Mariette Rissenbeek has announced her decision to step down as the Berlinale’s executive director after the festival’s next edition when her contract ends on March 31, 2024.
The supervisory board of the Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin (KBB) GmbH which oversees the Berlinale, Berliner Festspiele and Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin expressed “great regret and respect” at the news of Rissenbeek’s decision during its meeting on Thursday.
In an initial reaction, chair of the supervisory board and state minister for culture and media Claudia Roth said Rissenbeek’s decision to be actively involved in initiating a generational change “deserves the highest respect”.
Roth continued, ”Frau Rissenbeek has rendered outstanding services to the Berlinale, especially during the years of the Corona pandemic. The fact that the festival was able to take place each year despite all of the restrictions is all down to her tireless work.”
An official communique from the German government’s press office stated that “on reaching retirement age, Frau Rissenbeek [who is 67 years old] would like to devote herself to new subjects and tasks” as the background to her decision.
It was confirmed that Rissenbeek will be working together with the Berlinale’s artistic director Carlo Chatrian to prepare and present the 74th edition of the festival in February 2024.
In addition, minister Roth will start talks with Chatrian about extending his current five-year contract beyond the end of March 2024 and to instigate an evaluation of the Berlinale’s governance structure.
Rissenbeek will be one of the jury members of the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize for a selection of Turkish fiction feature films screening at the upcoming Istanbul Film Festival (April 7-18).
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