38th Berlin International Film Festival

The 38th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 February 1988. The festival opened with musical film Linie 1 by Reinhard Hauff.

The Golden Bear was awarded to the Chinese film Red Sorghum directed by Zhang Yimou.

The retrospective was dedicated to colour films and it was titled The History of Colour Film. Originally West German actor Gert Fröbe was selected as Jury President but later he had to decline due to illness, after which Moritz de Hadeln appointed the Italian film critic Guglielmo Biraghi as the Jury President.

Main Competition
The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:
 * Guglielmo Biraghi, Italian journalist and film critic - Jury President
 * Ellen Burstyn, American actress
 * Heiner Carow, East-German filmmaker
 * Eberhard Junkersdorf, West-German producer
 * Tom Luddy, American producer and co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival
 * Heinz Rathsack, West-German film historian
 * Daniel Schmid, Swiss filmmaker
 * Andrei Smirnov, Soviet actor and filmmaker
 * Tilda Swinton, British actress
 * Anna-Lena Wibom, Swedish producer and actress
 * Pavlos Zannas, Greek writer and film critic

Main Competition
The following films were in competition for the Golden Bear:

Out of competition

 * Něco z Alenky, directed by Jan Švankmajer (Czechoslovakia, United Kingdom)
 * Больше света Bol'se sveta!, directed by Marina Babak (Soviet Union)
 * Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, directed by Taylor Hackford (United States)
 * Cry Freedom, directed by Richard Attenborough (United Kingdom)
 * Empire of the Sun, director Steven Spielberg (United States)
 * Linie 1, directed by Reinhard Hauff (West Germany)
 * Little Dorrit, directed by Christine Edzard (UK)
 * Nuts, directed by Martin Ritt (United States)
 * Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation, directed by Godfrey Reggio (United States)
 * September, directed by Woody Allen (United States)
 * The Story of Asya Klyachina, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (Soviet Union)

Retrospective
The following films were shown in the retrospective titled "The History of Colour Film":

Official Awards
The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:
 * Golden Bear: Red Sorghum by Zhang Yimou
 * Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize: Comissar by Aleksandr Askoldov
 * Silver Bear for Best Director: Norman Jewison for Moonstruck
 * Silver Bear for Best Actress: Holly Hunter for Broadcast News
 * Silver Bear for Best Actor: Manfred Möck and Jörg Pose for Bear Ye One Another's Burden
 * Silver Bear for an outstanding single achievement: Matka Królów by Janusz Zaorski
 * Silver Bear for an outstanding artistic contribution: Verónico Cruz by Miguel Pereira

FIPRESCI Award

 * Comissar by Aleksandr Askoldov