Berlin Fest topper to ankle after '01

Cultural minister praises de Hadeln for his leadership

BERLIN -- Moritz de Hadeln will step down as exec director for the Berlin Intl. Film Festival after the 2001 edition of the event, it was announced, ending days of speculation after reports that he had been fired.

De Hadeln’s contract could have been extended for a maximum of three years, taking him through 2003.

The longtime festival topper is reportedly bitter about the decision. Berlin’s cultural minister Christoph Stoelzel praised De Hadeln Friday for steering the fest through difficult times and overseeing the monumental move to the new location on Potsdamer Platz.

A number of candidates are rumored to be in the running to succeed De Hadeln. These include the colorful Dieter Kosslick, a leading German industry personality, who is known around Europe through his leading role in the European Film Academy.

Other local festival heads have been mentioned, such as Hamburg’s Josef Wutz and Mannheim-Heidelberg’s Michael Koetz, while director Volker Schlondorff is said to be a possible candidate to co-top the fest.

A decision isn’t expected to be made before summer.