The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 18–29 February 1980.^[1] The Golden Bear was awarded to the American film Heartland directed by Richard Pearce and West German film Palermo oder Wolfsburg directed by Werner Schroeter.^[2]

The retrospective was dedicated to American filmmaker Billy Wilder along with a 3D films retrospective.^[3] Moritz de Hadeln became the director of the festival and increased the efforts in expansion of Berlin film market.^[4] To ease tensions with the Soviet Union due to the Cold War era at the moment, the organizers decided to withdraw the films Ninotchka and One, Two, Three from the Billy Wilder retrospective.^[1]

The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:^[5]

• Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress - Jury President
• Betsy Blair, British actress
• Mathieu Carrière, French actor
• Alberto Isaac, Mexican director and screenwriter
• Peter Kern, Austrian actor
• Károly Makk, Hungarian director and screenwriter
• Alexander Mitta, Soviet director and screenwriter
• Alexandre Trauner, French production designer
• Angel Wagenstein, Bulgarian writer and director

The following films were in competition for the Golden Bear award:

†	Winner of the main award for best film in its section

The following films were shown in the retrospective dedicated to Billy Wilder:

The following films were shown in the retrospective dedicated to 3-D films:

The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:^[2]

• Golden Bear:
  • Heartland by Richard Pearce
  • Palermo oder Wolfsburg by Werner Schroeter
• Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize: Chiedo asilo by Marco Ferreri
• Silver Bear for Best Director: István Szabó for Bizalom
• Silver Bear for Best Actress: Renate Krößner for Solo Sunny
• Silver Bear for Best Actor: Andrzej Seweryn for Dyrygent
• Berlin Bear Anniversary Prize: Marigolds in August by Ross Devenish
• Honourable Mention:
  • Rude Boy
  • Korpinpolska
  • Düşman
• FIPRESCI Award
  • Solo Sunny by Konrad Wolf, Wolfgang Kohlhaase