76th Berlin Film Festival Awards – İlker Çatak’s ‘Yellow Letters’ Wins Golden Bear

Yellow Letters (Gelbe Brief) by İlker Çatak was awarded the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.

The political drama, which follows a Turkish artist couple who lost their jobs due to persecution in Turkey, also received the Guild Film Prize.

Other top awards, including Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize went to Kurtuluş (Salvation) by Emin Alper, Silver Bear Jury Prize went to Queen at Sea by Lance Hammer, Silver Bear for Best Director went to Grant Gee for Everybody Digs Bill Evans, and the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance went to Sandra Hüller in Rose by Markus Schleinzer.

Before the celebration of the winners, the Festival Director Tricia Tuttle said a few words about the last ten days, “This Berlinale has taken place in a world that feels raw and fractured. Many of people arrived carrying grief, anger and urgency about what is happening far beyond these cinema walls. Those feelings are real. They belong in our community. We hear them. We have also been publicly challenged this year. That comes with being a visible cultural institution in a polarised moment. Criticism is part of democracy. So is disagreement. We respect people speaking out, even when we do not agree with every claim that is made about us. What I am proud of is this. Over these ten days, the Berlinale has remained what it was founded to be. A place where people gather in public, where everyone is welcome, across difference, to sit together in the dark and look at the world through the eyes of others.”

Winners of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.

PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY

GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM
Gelbe Briefe (Yellow Letters)
by İlker Çatak
produced by Ingo Fliess

SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE
Kurtuluş (Salvation)
by Emin Alper

SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE
Queen at Sea
by Lance Hammer

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Grant Gee for
Everybody Digs Bill Evans

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST LEADING PERFORMANCE
Sandra Hüller in
Rose
by Markus Schleinzer

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Anna Calder-Marshall & Tom Courtenay in
Queen at Sea
by Lance Hammer

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
Geneviève Dulude-de Celles for
Nina Roza
by Geneviève Dulude-de Celles

SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION
Anna Fitch, Banker White for
Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)
by Anna Fitch, Banker White

PRIZES OF THE PERSPECTIVES JURY

BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD
Chronicles From the Siege
by Abdallah Alkhatib
produced by Taqiyeddine Issaad, Salah Issaad

SPECIAL MENTION
Forêt Ivre (Forest High)
by Manon Coubia

BERLINALE DOCUMENTARY AWARD

BERLINALE DOCUMENTARY AWARD
If Pigeons Turned to Gold
by Pepa Lubojacki
produced by Klára Mamojková, Wanda Kaprálová

SPECIAL MENTION
TUTU
by Sam Pollard

SPECIAL MENTION
Was an Empfindsamkeit bleibt (Sometimes, I Imagine Them All at a Party)
by Daniela Magnani Hüller

PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM JURY

GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM
Yawman ma walad (Someday a Child)
by Marie-Rose Osta

SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE (SHORT FILM)
A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere
by Fanny Texier

BERLINALE SHORTS CUPRA FILMMAKER AWARD
Di san xian (Kleptomania)
by Jingkai Qu

PRIZES OF THE JURIES GENERATION

PRIZES OF GENERATION KPLUS

Children‘s Jury Generation Kplus

CRYSTAL BEAR FOR THE BEST FILM
Feito Pipa (Gugu’s World)
by Allan Deberton

SPECIAL MENTION
Not a Hero
by Rima Das

CRYSTAL BEAR FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM
Whale 52 – Suite for Man, Boy, and Whale
(Wal 52 – Suite für Mann, Junge und Wal)
by Daniel Neiden

SPECIAL MENTION
Under the Wave off Little Dragon
by Luo Jian

International Jury in the Generation Kplus Competition

THE GRAND PRIX OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY FOR THE BEST FILM
Kinderhilfswerk
Feito Pipa (Gugu’s World)
by Allan Deberton

SPECIAL MENTION
Atlasul universului (Atlas of the Universe | Atlas des Universums)
by Paul Negoescu

THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM
Kinderhilfswerk
Spî (White | Weiß)
by Navroz Shaban

SPECIAL MENTION
Under the Wave off Little Dragon
by Luo Jian

PRIZES OF GENERATION 14PLUS

Youth Jury Generation 14plus

CRYSTAL BEAR FOR THE BEST FILM
Chicas Tristes (Sad Girlz)
by Fernanda Tovar

SPECIAL MENTION
A Family
by Mees Peijnenburg

CRYSTAL BEAR FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM
Memories of a Window
by Mehraneh Salimian, Amin Pakparvar

SPECIAL MENTION
Allá en el cielo (Nobody Knows the World)
by Roddy Dextre

International Jury in the Generation 14plus Competition

THE GRAND PRIX OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY FOR THE BEST FILM
Chicas Tristes (Sad Girlz)
by Fernanda Tovar

SPECIAL MENTION Matapanki
by Diego „Mapache“ Fuentes

THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM
The Thread
by Fenn O‘Meally

SPECIAL MENTION
Memories of a Window
by Mehraneh Salimian, Amin Pakparvar

PRIZES OF THE INDEPENDENT JURIES

PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY

Competition Moscas (Flies)
by Fernando Eimbcke

Panorama
Bucks Harbor
by Pete Muller

Forum
River Dreams
by Kristina Mikhailova

PRIZES OF THE FIPRESCI JURY

Competition
Soumsoum, la nuit des astres (Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars)
by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Perspectives
Animol
by Ashley Walters

Panorama
Narciso
by Marcelo Martinessi

Forum
AnyMart
by Yusuke Iwasaki

TEDDY AWARDS

Best Feature Film
Iván & Hadoum
by Ian de la Rosa

Best Documentary/Essay Film
Barbara Forever
by Brydie O’Connor

Best Short Film
Taxi Moto
by Gaël Kamilindi

Jury Award
Der Heimatlose (Trial of Hein)
by Kai Stänicke

Special Teddy Award
Céline Sciamma

CICAE ART CINEMA AWARD

Panorama
Staatsschutz (Prosecution)
by Faraz Shariat

Forum
De capul nostru (On Our Own)
by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu

GUILD FILM PRIZE
Gelbe Briefe (Yellow Letters)
by İlker Çatak

SPECIAL MENTION
The Loneliest Man in Town
by Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel

LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS
Vier Minus Drei (Four Minus Three)
by Adrian Goiginger

CALIGARI FILM PRIZE
If Pigeons Turned to Gold
by Pepa Lubojacki

PEACE FILM PRIZE
TUTU
by Sam Pollard

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD
What Will I Become?
by Lexie Bean, Logan Rozos

HEINER CAROW PRIZE
Staatsschutz (Prosecution)
by Faraz Shariat

PRIZE OF AG KINO – GILDE – CINEMA VISION 14PLUS
What Will I Become?
by Lexie Bean, Logan Rozos

SPECIAL MENTION
Sunny Dancer
by George Jaques

FURTHER PRIZES

AUDIENCE AWARDS

PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD
Feature Film
Staatsschutz (Prosecution)
by Faraz Shariat

PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD
Documentary Film
Traces
by Alisa Kovalenko, Marysia Nikitiuk

READERS‘ JURIES

BERLINER MORGENPOST READERS‘ JURY AWARD
Moscas (Flies)
by Fernando Eimbcke

TAGESSPIEGEL READERS‘ JURY AWARD
I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival
by Janaína Marques

DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

KOMPAGNON FELLOWSHIP

Maya with Y
by Elmar Imanov

Mother/Tongue
by Mala Reinhardt

ARTEKINO INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Lotus Feet
by Amanda Nell Eu, produced by Ghost Grrrl Pictures

EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Liberations
by Laurynas Bareiša, produced by afterschool production

VFF TALENT HIGHLIGHT AWARD
The Most Romantic Man in the World
by Simon Jaquemet, produced by 8horses

Nomination awards,

Watch It Burn
by Yulia Evina Bhara, produced by KawanKawan Media

Acts of Kindness
by Gary Cranner, produced by Mantra Film

BERLINALE TALENTS MASTERCARD ENABLEMENT PROGRAMME

Audiovisual Entrepreneurs Laboratory (AVEL)
by Tapiwa Chipfupa

enREDadera
by Jaimar Marcano Vivas

Alumni projects

Majoaneng – Academy of Images and Letters
by Phillip Leteka

Super Sohni
by Ammar Aziz

GEN Z AUDIENCE AWARD

Cura Sana
by Lucía G. Romero, produced by Filmax

THE DREAM MAKERS SHORT FILM CONTEST BY CUPRA (IN COLLABORATION WITH BERLINALE TALENTS AND STUDIO BABELSBERG)

The Zebra
by Alfie Barker

Special Recognition,
Day One
by Renis Hyka