Turkish Cinema Shines at the 2026 Berlinale
February 21, 2026
The 2026 Berlinale saw a strong showing from Turkish filmmakers, with Ilker Çatak’s Yellow Letters taking home the Golden Bear. Emin Alper’s Salvation was awarded the Grand Jury Prize, solidifying a successful festival for Turkish cinema.
Golden Bear and Grand Jury Prize Winners
Ilker Çatak, a German filmmaker of Turkish origin, won the Golden Bear for Yellow Letters, a film exploring censorship imposed on a playwright. The film has already been acquired for distribution in Italy by Lucky Red.1
Emin Alper received the Grand Jury Prize for Salvation, a film addressing intolerance fueled by fanaticism and religious obsessions.1
Other Notable Awards
Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea, an American production, received the Silver Bear. The jury, led by Wim Wenders, considered it superior to other titles in the competition.1 The film explores the complex relationship between a fifty-year-old daughter and her mother suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The prize for best supporting role was awarded to both Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay for their performances in Queen at Sea, as the Berlin regulations do not distinguish the award by sex.1
Sandra Hüller was recognized with the best protagonist award for her role in Rose, where she portrays a woman pretending to be a man.1
Additional awards included Grant Gee’s direction for Everybody Digs Bill Evans, the screenplay by Nina Roza, and the artistic contribution to the documentary Yo by Anna Fitch and Banker White.1
Controversies and Political Statements
The 2026 Berlinale was not without controversy. Festival president Wim Wenders’ defense of cinema remaining apolitical sparked debate, with responses from filmmakers like Marie-Rose Osta and Abdallah Alkhatib.1
Arundhati Roy protested the restoration of the film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, while Hiam Abbass emphasized that “everything we do is a political act.” A letter signed by over one hundred artists, including Tilda Swinton, Mike Leigh, and Javier Bardem, reiterated that cinema cannot be separated from politics and criticized the festival’s silence regarding the conflict in Gaza.1
Kaouther Ben Hania as well made a powerful statement by refusing to accept the Cinema for Peace award for her film The Voice of Hind Rajab, protesting the lack of concrete commitments towards peace and referencing the ongoing genocide and the presence of an Israeli general in the audience.1
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