The Golden Bear (German: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin.

The winners of the first Berlin International Film Festival in 1951 were determined by a West German panel, with five winners of the Golden Bear, divided by categories and genres.^[1]

Between 1952 and 1955, the winners of the Golden Bear were determined by the audience members.^[2]

In 1956, the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films formally accredited the festival, and since then, the Golden Bear has been awarded by an international jury.^[2]

The statuette shows a bear standing on its hind legs and is based on the 1932 design by German sculptor Renée Sintenis of Berlin's heraldic mascot that later became the symbol of the festival. It has been manufactured since either the first^[3] or third^[4] edition by art foundry Hermann Noack.^[5]

The original award was redesigned in a larger version in 1960,^[6] with the left arm of the bear raised as opposed to the right in the former model.^[7]

As of 2010^[update], the bear is 20 cm (7.9 in) high and is fixed onto a base where the winning name is engraved.^[8] The figurine consists of a bronze core, which is then plated with a layer of gold. The total weight of the award is 4 kg (8.8 lb).^[9]

As of 2023, only Ang Lee has won the award twice, in 1993 with The Wedding Banquet, and in 1996 with Sense and Sensibility.

• Golden Lion, the highest prize awarded at the Venice Film Festival
• Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival
• Silver Bear and other awards at the Berlin International Film Festival