Berlin Film Festival to make acting prizes gender neutral

BERLIN (AP) — Organizers of the Berlin International Film Festival say they will stop awarding separate acting prizes to women and men beginning next year. Berlinale organizers said Monday that the performance awards will be defined in a gender-neutral way at next year’s festival. A physical event is planned for 2021. Organizers said the prizes for best actor and best actress will be replaced with a Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance and a Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance. At the same time, the Alfred Bauer Prize named after its founding director will be permanently retired. The prize was suspended this year due to revelations about Bauer’s role in the Nazis’ moviemaking bureaucracy.