Since 2009, Colt Technology Services has been more than a connectivity partner to Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). The company has been part of its transformation.

Through the partnership, Colt provides a comprehensive suite of services that underpin the festival’s infrastructure. From delivering broadcast-quality data transmission to reliable internet access, Colt's support has ensured a seamless and memorable experience for cinemagoers from across the world.

This partnership is built on trust and scaled on performance. Colt CEO Keri Gilder shares what that means.

"We are participating in the Berlinale Film Festival, a festival that we have support with our connectivity on demand for over 18 years. Now that's a major milestone. As we hit their 75th anniversary here in Berlin, we're hitting our 30th anniversary here in Germany. I think those are two major milestones to be massively proud of," explains Keri.

"As connectivity expands beyond the world and we support all of the venues to actually provide and distribute and enable this amazing capability for Berlinale, we are also providing the next generation of infrastructure for the AI macro-economic environment as we move forward. This is an exciting time to be here in Berlin, and it's an exceptionally exciting time for connectivity and digital infrastructure within Colt," adds Keri.

Making a smooth transition to digital content

Using its digital expertise, Colt has helped the Berlinale make a smooth transition to digital content. Each year, the Berlinale attracts over 300,000 attendees across 19 venues, showcasing more than 2,000 screenings in just 11 days. The festival is renowned for its diversity, cultural impact, and ability to bring extraordinary cinema to audiences worldwide.

With nearly all films now presented digitally, the Berlinale requires a robust infrastructure to transmit vast amounts of film data securely and reliably. Colt provides solutions including On Demand Network as a Service (NaaS), IP Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), and high-bandwidth fibre connectivity. These services enable the seamless distribution of film content, live broadcasts, and secure interconnection between venues.

A long-standing and evolving partnership

Colt has been a trusted partner of the Berlinale for 18 years. This long-standing collaboration has evolved alongside the festival’s technological requirements, from early digital cinema adoption to today’s advanced cloud and fibre-based solutions. 

The Berlinale values our ability to simplify complex network configurations and provide reliable, scalable infrastructure. Colt’s expertise ensures the festival can focus on delivering extraordinary cinema, while the technical backbone remains secure and resilient.

Using digital expertise to overcome challenges

The Berlinale needed to transmit a petabyte of film data to 19 venues and over 40 auditoriums within 11 days. The challenge was ensuring reliable distribution of thousands of screenings, alongside live broadcasts such as the Opening Gala. Without a robust solution, the festival risked interruptions, uneven access across venues, and difficulties in scaling to additional cities. Producers also required a level playing field, with content delivered securely and consistently across all locations.

The solution achieved for the Berlinale was a seamless digital infrastructure enabling secure, high-speed distribution of film data and live broadcasts. Colt’s On Demand NaaS platform provided flexible connectivity, allowing the festival to transmit content across multiple venues and cities. This meant:

• Reliable film delivery to 19 venues and 40 auditoriums‍
• Live broadcast of the Opening Gala to cinemas in seven additional German cities, extending the festival’s reach‍
• Simplified asset delivery for producers, ensuring content was transmitted securely and uniformly‍
• Disaster recovery readiness through Colt’s resilient fibre network

The real achievement was that audiences across Germany could enjoy the glamour of the Berlinale Opening Gala in their local cinemas, while producers benefited from streamlined, secure content distribution.

Achieving scalable, resilient infrastructure

The Berlinale achieved a scalable, resilient infrastructure that supports both traditional screenings and modern live broadcasts. 

Audiences in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart experienced the Opening Gala simultaneously, showcasing the festival’s ability to expand its cultural footprint. 

Producers gained confidence in secure, uniform content delivery, while the festival ensured continuity and reliability across thousands of screenings.

Supporting the festival's technological evolution

The outcome is a festival experience that meets the expectations of both audiences and industry professionals. Colt’s solutions have enabled the Berlinale to evolve technologically, ensuring it remains at the forefront of digital cinema innovation. The partnership continues to support future advancements, including quantum-based encryption for even greater security.

Berlinale Technical Director of Digital Cinema Ove Sander said: “It is important to us to make asset delivery as easy as possible for film producers and to create a level playing field. The producers can focus on what really matters, leaving event production to us and Colt. As a global provider of digital infrastructure, Colt is the ideal partner because we want to make the service possible uniformly worldwide. The Berlinale is constantly evolving and so are its technological requirements, and we are very happy to rely on Colt’s expertise for over 15 years."

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