| 48th Berlin International Film Festival | |
| Opening: | The Boxer |
| Closing: | The Rainmaker |
| Location: | Berlin, Germany |
| Founded: | 1951 |
| Awards: | Golden Bear |
| Number: | 351 films |
| Date: | 11 - 22 February 1998 |
| Website: | http://www.berlinale.de |
| Chronology: | Berlin International Film Festival |
| Preceded By: | 47th |
| Followed By: | 49th |
The 48th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 February 1998.[1] The festival opened with the Irish film The Boxer by Jim Sheridan. Francis Ford Coppola's The Rainmaker was selected as the closing night film.[2] [3]
The Golden Bear was awarded to Central Station directed by Walter Salles. The retrospective was dedicated to Siodmak Bros., titled Siodmak Bros. Berlin – London – Paris – Hollywood was shown at the festival.[4]
The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:[5]
The following films were for the main competition:[6]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara | Nils Malmros | Denmark, Faroe Islands | ||
| The Big Lebowski | Joel Coen | United States, United Kingdom | ||
| The Big Mambo | Das Mambospiel | Michael Gwisdek | Germany | |
| The Boxer (opening film) | Jim Sheridan | United States, Ireland | ||
| The Boys | Rowan Woods | Australia | ||
| The Butcher Boy | Neil Jordan | United States, Ireland | ||
| Central Station | Central do Brasil | Walter Salles | Brazil, France | |
| The Commissioner | George Sluizer | United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Belgium | ||
| Country of the Deaf | Страна глухих | Valery Todorovsky | Russia, France | |
| Girls' Night | Nick Hurran | United Kingdom | ||
| Good Will Hunting | Gus Van Sant | United States | ||
| Hold You Tight | 愈快樂愈墮落 | Stanley Kwan | Hong Kong | |
| I Want You | Michael Winterbottom | United Kingdom | ||
| Jackie Brown | Quentin Tarantino | United States | ||
| Left Luggage | Jeroen Krabbé | United States, Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom | ||
| The Naked Eye | La mirada del otro | Vicente Aranda | Spain | |
| The Perfect Guy | Jeanne et le Garçon formidable | Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau | France | |
| Sada | 戯作・阿部定の生涯 | Nobuhiko Obayashi | Japan | |
| Same Old Song | On connaît la chanson | Alain Resnais | France, United Kingdom, Switzerland | |
| The Sound of One Hand Clapping | Richard Flanagan | Australia | ||
| Sweet Degeneration | 放浪 | Lin Cheng-sheng | Taiwan | |
| The Best Man | Il testimone dello sposo | Pupi Avati | Italy | |
| Too Much (Little) Love | Trop (peu) d'amour | Jacques Doillon | France | |
| Wag the Dog | Barry Levinson | United States | ||
| 天浴 | Joan Chen | Hong Kong, United States, Taiwan | ||
The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:[7]