Hoping that '' The Marriage of Maria Braun '' might be successful at the 1979 Berlin International Film Festival Eckelkamp started a marketing campaign and decided to release the film theatrically in March 1979 . Commissioned by Eckelkamp , the author Gerhard Zwerenz novelized the film . It was published in several weekly installments in the magazine '' Der Stern '' from March over a period of three months , thus increasing public interest in the film . The official premiere of the film was on 20 February 1979 during the 29th Berlin International Film Festival . The West German theatrical release was on 23 March 1979 . At the Berlin International Film Festival Hanna Schygulla won the Silver Bear for Best Actress , which did not satisfy Fassbinder who expected to win the Golden Bear
29th Berlin International Film Festival
29th Berlin International Film Festival
The Marriage of Maria Braun