US director Todd Haynes has been appointed to lead the jury of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. This marks the inaugural edition under the leadership of Tricia Tuttle, the former head of the BFI London Film Festival, who succeeds Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek as the festival's artistic and executive directors.
Tuttle praised Haynes, describing him as “a dazzlingly gifted writer and director with an impressive range; his body of work is at once stylistically versatile but also unmistakably his.” She added, “Ever since his debut feature Poison won the Teddy Award in 1991, the Berlinale has followed and loved his filmmaking.”
Haynes has directed 10 feature films, including Velvet Goldmine (1998), the Oscar-nominated Far From Heaven (2002), the Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There (2007), Carol (2015), and the Netflix drama May December (2023). In a statement, the Berlinale highlighted Haynes' nearly 40-year career, noting his bold and distinctive voice in American cinema, known for his sensitivity in exploring the interior worlds of outsiders and women, and his fascinating investigations into gender and identity.
His skill at creating complex characters has attracted many of the world’s finest actors. Stars such as Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Christian Bale, and Ewan McGregor have played the multi-layered characters in his films. Todd Haynes’ films and their actors have won awards at numerous international film festivals.
Recently, Haynes made headlines for a film he isn’t making (for now). He was set to make a queer romance drama with Joaquin Phoenix. However, Phoenix dropped out just five days before production was set to begin.
The 2024 Berlinale jury was led by Lupita Nyong’o, with the Golden Bear going to Mati Diop’s Dahomey. The 2025 Berlinale is scheduled to run from 13-23 February.
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