Jacqueline Lyanga And Michael Stütz Appointed Berlinale Co-Directors Of Film Programming

Jacqueline Lyanga, former US delegate to the Berlinale, and Panorama section head Michael Stütz have been hired as Co-Directors Of Film Programming at the German festival. 

The festival said today that Lyanga and Stütz will work with new Berlinale head Tricia Tuttle to curate the Competition and Berlinale Special lineups. The pair will also lead the wider team in shaping the overall film selection. Stütz will continue to head Panorama alongside his new position. 

“Michael and Jacqueline bring a strong and complementary combination of skills and networks, and they are both hugely smart, collaborative creative leaders as well as passionate, generous cinephiles,” said Tuttle. “I can’t wait to work alongside them to shape dynamic Berlinale film programmes.”

Tuttle today also set out the festival’s new executive brand. Longtime Berlinale staffer Florian Weghorn will be the Berlinale’s first Chief of Staff. Currently the co-head of Berlinale Talents, Weghorn starts as Chief of Staff on July 1. The Berlinale will also soon begin a recruitment process for Weghorn’s role as Programme Manager at Berlinale Talents.  Tommy Kommer will be the Director of Finance and Business Operations. Miriam Reimers will be Berlinale’s Director of Programme Operations and Production. The festival said she will oversee the implementation of the audience programme, refining Berlinale’s long-term venue strategy, ensuring production and security services at red carpet events at the Berlinale Palast and other cinemas, as well as accreditation and protocol.

“It’s wonderful to have most of my executive team in place now. I am so excited about working with them to support the Berlinale staff, but also plan for the future. One of my major objectives is to revitalize the ways in which Berlinale connects to a sense of place, to take advantage of our incredible home city,” Tuttle said of her new exec branch. “If we can do this while also building stronger links between the public film programme and the European Film Market and the marketplace, we can make the festival even more impactful for audiences and also the important films, filmmakers and rights holders who trust us with their premieres. I so look forward to working with this team to achieve much over the next few years.”

The 2025 Berlin Film Festival runs February 13-19.