Berlin International Film Festival 110 countries. At some high-profile feature film premieres held during the festival, movie stars and celebrities are present on the red carpet. The Berlin International Film Festival was founded in West Berlin in 1951, with film historian Dr. Alfred Bauer as its first director, a position he would hold until 1976. Alfred Hitchcock’s "Rebecca" opened the first festival which ran from June 6-17th. Bauer was succeeded by film journalist Wolf Donner in 1976. After his first Berlinale in June 1977, he successfully negotiated the shift of the festival from the summer to February (February 22nd - March 5th 1978), a
28th Berlin International Film Festival 28th Berlin International Film Festival The 28th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 22 February to 5 March 1978. The festival opened with "Opening Night" by John Cassavetes and closed with Steven Spielberg's out of competition film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". This was the first year the festival was held in February. The jury awarded the Golden Bear to Spain for its contribution to the festival. The three Spanish films which were screened at the festival and won it were short film "Ascensor" directed by Tomás Muñoz and feature films "La palabras de Max" by Emilio