Carlo
Chatrian

After making his mark running Switzerland’s Locarno Festival, Europe’s preeminent independent film event, for six years, Italian film critic Chatrian emerged last year as the surprise choice to become Berlin Film Festival artistic director starting this May, running the starry event in tandem with managing director Mariette Rissenbeek, who moves up to executive director and becomes the first woman to co-head the event. The low-key Chatrian has already started putting his stamp on the Berlinale by bringing in the core of his Locarno team and introducing a more cutting-edge competitive strand. Known as a dedicated and discerning cinephile with good networking skills, he is expected to set the festival on a new course, especially reviving its role as a key driver of German cinema.