Los Angeles, Jan 12 (IANS): The Berlin Film Festival, whose jury is headed by Indian American director M. Night Shyamalan, will go ahead as an in-person event in February, 'Variety' has confirmed.

Although the European Film Market (EFM), which normally runs alongside the Berlinale, will be fully virtual, the organisers have said the festival will continue as planned, albeit with strict Covid protocols in place for delegates who decide to attend. The protocol will be revealed in the coming days.

A spokesperson for the festival told 'Variety': "We are very pleased with the positive signal from the authorities so far and feel encouraged to continue with the planning. We hope to be able to announce the final concept for the 2022 Berlinale very soon."

The update comes amid days of discussions between organisers and various levels of the German government. More details on how exactly the festival will unfold will be released later in the day on Wednesday, once the final details about the shape of the event have been ironed out with local authorities.