Sawt Falasteen - Berlin film festival chief to remain in job after Gaza row

Tricia Tuttle had been under fire from some politicians after the comments by Syrian-Palestinian filmmaker Abdallah Al-Khatib, with some media reporting that culture minister Wolfram Weimer had sought to oust her from the job.

But after a meeting of the board of the state-owned KBB -- the company that runs the Berlinale -- on Wednesday, Weimer's office said in a statement that it welcomed Tuttle's willingness to "continue her work".

Angry rows over the Israel-Palestinian conflict have repeatedly rocked the Berlinale, held every February as Europe's first major film festival of the year.

This year, Khatib's comments at the closing ceremony accusing Germany of being complicit in "genocide" in Gaza provoked outrage from some German politicians.

Tuttle also faced criticism for posing for a photo with some of the team behind Khatib's film, "Chronicles from the Siege".

But Weimer on Wednesday said Tuttle had "put a great deal of energy into setting a new course" at the festival, which she has led for the past two years.

"I thank her for her willingness to continue on this path," he said.

"I welcome today's decision by the supervisory board to reaffirm its confidence in my leadership of the Berlinale," Tuttle said in a statement.

Weimer added that the board of the KBB had laid out recommendations `for "strengthening" the festival, including a new code of conduct.

"The board has issued a number of recommendations, which we will carefully consider," Tuttle said.

Controversy surrounded this year's Berlinale almost from the beginning, after the jury president, acclaimed German director Wim Wenders, responded to a question about Gaza by saying cinema should "stay out of politics".

Heated debate about Wenders' comments followed, with award-winning Indian writer Arundhati Roy withdrawing from the festival and denouncing his remarks.

Tuttle received support from thousands of filmmakers after German tabloid Bild reported that Weimer was trying to remove her from the job.

V.Said--SF-PST