Somebody in the Berlinale press office told us they have lived in Berlin for 10 years, and right now it is currently the coldest winter they have ever experienced! Undeterred and planning to not go outside anyway, here we have the Irresistible top films in this years festival. It was nearly impossible to choose, as there are excellent films at every turn.Â
As Festival Director Tricia Tuttle said at the launch a few weeks ago, “It has been exciting to see Berlinale films go on to beguile and charm audiences around the world. It underlines how vital film festivals are – but also how vital adventurous audiences are in celebrating both new and established talents, and showing the film industry that the appetite for great cinema is as fierce as ever. We have heard it said many times, but for me it never becomes a platitude: cinema is an art form that helps us understand each other and connect.”Â
Hundreds of films will be shown, whittled down from the more than 8,000 submissions to Berlinale from hundreds of countries. The sharper amongst you might notice that our 12 is actually more of a baker’s dozen, but as one is an episodic we thought we could get away with it.
Ach du meine GĂĽte, auf geht’s!
In Competition ROSE
In the early 17th century, somewhere in Germany, a mysterious soldier arrives in an isolated Protestant village. Slight and modest by nature, his face disfigured by a scar, this stranger declares himself to be the heir of a long-abandoned farmstead and produces a document to support his claim to the suspicious villagers. With the passage of time, he overcomes their doubts and, proving himself to be a hard-working, God-fearing man, becomes a part of their community. However, his quest for acceptance is built on a bold-faced lie. The true and twisted tale of a swindler who, defying her birth as a woman, comported herself as a man and deceived a village.
by Markus Schleinzer (Director, Screenplay), Alexander Brom (Screenplay) with Sandra Hüller, Caro Braun, Marisa Growaldt, Godehard Giese, Augustino Renke
In Berlinale Special Gala GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE
A “man from the future” enters a diner in Los Angeles. What initially looks like a stickup soon turns out to be a much stranger proposition: he has to recruit the exact right combination of people from the customers present to embark on a nighttime mission to save the world from an artificial intelligence. It requires only a little persuasion and the “gentle” threat to blow up the entire joint for him to secure the volunteers. This motley crew then plunges itself into a dystopian adventure in a constant race against time. With zombie teenagers, robot dolls run amok and all manner of other bizarre things on the rampage – Good luck, have fun, don’t die!
by Gore Verbinski (Director), Matthew Robinson (Screenplay) with Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña
On the colonial frontier of 1930s Australia, two swaggering outlaws roll into a mining town and unleash a wave of cruelty, leading two siblings to break free from their white masters who have forced them to work as child labourers in the mines. The children escape and set off across the desert “sweet country” of central Australia, in search of safety and a way home.
Set in the same universe as Thornton’s multi award-winning film Sweet Country from 2017, Wolfram features standout performances from Deborah Mailman and its young actors, playing siblings who must rely on each other as they search for the truth about themselves and their family, escape a nightmare and make unexpected connections on their way to freedom. An outback Western but also a historical drama about survival, reckoning, resilience and love.
In Competition EVERYBODY DIGS BILL EVANS
New York, June 1961. Legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans has found his musical voice and created the perfect trio, including bass player Scott LaFaro, his musical soulmate. A residency at New York’s Village Vanguard culminates in the live taping of two of the greatest jazz records of all time in one day. Only a few days later, LaFaro dies tragically in a car crash. Numb with grief, Evans stops playing for the first time since his childhood. This is the story of what happened next for one of the most influential and gifted figures in 20th century music.
Cutting between Evans’ present and future, his sobriety and intoxication, and his relationships with his family and on/off girlfriend, who shares his taste in music and hard drugs, the film portrays the inner life of a troubled musical genius as he struggles to learn that sometimes an intermission is part of the music.
by Grant Gee (Director), Mark O’Halloran (Screenplay) with Anders Danielsen Lie, Bill Pullman, Laurie Metcalf, Barry Ward, Valene Kane
In Competition DAO
In Perspectives HAN YE DENG ZHU/ LIGHT PILLAR
The future. Winter. Space travel is no longer a dream. A once-thriving film studio faces bankruptcy. The enormous compound, with structures ranging from the Great Sphinx of Giza to the Forbidden City, is now completely covered in snow and stripped of its former glory. Zha, a lonely janitor, tends to this forgotten place, with only a cat that used to perform in films for company. Running out of money, the studio owner gives him a VR headset as partial compensation. Zha is immediately drawn into the virtual world and embarks on a romantic journey with a female player who invites him on a trip to the moon. Meanwhile, the studio, which is about to close permanently, is temporarily brought back to life when a film crew arrives to shoot an alien invasion movie on the expansive backlot – with the studio’s actual destruction slated to be shot as the movie’s final showdown.
by Xu Zao (Director, Screenplay) with Da Peng, Qing Yi
In Competition GELBE BRIEFE/ YELLOW LETTERS
Derya and Aziz, a celebrated artist couple from Ankara, lead a fulfilling life with their 13-year-old daughter Ezgi – until an incident at the premiere of their new play changes everything. Overnight, they find themselves targeted by the state and lose their jobs and their home. They move to Istanbul to temporarily stay with Aziz’s mother. While Aziz ekes out a living with odd jobs and holds on to his convictions, Derya searches for a way to become financially independent. An increasing distance grows between them and their daughter until they are forced to choose between their values ​​and their shared future as a family.
by İlker Çatak (Director, Screenplay), Ayda Meryem Çatak (Screenplay), Enis Köstepen (Screenplay) with Özgü Namal, Tansu Biçer, Leyla Smyrna Cabas, İpek Bilgin
In Berlinale Special Gala THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK
Back in his glory days, the exquisitely honed skills and infallible street smarts of expert pickpocket Harry Lehman (John Turturro) made him a master of his craft. Now approaching 70, he is living in a much-changed New York City where the average citizen no longer carries large amounts of cash or wears expensive watches, where credit cards can be cancelled instantly and mobile phones tracked just as quickly. Harry remains an analogue guy in a digital world, struggling to make ends meet. Then, on one of his late-night prowls, he unwittingly lifts a valuable USB stick from a hard-partying rich kid. Unfortunately, Harry’s mark turns out to be Dylan Diamond (Will Price), the heir apparent to a ruthless crime family that will stop at nothing to get their property back. The journey to retrieve the stolen data stick will take Harry through all five boroughs of New York City, from his pal Benny’s Bronx pawn shop to Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and finally Staten Island, as he revisits the rapidly fading world of his past.
by Noah Segan (Director, Screenplay) with John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany
In Competition A NEW DAWN
Once located in a forest of lush greenery, the Obinata firework factory is set for an administrative shutdown tomorrow and a major road is planned to be extended directly through the premises. For the past four years, Keitaro has locked himself inside the shuttered factory and has been making fireworks on his own. He is determined to unravel the mystery of the Shuhari, a mythical firework that represents the universe, and that was envisioned by his father before he disappeared without a trace. A New Dawn is a story about the legacy of family, the bonds of childhood friendship, and the impact of climate change and urban sprawl on a picturesque village.
by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya (Director, Screenplay) with Riku Hagiwara, Kotone Furukawa, Miyu Irino
In Panorama SIRI HUSTVEDT – DANCE AROUND THE SELFÂ
Young, curious and full of drive, Siri Hustvedt leaves the wide, quiet landscapes of Minnesota and plunges into the pulsating life of New York City. In search of the protagonist for her first novel, she embarks on a journey that not only shapes her as a writer but leads her to become one of the most compelling voices in contemporary American literature.
The film opens a perspective that reaches far beyond Siri Hustvedt herself, discovering women who courageously and independently realise their artistic visions. As Siri Hustvedt and her husband Paul Auster reflect on language, identity and the power of words, life intervenes: Paul Auster becomes seriously ill. In Siri Hustvedt – Dance Around the Self, director Sabine Lidl portrays Siri Hustvedt’s distinctive way of living and thinking, weaving her writing together with the major themes of life: love and farewell.
by Sabine Lidl (Director, Screenplay) with Siri Hustvedt, Paul Auster, Sophie Auster, Katerina Fotopoulou, Liv Hustvedt
In Berlinale Special Presentation WAX & GOLD
Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie opened a grand hotel, the Hilton Addis Ababa, at the end of Africa’s defining decade of the 1960s. It became a controversial symbol of both his hope for the future of Africa and self-aggrandisement. Settling into the hotel, Ruth Beckermann delves into Ethiopia’s past and present, navigating the familiar and the foreign, fact and fiction. As her quest for historical truth unfolds, an audit that is layered with contradictions, insight and enlightenment unfolds. Beckermann blends archival footage of the Emperor with present-day conversations and interviews at the hotel, and also integrates her own reflections as a European woman into the film. At the same time, she gives us a glimpse of contemporary life outside of the opulent hotel, where workers queue in long lines at bus stops and the skyline is marked by the skeletons of high-rise buildings awaiting completion.
by Ruth Beckermann (Director, Screenplay)
In Competition ROSEBUSH PRUNING
In an opulent villa beneath the Catalonian sun, American siblings Jack, Ed, Anna and Robert wallow in isolation and their inherited fortune, eschewing the demands of their blind father, and seeking love and validation through each other and their latest designer clothes. When Jack, the eldest brother and linchpin of this family, announces that he is moving in with his girlfriend Martha, blood ties are severed and Ed is forced to uncover the truth surrounding their mother’s death. Generational lies begin to unravel, and the fabric of this family slowly begins to disintegrate. A biting satire about the absurdity of the traditional patriarchal family.
by Karim Aïnouz (Director), Efthimis Filippou (Screenplay) with Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Elena Anaya
In Berlinale Special Presentation LA CASA DE LOS ESPERĂŤTUS | THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS
HONORARY GOLDEN BEAR FOR MICHELLE YEOH
The Berlin International Film Festival will award the 2026 Honorary Golden Bear to Academy Award–winning actress Michelle Yeoh in recognition of her outstanding achievements in film and cinema. Michelle Yeoh served as a member of the Berlinale International Jury in 1999. Since then, she has captivated audiences at the Berlinale and around the world time and again with work such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and more recently the phenomenon that was Everything Everywhere All at Once.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Michelle Yeoh rose to prominence with films such as Yes, Madam, Royal Warriors, Police Story III, and Wing Chun, becoming one of the leading female icons of Asian action and martial arts cinema. Her remarkable physicality, charisma, and on-screen presence made her a favourite with audiences far beyond Hong Kong.
BERLINALE CAMERA FOR MAX RICHTER
One of the most influential composers and sound artists of his generation, Max Richter is celebrated for his ability to seamlessly blend classical composition techniques with electronic elements. With his unique talent for translating profound human experiences into music, Richter has redefined the standards of cinematic composition. His scores for international productions such as Waltz with Bashir, Ad Astra, Mary Queen of Scots and Spaceman enrich the visual narrative with a sonic dimension that deepens moods and renders inner emotions audible.
The festival is honouring Max Richter with the Berlinale Camera in recognition of his outstanding contributions at the intersection of music, cinema and cultural reflection. The laudatory speech is being delivered by Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, with whom Richter recently collaborated on her latest film, Hamnet. In the subsequent onstage discussion, Max Richter will use practical examples to offer insights into his creative process and collaborations with other artists in film and art.
BERLINALE TALENTS
From February 13-18, 2026, Berlinale Talents will welcome 200 selected filmmakers to its new venue, the Radialsystem in the eastern part of Berlin. Over six days, participants will explore the theme “Creating (and) Confusion – Cinema, Chaos and the Power of Discomfort” through an engaging programme of talks, workshops and public discussions. Representing a multifaceted community from 63 countries, the filmmakers’ participation is the first step into one of the world’s largest film communities. With over 10,000 alumni worldwide, Berlinale Talents is a global community that offers a unique opportunity to connect and collaborate on a world-wide scale, fostering connections and creativity beyond regional networks.
A highlight during Berlinale Talents will be the talk The Identity of a Voice: In Conversation with Hiam Abbass.
Palestinian actor Hiam Abbass reflects on her expansive and multifaceted career, working in film, theatre and television. She addresses the choice of her projects, how she gives her characters a voice, but also her numerous collaborations with acclaimed Arab and international directors, including Hany Abu-Assad, Annemarie Jacir and Raja Amari, but also Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve.
with Hiam Abbass, Rabih El-Khoury
As well as our own superstar from down under, also speaking in Berlinale Talents in Reframing Stolen Narratives: The Cinema of Warwick Thornton.
Premiering his new film Wolfram in Competition, Warwick Thornton joins Berlinale Talents to reflect on his work as both director and cinematographer. Drawing from his Indigenous Australian background, Warwick’s films including Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country engage deeply with questions of stolen land, his Kaytetye identity, and the lasting presence of colonial violence.
In this conversation, Warwick Thornton outlines his approach to cinema as a space for storytelling including history that has been erased or denied. Through image, silence, and duration, Warwick Thornton disrupts dominant narratives and visual conventions, operating between beauty and brutality, intimacy and distance, refusing an easy resolution.
with Warwick Thornton, Marjorie Bendeck
The German director, author, and photographer Wim Wenders will head the 2026 International Jury.
His career spans six decades. Most recently Wenders impressed audiences and critics with Perfect Days (2023) which earned an Oscar nomination, and with the 3D documentary Anselm (2023) about artist Anselm Kiefer. Wim Wenders is among the most significant representatives of New German Cinema and has been a global presence since the 1970s. His work, both fiction and documentary, has inspired generations of filmmakers and captivated audiences worldwide.
With his early films such as The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty (1972), Alice in the Cities (1974), Kings of the Road (1976), and The American Friend (1977), he shaped a new cinematic language and redefined the image of German film. In 1971, he co-founded Filmverlag der Autoren, a key institution for New German Cinema, and in 2003 he was one of the founding members of the German Film Academy. Wim Wenders is also a co-founder of the European Film Academy and served as its president for more than two decades. With his foundation – the Wim Wenders Stiftung – he is committed to supporting film heritage, as well as the next generation of filmmakers and film education.
The 2026 76th Berlinale will be held from February 12 to February 22 in Berlin.
