Berlinale 2026 - International Film Festival in Berlin
From 12 to 22 February, Berlin is the venue of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). It is a highly significant event in the world of cinema in “A” category. This category includes international box-office hits that occupy top positions in rankings determined by reputation, media opinion, marketing and financial performance.
A large number of films of different genres and directions are invariably screened at the Berlinale. In essence, it is a unique platform for discussions about the art of cinema, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world. For the film industry and the press, this festival is one of the key events of the year and an important marketplace.
It “draws” global film stars and opens up new talents, contributing to the development of careers, projects and ambitions of filmmakers. Thanks to various industry initiatives, it stimulates innovation and plays an important economic role at the international level.
In the various sections of the Berlin film festival, films of a wide variety of genres are presented, as well as films differing in length and formats. Alongside this, the festival programme features a constant, intensive dialogue with audiences and numerous thematic events, discussions with the public and expert panels. These also rightfully include events (master classes, general conceptual discussions) for young filmmakers. For example, Berlinale Talents (which includes the presentation of 20 projects in different genres) or the Talent Project Market, with the presentation of 10 innovative commercial models in the field of cinema.
This time, there are 22 films in the main competition programme of the Berlinale. Each of them will “compete” for the top prizes of the festival (a total of eight awards of the “highest level”).
The main prizes of the festival are the Golden Bear, Berlin’s heraldic symbol, awarded for the best film in the main competition, the best short film, and for a contribution to cinema. The Silver Bear is awarded in several categories. In particular: Best Director, Best Leading Actress/Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Performance, Best Music, and Best Short Film. Special awards also recognise outstanding achievements in cinema. Thus, the actress, producer, screenwriter, Academy Award winner, and long-time member of the Berlinale jury Michelle Yeoh will be honoured with the Honorary Golden Bear for an outstanding contribution to the art of film.
The jury of the main competition of Berlinale 2026 includes:
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director, screenwriter, cinematographer, producer, actress Hikari (Hikari, real name Mitsuo Miyazaki, Japan);
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producer Ewa Puszczynska (Ewa Puszczynska, Poland);
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director, producer, screenwriter Reinaldo Marcus Green (Reinaldo Marcus Green, USA);
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film director, producer, film archivist and restorer Shivendra Singh Dungarpur (Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, India);
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director, producer, screenwriter Min Bahadur Bham (Min Bahadur Bham, Nepal);
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actress, model, photographer Bae Doona (Bae Doona, South Korea).
The 2026 jury is chaired by the director, screenwriter, photographer, producer, cinematographer and actor Wim Wenders (Wim Wenders, birth name Wilhelm Ernst Wenders, Germany).
The festival will open with the world premiere of the film “No Good Men” (“Nekhoroshie lyudi” / “No Good People”) — an Afghan-German drama shot by Afghan director and actress Shahrbanoo Sadat (Shahrbanoo Sadat received an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 in the prestigious Quinzaine des Réalisateurs section — Directors’ Fortnight). The film is dedicated to the lives of Afghan women and combines a gripping political story with romance and humour.
Many well-known film and television figures have confirmed their participation in Berlinale 2026. In particular: actress Luna Wedler (Switzerland), Israeli-French actress, film director, screenwriter, film producer and photographer Hiam Abbass, theatre and film actor James Norton (United Kingdom), theatre and film actor and director Lars Eidinger (Germany), actress, singer, producer and model Amanda Michelle Seyfried (USA), American actress and photo model of Canadian origin Pamela Denise Anderson, and others.
It is important to note that the Berlin International Film Festival focuses on “auteur” and “intellectual” cinema, with a particular emphasis in its programme on presenting films from the maximum possible number of countries.
Additional information, programme and ticket purchase:
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