The 29th Berlin International Film Festival was held from 20 February â 3 March 1979. The Golden Bear was awarded to David directed by Peter Lilienthal.
The retrospective was dedicated to Italian actor Rudolph Valentino and to another one titled "We Danced Around the World. Revue Films".
Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter selection for the main competition was surrounded by controversy, as it was accused of racism, and several countries decided to withdraw their films from the festival in protest.
The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:
The following films were in competition for the Golden Bear award:
The following films were shown in the retrospective dedicated to Rudolph Valentino:
The following prizes were awarded by the Jury: