– BERLINALE 2026: This year’s edition also saw the triumph of Emin Alper’s Salvation, Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea and Grant Gee’s Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Yellow Letters by İlker Çatak
The 76th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival (12-22 February) has been brought to a close by the traditional awards ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast, hosted by Luxembourg’s Désirée Nosbusch. She first invited festival director Tricia Tuttle up on stage, who admitted that the strong reactions surrounding this year’s edition showed how much the Berlinale still mattered, noting that “anger, grief and urgency are very real and belong in our community”, and stressing that criticism and debate are part of democracy, before reminding the audience that 276 films from 80 countries had been screened and praising filmmakers who “risk so much to make their movies”. She also described the festival as “a space where complexity can exist and we can humanise each other”.
The international competition jury, chaired by Wim Wenders, awarded the Golden Bear for Best Film to Yellow Letters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ilker Çatak
film profile] by İlker Çatak, which Wenders described as a film examining “the political language of totalitarianism versus the empathetic language of cinema”, adding that it felt like a terrifying premonition of something that could happen in any country. “I was prepared, but I still don’t know what to say,” said the helmer before recalling a scene in Yellow Letters in which former companions argue despite sharing the same liberal ideals. He added that it reminded him of the recent tensions in Berlin, urging artists not to turn against one another: “We’re not enemies; we’re allies. The real threat is outside – the autocrats, the far-right parties, those who want to destroy our way of life.” He revealed that he had prepared a much more political speech but decided not to deliver it, because others had already “said the right things”, concluding that the film should speak for itself and dedicating the award to Seyfi Teoman.
The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize went to Salvation [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emin Alper
film profile] by Emin Alper, which juror Reinaldo Marcus Green defined as confronting “the devastating logic of fear” without spectacle. Alper thanked his cast and crew, and expressed solidarity with people living under oppression, saying that those suffering in Gaza, Iran and Kurdish regions were “not alone”.
The Silver Bear Jury Prize was bestowed upon Queen at Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lance Hammer
film profile] by Lance Hammer, billed by juror Hikari as “a work of art asking difficult questions about dignity, privacy and human rights”. Hammer thanked his cast and partners, and joked that he had meant to thank the Berlinale first but felt overwhelmed, before dedicating the award to his family.
The Silver Bear for Best Director went to Grant Gee for Everybody Digs Bill Evans [+see also:
film review
interview: Grant Gee
film profile], with the helmer remarking that directing drama for the first time proved easier than expected, suggesting that most of the job is “the management of people’s talent… As long as you pick the right one and give them a good area to play in.”
The Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance was awarded to Sandra Hüller for her role in Rose [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], praised by the jury for conveying the film’s emotional and narrative depth. Hüller said she felt “unprepared, as usual”, but thanked the room full of people “who can speak the truth”.
The Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance went jointly to Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall for Queen at Sea, with juror Bae Doona explaining that their performances were inseparable and that the jury voted unanimously because of their “heart-breaking truth” and “complete synergy”.
The Silver Bear for Best Screenplay was handed to Geneviève Dulude-De Celles for Nina Roza [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Geneviève Dulude-de Celles
film profile], which the jury praised for its “incredible use of silence and raw honesty”.
The Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution went to the US documentary Yo (Love Is a Rebellious Bird) by Anna Fitch and Banker White, described by juror Shivendra Singh Dungarpur as a “monumental labour of love” and “an ode to friendship across decades and continents”.
The Perspectives jury – made up of Sofia Alaoui, Frédéric Hambalek and Dorota Lech – singled out Forest High [+see also:
film review
interview: Manon Coubia
film profile] by Manon Coubia as its “coup de cœur”, rewarding “its enchanting and mysterious tone” with a Special Mention, while Chronicles from the Siege [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Abdallah Al-Khatib was commended with the GWFF Best First Feature Award for capturing human moments and flashes of humour within an apocalyptic landscape. Accepting the accolade, Al-Khatib said he felt compelled to speak about Palestine and expressed hope that one day there could be a film festival in Gaza and other Palestinians cities, adding that people living under siege should know they are not alone.
Among the other awards, the Berlinale Documentary Award went to If Pigeons Turned to Gold [+see also:
film review
interview: Pepa Lubojacki
film profile] by Pepa Lubojacki, commended for its inventive approach and radical empathy, with the director recalling the seven-year journey behind the film and saying the award meant that her marginalised relatives were finally “in the spotlight”. Furthermore, Special Mentions went to TUTU [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Sam Pollard and Sometimes, I Imagine Them All at a Party by Daniela Magnani Hüller.
The Golden Bear for Best Short Film was bestowed upon Someday a Child by Marie-Rose Osta, who said the Berlinale’s visibility mattered deeply, while she also spoke as “a Lebanese woman” concerned about children in Palestine and Lebanon.
Finally, the Cupra Filmmaker Award was bestowed upon Kleptomania by Jingkai Qu and the Silver Bear Jury Prize went to A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere by Fanny Texier, described by the jury as a “delicate fable of place and identity” set in New York, blending the personal and political in a tender emotional flow.
Here is the full list of award winners:
Competition
Golden Bear for Best Film
Yellow Letters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ilker Çatak
film profile] – İlker Çatak (Germany/France/Turkey)
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
Salvation [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emin Alper
film profile] – Emin Alper (Turkey/France/Netherlands/Greece/Sweden/Saudi Arabia)
Silver Bear Jury Prize
Queen at Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lance Hammer
film profile] – Lance Hammer (UK/USA)
Silver Bear for Best Director
Grant Gee – Everybody Digs Bill Evans [+see also:
film review
interview: Grant Gee
film profile] (Ireland/UK)
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance
Sandra Hüller – Rose [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Austria/Germany)
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance
Tom Courtenay, Anna Calder-Marshall – Queen at Sea
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay
Nina Roza [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Geneviève Dulude-de Celles
film profile] – Geneviève Dulude-De Celles (Canada/Italy/Bulgaria/Belgium)
Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird) – Anna Fitch, Banker White (USA)
Perspectives
GWFF Best First Feature Award
Chronicles from the Siege [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Abdallah Alkhatib (Algeria/France/Palestine)
Special Mention
Forest High [+see also:
film review
interview: Manon Coubia
film profile] – Manon Coubia (Belgium/France)
Non-section-specific awards
Berlinale Documentary Award
If Pigeons Turned to Gold [+see also:
film review
interview: Pepa Lubojacki
film profile] – Pepa Lubojacki (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Special Mention
TUTU [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Sam Pollard (UK)
Sometimes, I Imagine Them All at a Party – Daniela Magnani Hüller (Germany)
Berlinale Shorts
Golden Bear for Best Short Film
Someday a Child – Marie-Rose Osta (France/Romania/Lebanon)
Silver Bear Jury Prize
A Woman’s Place is Everywhere – Fanny Texier (USA)
Cupra Filmmaker Award
Kleptomania – Jingkai Qu (China)
