The Berlin Film Festival has revealed that it will be departing from X on 31 December, marking the end of its 15-year presence on the social media platform. With 133.5K followers, the festival will not maintain an official X presence for its 75th edition, scheduled for 13 – 24 February 2025.
“The Berlinale has decided to bid farewell to X on Dec 31, 2024. Thank you for following us here throughout the years. Keep in touch with all Berlinale updates on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and our website. See you there! #Berlinale”
The festival did not elaborate on its decision to leave X. However, given the rise in misinformation and abusive content on the platform since Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, the move seems prudent for a progressive European cultural institution that often clashes with far-right voices.
Moreover, Musk’s frequent retweets of posts supporting the German far-right AfD party and his involvement in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign have alienated many users, likely contributing to the Berlinale’s decision to exit.
The Berlinale stands out as the only one of Europe’s “big three” film festivals to announce its departure from X. Earlier this year, Alberto Barbera, the artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, also declared his intention to leave X due to Musk’s statements. Meanwhile, the Venice Film Festival’s organizing body, La Biennale di Venezia, continues to maintain and actively post on X, as does the Cannes Film Festival.
The 75th Berlin International Film Festival is set to take place from 13 – 24 February 2025.
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