Berlin Film Festival is quitting Elon Musk’s X

The Berlin Film Festival has announced it is leaving X on 31 December, after 15 years on the social media platform.

It currently has 133.5K followers and will no longer have an official X footprint for its 75th edition, which takes place from 13 – 24 February 2025.

“The Berlinale has decided to say goodbye to X on Dec 31, 2024. Thank you for following us here all these years. Stay connected with all things Berlinale on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and our website. See you there!  #Berlinale”

The festival did not give further explanation for its decision to leave X, but considering the surge in disinformation and abusive content on the platform since Elon Musk took ownership of then-Twitter in 2022, the move makes sense for a festival, a European cultural institution which is seen as progressive and at odds with voices from the far-right.

Additionally, Musk regularly re-tweeting posts supporting the German far-right AfD part and his involvement in the presidential election campaign on behalf of Donald Trump has also alienated many users, and is likely a factor for the Berlinale’s exodus.

The Berlinale is the only of Europe’s “big three” film festivals that has announced it was quitting X, even if earlier this year, Alberto Barbera, the artistic director at the Venice Film Festival, said he was leaving X over Musk’s statements.

The festival’s organizing body, La Biennale di Venezia, maintains presence and continues to actively post on X, as does the Cannes Film Festival.

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival takes place 13 – 24 February 2025.