, including many LGBTQ+ works. It’s an ideal section for analysing representation, social commentary, and boundary-pushing narrative.
Generation: This section is specifically for films geared towards children and young adults. It’s excellent for media educators to explore audience targeting, the business of youth media, and how different cultures portray the experience of growing up.
Forum: This is for all those adventurous film study students. The Forum showcases the most experimental, avant-garde, and essay-style films, challenging students to think critically about the medium itself.

The professional side

Your student trip to Berlin can also offer glimpses into the business of film and media. The Berlinale Talents is an elite summit that runs during the festival, bringing together hundreds of young, emerging filmmakers for workshops and masterclasses.

While students may not get direct entry, many related public events and the atmosphere around them are incredibly inspiring, showing your students where they could be in a few years. For example, many cinemas and museums in Berlin organise their own film-related exhibitions and events that might be free or low-cost.

Running at the same time is the European Film Market (EFM). It is a massive sales platform where distributors buy and sell film rights. Even walking around the area near the EFM, your students will get a real sense of the commercial pressure and global logistics required to get a movie into a cinema.

Fun facts about the Berlin Film Festival

Need some cinematic trivia to make the trip even more appealing for your students? Here are a few things that set the Berlinale apart and can really help build up excitement in your students ahead of their school trip to Berlin.

It’s huge: In terms of public ticket sales, it outranks both Cannes and Venice. It truly is a festival for the people.
The bear mascot: The famous Golden and Silver Bear awards are modelled after the official animal of Berlin, the bear. The same local art foundry has crafted the statuettes since the very first festival.
Rebellious awards: The Berlinale presents the Teddy Award, which is specifically dedicated to honouring films with LGBTQ+ themes, highlighting its commitment to diversity and identity in cinema.
Longest film: The longest film ever screened in competition was “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery”. This film by Filipino director Lav Diaz was an incredible 482 minutes (over 8 hours) long.
Filmed in a taxi: In 2015, Iranian director Jafar Panahi (who was banned from filmmaking in his home country) won the Golden Bear for Taxi, a film he secretly made entirely inside a cab. A powerful example of creative defiance!

Film and media studies in Berlin beyond the festival

While the festival is a showstopper, the best student trips to Berlin use the Berlinale excitement to launch a deeper, year-round educational experience. The city’s permanent sites are ready for your media and film study group, regardless of when you travel.

Filmpark Babelsberg

This is an absolute must-visit for students interested in production. Located just outside Berlin, it’s the world's oldest large-scale film studio and was the birthplace of cinematic masterpieces like the pioneering science-fiction film “Metropolis” (1927). Tours here let students see soundstages, explore behind-the-scenes magic, and connect modern techniques to film history.

Deutsche Kinemathek

Found near the festival's hub at Potsdamer Platz, this museum is a comprehensive journey through German cinema history. Students can explore everything from the experimental silent era to the separate movie cultures of Cold War East and West Germany. They'll see props, costumes, and learn how propaganda and political division shaped filmmaking.

Real-life film sets

Berlin itself is a star! Film study groups can tour sites like the Berlin Wall Memorial or Checkpoint Charlie and analyse how filmmakers have used these iconic, loaded locations to construct tension and narrative in spy thrillers, like “John Wick: Chapter 4” and historical dramas, such as “The Lives of Others”.

Combining the year-round institutional resources with the raw energy of the Berlin Film Festival creates an unbeatable learning opportunity. It brings the history of cinema—and its future—to life.

Student trips to Berlin with StudyLink Tours

Organising any international trip is a challenge, but coordinating student trips to Berlin during the busy Berlin Film Festival requires expert planning. That’s where StudyLink Tours have got you covered.

We specialise in taking the logistics off your plate so you can focus 100% on the learning experience. Our film study tours are meticulously planned to maximise your group’s engagement with the Berlinale and the city's broader film culture.

We help with:

Stress-free flights: Booking flights at preferential group rates and with flexible options, such as passenger names not needed upfront.
Strategic itineraries: Building a seamless schedule that balances festival screenings with crucial curriculum-linked visits to Babelsberg and the Film Museum.
Safe and simple logistics: Securing centrally located, vetted accommodation and reliable group transport, which is essential during the high-demand festival period.

Ready to inspire the next generation of directors, critics, and media professionals? A media and film study tour to Berlin, anchored by the thrill of the Berlinale, is the perfect way to do it. Get in contact with us today or request a quote to get started!