The Berlin Film Festival said on Monday that starting next year its performance awards will be gender neutral.
Awards will be handed out for Best Leading Performance and Best Supporting Performance, doing away with the distinction between actors and actresses.
"We believe that not separating the awards in the acting field according to gender comprises a signal for a more gender-sensitive awareness in the film industry," said festival directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.
Physical event
Furthermore, despite the pandemic, the Berlinale is going to take place "as a physical event" in February 2021, the organizers also said.
The greatest possible care will be taken to ensure the safety of all guests, they added.
The Berlinale, which is to run in the capital from February 11 to 21, 2021, is one of the world's most important film festivals, alongside Cannes and Venice.
