The 74th Berlin International Film Festival is set to kick off its awards ceremony on Saturday night, with a star-studded jury led by Lupita Nyong’o. Among the top contenders for this year's coveted Gold and Silver Bears is the Iranian drama 'My Favourite Cake' by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha. The film, which tells the story of a 70-year-old widow navigating romance, has garnered critical acclaim and could make a political statement given the directors' absence due to a government ban.
Another frontrunner is Claire Burger's 'Langue Étrangère,' a romance drama featuring teenage girls from France and Germany. The performances of Lilith Grasmug and Josefa Heinsius are generating buzz for potential awards. Cillian Murphy's role in 'Small Things Like These' and Hong Sangsoo's 'A Traveler's Needs' are also drawing attention, with the latter marking the director's continued success at Berlinale.
German film 'Sterben' by Matthias Glasner and Austrian horror 'The Devil’s Bath' are among the local entries vying for recognition. The documentary category is strong this year, with 'Dahomey' by Mati Diop and 'Architecton' by Victor Kossakovsky exploring thought-provoking themes through visual storytelling.
A dark horse in the race is 'Pepe' by Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias, offering a unique blend of documentary and fiction. The awards ceremony will be live-streamed on the Berlinale website and YouTube channel, starting at 6:30 p.m. in Berlin. Stay tuned to see which films will take home the prestigious honors at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.
