Saturday, February 21, 2026

The 2026 Berlin Film Festival Award Winners

The winners of the 76th anniversary edition of the Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) have been announced by Wim Wenders’ jury. Here are this year’s winners….

COMPETITION

Golden Bear for Best Film: “Yellow Letters,” İlker Çatak

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: Salvation,” Emin Alper

Silver Bear Jury Prize: “Queen at Sea,” Lance Hammer

Silver Bear for Best Director: “Everybody Digs Bill Evans,” Grant Gee

Silver Bear for Best Lead Performance: Rose,” Sandra Hüller

Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: “Queen at Sea,” Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Nina Roza,” Geneviève Dulude-De Celles

Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: “Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird),” Anna Fitch and Banker White

PERSPECTIVES COMPETITION

GWFF Best First Feature Award: “Chronicles From the Siege,” Abdallah Alkhatib

Special Mention (Coup de Coeur): “Forest High,” Manon Coubia

BERLINALE DOCUMENTARY AWARD

Best Documentary: “If Pigeons Turned to Gold,” Pepa Lubojacki

Special Mentions: “Tutu,” Sam Pollard; “Sometimes I Imagine Them All at a Party,” Daniela Magnani Hüller

SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Golden Bear for Best Short Film: “Someday a Child,” Marie-Rose Osta

Silver Bear for Best Short Film: “A Woman’s Place is Everywhere,” Fanny Texier

Berlinale Shorts Filmmaker Award: “Kleptomania,” Jingkai Qu

PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award (Fiction): “Prosecution,” Faraz Sharia

First Runner-up: “Four Minus Three,” Adrian Goiginger

Second Runner-up: “Mouse,” Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson

Audience Award (Documentary): “Traces,” Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk

First Runner-up: “The Other Side of the Sun,” Tawfik Sabouni

Second Runner-up: “Bucks Harbor,” Pete Muller

GENERATION COMPETITION

International Jury

Grand Prix for the Best Film in Generation Kplus: Gugu’s World,” Allan Deberton

Special Mention: “Atlas of the Universe,” Paul Negoescu

Special Prize for the Best Short Film in Generation Kplus: “Spi,” Navroz Shaban

Special Mention: “Under the Wave off Little Dragon,” Luo Jian

Grand Prix for the Best Film in Generation 14plus: “Sad Girlz,” Fernanda Tovar

Special Mention: “Matapanki,” Diego Mapache Fuentes

Special Prize for the Best Short Film in Generation 14plus: “The Thread,” Fenn O’Meally

Special Mention: “Memories of a Window,” Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar

Youth Jury

Crystal Bear for the Best Film in Generation Kplus: “Gugu’s World,” Allan Deberton

Special Mention: “Not a Hero,” Rima Das

Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film in Generation Kplus: “Whale 52 – Suite for Man, Boy, and Whale,” Daniel Neiden

Special Mention: “Under the Wave off Little Dragon,” Luo Jian

Crystal Bear for the Best Film in Generation 14plus: “Sad Girlz,” Fernanda Tovar

Special Mention: “A Family,” Mees Peijnenburg

Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film in Generation 14plus: ”Memories of a Window,” Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar

Special Mention: ”Nobody Knows the World,” Roddy Dextre

TEDDY AWARDS

Best Feature Film: “Ivan & Hadoum,” Ian de la Rosa

Best Documentary: “Barbara Forever,” Brydie O’Connor

Best Short Film: “Taxi Moto,” Gaël Kamilindi

Jury Award: “Trial of Hein,” Kai Stänicke

Special Award: Céline Sciamma

FIPRESCI AWARDS

Competition: “Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Perspectives: “Animol,” Ashley Walters

Panorama: “Narciso,” Marcelo Martinessi

Forum: “AnyMart,” Yusuke Iwasaki

ECUMENICAL JURY AWARDS

Competition: “Flies,” Fernando Eimbcke

Panorama: “Bucks Harbor,” Pete Muller

Forum: “River Dreams,“ Kristina Mikhailova

LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS AWARD

“Four Minus Three,” Adrian Goiginger

PRIZE OF THE GUILD OF GERMAN ARTHOUSE CINEMAS

“Yellow Letters,” İlker Çatak

Special Mention: “The Loneliest Man in Town,” Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel

READERS’ JURIES

Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Award: “Flies,” Fernando Eimbcke

Tagesspiegel Readers’ Award: “I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival,” Janaína Marques

CALIGARI FILM PRIZE

“If Pigeons Turned to Gold,” Pepa Lubojacki

PEACE FILM PRIZE

“Tutu,” Sam Pollard

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDd

“What Will I Become?,” Lexie Bean and Logan Rozos

HEINER CAROW PRIZE

Prosecution,” Faraz Shariat

PRIZE AG KINO – GILDE – CINEMA VISION 14PLUS

“What Will I Become?,” Lexie Bean and Logan Rozos

Special Mention: ”Sunny Dancer,” George Jaques

C.I.C.A.E. Art Cinema Award

“Prosecution,” Faraz Shariat

“On Our Own,” Tudor Cristian Jurgiu

What do you think of the winners? Do you think either of these will factor into this year’s awards conversation? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.

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Matt Neglia
Matt Negliahttps://nextbestpicture.com/
Obsessed about the Oscars, Criterion Collection and all things film 24/7. Critics Choice Member.

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