Mariëtte Rissenbeek, the executive director of the Berlin International Film Festival, will step down after next year’s Berlinale.
The German culture ministry, which finances the festival, announced Thursday that Rissenbeek will not be renewing her current contract, which expires in March 2024. German Culture Minister Claudia Roth said she accepted the resignation “with great regret” but noted that Rissenbeek’s decision “to actively initiate a generational change [at the Berlinale] from a prominent position deserves the greatest respect.”
The Dutch-born Rissenbeek, 67, took over as co-head of the Berlinale in June 2019, together with artistic director Carlo Chatrian, replacing Dieter Kosslick, who had run the festival for 18 years. Handling the organizational and business side of the festival, Rissenbeek was key in keeping the Berlinale going during the COVID years in 2021 and 2022. Before joining the Berlinale, she was a feature on the German film scene, as an acquisition executive for Tobis Film in the 1980s and early 90s, and as a producer for Hofmann & Voges and Zeigler Film. From 2003-2011 she worked for international promotional body German Films, rising to the position of managing director.
The German culture ministry is still in negotiations with Carlo Chatrian over an extension to his contract beyond 2024 and is evaluating the overall governance structure of the Berlinale. The outcome of those talks will go a long way to determine how smooth the post-Rissenbeek transition will be.
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