Berlin Film Festival Faces Backlash for Inviting Far-Right Politicians

The Berlin International Film Festival's decision to invite members of the Germany party has sparked widespread condemnation and planned protests.

The Berlin International Film Festival invited two members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to its opening ceremony, leading to over 200 film professionals signing an open letter denouncing the move.
Multiple German film organizations plan to protest the AfD's presence at the festival, with actions potentially including a human chain on the red carpet.
Prominent German filmmaker Dennis Gansel criticized the invitation as 'highly problematic,' emphasizing the importance of civil resistance against the AfD's rising influence.
The festival organizers defended the invitations as a bureaucratic necessity, stating that elected representatives receive quotas for the event, but emphasized their stance against right-wing extremism.
The controversy has intensified existing tensions in Germany, coinciding with demonstrations against the far right and a high-profile boycott campaign of state-funded cultural institutions over the country's pro-Israel position.