Director Ilker Çatak received the Golden Bear at Berlinale 2026 for his political drama 'Gelbe Briefe'. Sandra Hüller was awarded best actress for 'Rose'. The closing gala featured political statements on the Middle East conflict.
At the Berlinale 2026 closing gala in Berlin, the Golden Bear for best film went to 'Gelbe Briefe' by Ilker Çatak. The Berlin-based director depicts a Turkish artist couple from Ankara's theater scene who face job loss and financial hardship due to their political stance. It marks the first win for a German director in over 20 years; the last was Fatih Akin in 2004 with 'Gegen die Wand'.
Sandra Hüller received the Silver Bear for best leading performance for her role in 'Rose' by Markus Schleinzer. She portrays a woman in a 17th-century remote village who lives as a man to gain freedom. This is her second Silver Bear; the first came in 2006 for 'Requiem'.
Other awards: Grand Jury Prize to 'Kurtuluş' by Emin Alper, Jury Prize to 'Queen at Sea' by Lance Hammer, Silver Bears for directing to Grant Gee ('Everybody Digs Bill Evans'), screenplay to Geneviève Dulude-de Celles ('Nina Roza'), and artistic contribution to Anna Fitch and Banker White ('Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)'). Best supporting actors: Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay in 'Queen at Sea'. Best documentary: 'If Pigeons Turned to Gold' by Pepa Lubojacki. Best debut: 'Chronicles From the Siege' by Abdallah Alkhatib.
The gala was marked by debates on the Middle East conflict. Abdallah Alkhatib brought the Palestinian flag onstage and accused the German government of complicity in the 'Genozid in Gaza', demanding a free Palestine. Marie-Rose Osta, winner in the short film competition with 'Someday a Child', spoke of children in Gaza and Lebanon without supernatural powers. The Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, went unmentioned. Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle emphasized that the festival defends the right to speak out and opposes discrimination and racism. Jury president Wim Wenders had previously urged filmmakers to stay out of politics, sparking criticism.
