‘Yellow Letters’ Wins Berlin Golden Bear

The 2026 edition of the Berlin International Film Festival concluded with a strong political note as German-Turkish director İlker Çatak’s “Yellow Letters” won the Golden Bear for Best Film. Jury president Wim Wenders presented the award, praising the film for confronting the language of totalitarianism through the humane force of cinema.

Set in contemporary Turkey, “Yellow Letters” follows a married playwright and actress who come under state scrutiny because of their protest theatre. In a striking formal decision, Çatak shot the entire film in Germany, openly crediting German cities as stand-ins for Turkish locations. The approach adds another layer to a story already steeped in themes of exile, censorship and state control.

The win marks a major milestone for the 42-year-old filmmaker. Çatak previously drew international attention with “The Teachers’ Lounge,” which premiered in Berlin’s Panorama section in 2023 and later earned an Oscar nomination. He becomes the first German filmmaker in over two decades to claim the Golden Bear, since Fatih Akin triumphed in 2004 with “Head-On.”

Although he admitted to preparing a political speech, Çatak chose instead to highlight his collaborators. He suggested the film’s political questions speak for themselves and credited his cast and crew as the true recipients of the honor.

The festival had opened under controversy after Wenders commented on the relationship between cinema and politics, amid criticism regarding Germany’s stance on the war in Palestine. At the awards ceremony, he offered a more measured reflection, arguing that while activism and cinema may share concerns about human dignity, their languages and methods differ.

Politics continued to shape the awards. The Grand Jury Prize went to Emin Alper’s “Salvation,” another Turkish-set drama exploring violence and ethnic conflict. Alper described the film as globally relevant, linking its themes to contemporary crises, including Gaza and Iran. In an impassioned speech, he dedicated the award to oppressed communities, drawing loud applause.

The Jury Prize was awarded to American director Lance Hammer for “Queen at Sea,” a moving portrait of an elderly London couple coping with dementia. The film also secured the gender-neutral Best Supporting Performance award for veterans Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall.

German actor Sandra Hüller received the Best Leading Performance prize for her role in “Rose,” directed by Austrian filmmaker Markus Schleinzer. Hüller plays a 17th-century woman living as a man in a stark historical drama. It marks her second acting award in Berlin, two decades after her breakthrough win for “Requiem.”

British filmmaker Grant Gee earned Best Director for his narrative debut “Everybody Digs Bill Evans,” a biopic of the late jazz pianist. The Best Screenplay award went to Canadian director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles for “Nina Roza,” while a Special Jury Prize recognized the documentary “Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)” by Anna Fitch and Banker White.

In the festival’s Perspectives section for first features, Palestinian-Syrian director Abdallah Alkhatib won for “Chronicles From the Siege,” a drama set against life in a war zone clearly echoing Palestine. Taking the stage with a Palestinian flag, Alkhatib delivered one of the evening’s most direct political statements.

Festival director Tricia Tuttle acknowledged the tense atmosphere in her closing remarks, framing debate and disagreement as essential to both democracy and cinema. As this year’s Berlinale demonstrated, film remains deeply entwined with the urgent questions of its time.

MAIN 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

Meanwhile, films such as Faraz Sharia’s courtroom drama “Prosecution” and Fernando Eimbcke’s family study “Flies” are among the multiple prizewinners from the festival’s various independently juried awards, listed in full below.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED:

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

FIPRESCI AWARDS

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

Perspectives: “Animol,” Ashley Walters

Panorama: “Narciso,” Marcelo Martinessi

Forum: “AnyMart,” Yusuke Iwasaki 

(This is not the full list)