For the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlinale Palast will be equipped with the new immersive Dolby Atmos sound system. For films mixed with this technology sound comes alive from all directions with clarity and depth. The first film to benefit from this groundbreaking technology will be the festival’s opener: the world premiere of director Isabel Coixet’s Nobody Wants the Night, with Juliette Binoche, Rinko Kikuchi and Gabriel Byrne.

 “Filmmakers use Dolby Atmos to place and move individual sounds anywhere in the room, including above the audience. This multidimensional sound experience makes viewers feel as if they are inside the film and part of action, not just watching it,” explains Andreas Spechtler, President, Dolby International. 

 During a screening, a dynamic signal can now be assigned with precision to each of the 100 loudspeaker systems built into the Berlinale Palast. The speaker setup consists of 90 systems for surround sound and two five-channel systems delivering sound from the screen. In addition the two amplifier racks with, 32 four-channel power amplifiers will be installed that have a total capacity of about 45 kW. Audio routing, that is, the distribution of signals to each individual system, occurs digitally, of course. 

 “We are proud to support the 65th Berlin International Film Festival and be its official provider of sound. The Berlinale will be able to give its guests an immersive experience with astonishing richness and detail that only Dolby Atmos can deliver,” adds Andreas Spechtler. 

 The Berlinale trailer, which is shown prior to each screening, will also be re-mixed in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Surround 7.1 by Rotor Film in collaboration with Dolby, and composers Xaver von Treyer and Johannes Koeniger. 

 “I’m very pleased that with Dolby’s support the Berlinale Palast will be equipped with the latest Atmos sound technology. I’m sure professional visitors as well as film fans in general will be thrilled with the sensational surround sound at the Berlinale Palast,” says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.