Berlinale Co-Head Mariëtte Rissenbeek on Stepping Down, Personal Festival Highlights and What’s Next After 2024 Edition
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent After such a well-attended comeback edition for the Berlinale, this week’s news that festival co-head Mariëtte Rissenbeek is stepping down next year came as a big surprise. It turns out Rissenbeek will have reached retirement age (67) by March 2024, when her contract as executive director of the Berlinale expires. That leaves her with one more edition to prepare with her teammate Carlo Chatrian, the festival’s artistic director. The pair has formed a dynamic duo since being jointly appointed in 2018, succeeding Dieter Kosslick. In an interview with Variety, Rissenbeek said that after next year’s festival, she’s decided she will dedicate herself to other things she enjoys, such as social and humanitarian work. She also spoke about her personal highlights during the 2023 edition and what’s next for the Berlinale.