The Berlin International Film Festival has ditched the bear image to mark its 75th anniversary.
The poster for the 2025 Berlin Film Festival breaks with tradition and won’t feature Berlin’s adorable mascot, the black bear. Berlin has featured bears in various forms on posters over the years: live bears Photoshopped into iconic Berlin locations, locals in bear costumes, and a variety of graphic depictions of the beloved beast.
But the official 2025 poster released on Thursday doesn’t feature a bear, instead featuring an abstract design whose geometric shapes, bold colors and minimalism echo the Bauhaus movement.
The poster, created by Berlin-based graphic designer Claudia Schramke, is also available as an animated key visual for the first time and will be used by the Berlinale across all of its digital pipelines (see below). The animated version includes a TV-style countdown that the festival says is “at the center of a dazzling visual interpretation of the ‘time’ theme, a modern, lively mashup of historical film sensibilities, and an emotionally rich anniversary countdown.” form”.
Bears fans won’t be happy. But there is precedent for this kind of anti-bear behavior. To celebrate its 65th anniversary, the festival has also chosen a more abstract image, resembling a shimmering movie curtain.
Posters and key visuals will be displayed in the German capital from the end of January. Tom Tykwer’s new movie, Light The 2025 Berlin International Film Festival will open on February 13.
