As in previous years, the Forum program is once again to be supplemented by a smattering of filmic rediscoveries. John Cook's legendary film Clinch, which was shown at the Forum in 1979, is to be shown at this year's Forum together with his debut film Slow Summer, with both films shining in newly restored copies.

On January 29th, Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art Distribution will be bringing the film Seaview from last year’s Forum to cinemas.

The Best First Feature Award was set up by the Berlinale in 2006 in order to promote new filmmaking talent. Seven films from the Forum program have been nominated for this year’s prize.

The 39th Forum will be showing 48 films from 31 countries. The selection will take festival-goers around the world - both in terms of the range of countries represented and within the many connections to be discovered between the films, their often shared concerns and kindred worldviews, as well as their contradictions and mirror images.

Artists from a broad range of disciplines are experimenting with the medium of film more than ever before. Forum expanded is exploring and documenting this phenomenon for the fourth time this year, continuing to bridge the gap between classical film festival formats and the spatial and visual practices of the art and gallery world.

Hans-Christian Schmid will have two different films at this year’s Berlinale. While his political drama "Storm" is in the Competition, the Forum will be showing his documentary The Wondrous World of Laundry.

The NETPAC Prize Jury, which awards the NETPAC prize to an Asian film from the Forum program, will be made up of Ulrich Köhler, Latika Padgaonkar and Edwin. The prize-winning film will be announced at a reception at the Saarländischen Landesvertretung on February 14th.

The Caligari Film Prize will be awarded to a film from the Forum program for the 24th time at the Forum 2009. This year’s jury will be made up by Veit Geldner, Timothy Simms and Rüdiger Suchsland. The prize winning film will be announced on February 13th at a reception at the HomeBase Independent Lounge.

Guy Maddin’s "My Winnipeg", one of the highlights of the Forum 2008, continues to enjoy considerable critical success after being named the 3rd best film of 2008 (after "WALL-E" and "Synecdoche, New York") by Richard Corliss of "Time Magazine".

Among the many delights to be found in this year’s Forum programme are the eclecticism and confidence of the next generation of independent filmmakers. The complete programme of the 39th Forum is soon to be announced.