The 61st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 February 2011, with actress Isabella Rossellini as the President of the Jury. The Coen Brothers film True Grit opened the festival. 300,000 tickets were sold in total during the event, to 20,000 attendees from 116 countries, including 3900 members of the press. German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl received the Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. The Golden Bear for Best Film went to the Iranian film Nader and Simin, A Separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi, which also served as the closing film at the festival.
Competition
Jury
The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:
International jury
Isabella Rossellini, actress (Italy) - Jury President
Jan Chapman, producer (Australia) Nina Hoss, actress (Germany) Aamir Khan, actor, director, screenwriter and producer (India) Guy Maddin, director and screenwriter (Canada) Sandy Powell, costume designer (United Kingdom)
In addition, the festival held a place open in the jury for the imprisoned Iranian director Jafar Panahi, "to signalize its support for his struggle for freedom".
Best First Feature Award Jury
Bettina Brokemper, producer (Germany) Assaf Gavron, writer and musician (Israel) Michèle Ohayon, director, screenwriter and producer (Morocco)
International Short Film Jury
Nan Goldin, photographer (United States) Ibrahim Letaief, director, screenwriter and producer (Tunisia) Renen Schorr, director, screenwriter and producer (Israel)
In competition
The following films were selected to be in competition for the Golden Bear and Silver Bear awards:
Out of competition
The following films were screened out of competition at the festival:
Panorama
The following films were screened in the Main Programme of the Panorama section:
Forum
The following films were screened in the Main Programme of the Forum section:
Berlinale Shorts
Jury
Nan Goldin, American photographer
Renen Schorr, Israeli director
Ibrahim Letaief, Tunisian director and producer
Films
The following films were selected to be in competition for the Golden Bear for Best Short Film:
Key
{ | class="wikitable" width="550" colspan="1" | style="background:#FFDEAD;" align="center"| † |Winner of the main award for best film in its section |- | colspan="2"| The opening and closing films are screened during the opening and closing ceremonies respectively. |}
Awards
The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:
Golden Bear for Best Film: Nader and Simin, A Separation by Asghar Farhadi
Silver Bears
Jury Grand Prix: The Turin Horse by Béla Tarr
Best Director: for Sleeping Sickness
Best Actress: the actress ensemble of Nader and Simin, A Separation
Best Actor: the actor ensemble of Nader and Simin, A Separation
Outstanding Artistic Contribution (Production Design): Barbara Enriquez for The Prize Outstanding Artistic Contribution (Camera): Wojciech Staron for The Prize Best Script: Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj for The Forgiveness of Blood Alfred Bauer Prize for a work of particular innovation: If Not Us, Who? by Andres Veiel
Honorary Golden Bear
Armin Mueller-Stahl
Crystal Bears
Generation Kplus (Feature Length Film): The Liverpool Goalie by Arild Andresen
Generation14plus (Feature Length Film): On the Ice by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean
FIPRESCI Prizes
Competition: The Turin Horse by Béla Tarr
Panorama: Top Floor Left Wing by Angelo Cianci
Forum: Heaven's Story by Takahisa Zeze
Golden Bear for Best Short Film: Night Fishing by Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong