The Caligari Film Prize will be awarded to a film from the Forum program for the 24th time at the Forum 2009. This year’s jury will be made up by Veit Geldner, Timothy Simms and Rüdiger Suchsland. The prize winning film will be announced on February 13th at a reception at the HomeBase Independent Lounge.

Guy Maddin’s "My Winnipeg", one of the highlights of the Forum 2008, continues to enjoy considerable critical success after being named the 3rd best film of 2008 (after "WALL-E" and "Synecdoche, New York") by Richard Corliss of "Time Magazine".

Among the many delights to be found in this year’s Forum programme are the eclecticism and confidence of the next generation of independent filmmakers. The complete programme of the 39th Forum is soon to be announced.

The series began in december 2008 and is continued in January 2009.

Forum expanded, the Berlinale’s link to installation and performance art, increases its presence in the city for the 2009 edition. A total of thirteen galleries and exhibition venues will be hosting the upcoming program.

December 2008 to January 2009 at Cinema Arsenal. Opening 4.12. 9pm (Kino 2)

Cinema Arsenal, December 9th, 8pm (Kino 1). In attendance: Jeanne Faust and the editors, Bettina Steinbrügge and Astrid Wege

The newly inaugurated „Doc Alliance Award“ for best European documentary was given to the film Citizen Havel. The award is endowed with 5,000 euros and was announced on November 15th.

The distribution of "Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art" will release Aditya Assarat’s Wonderful Town in German cinemas on 27th November; in Switzerland, Trigon distribution has been showing the film successfully since the end of October.