Alumni Make Their Mark in the 2026 Oscar International Feature Selection

With 87 Berlinale Talents alumni contributing to 46 official submissions in the Best International Feature category at the 2025 Academy Awards, this year’s race is shaping up to be an exciting one. From directing and acting to sound design, alumni are playing key creative roles in bringing diverse stories to one of films biggest stages.

MADAGASCAR: “Disco Afrika: une histoire malgache” (Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story) – writer & director Luck Razanajaona (BT 2012)

SOUTH AFRICA: "The Heart Is a Muscle" – producer/screenwriter/director Imran Hamdulay (BT 2022), exec. producer Adam Thal (BT 2004)

KAZAKHSTAN: “Cadet“ – director/writer/producer Adilkhan Yerzhanov (BT 2014)

ARGENTINIA: “Belén“ – producer Matías Mosteirín (BT 2004)

BRAZIL: “The Secret Agent“ – co-producer Sol Bondy (BT 2016), co-producer Erik Glijnis (BT 2017), producer Emilie Lesclaux (BT 2008)

CANADA: “The Things You Kill” – director/writer/producer/editor Alireza Khatami (BT 2015), producer Mariusz Włodarski (BT 2011)

CHILE: “The Mysterious Gaze Of The Flamingo” – producer Justin Pechberty (BT 2019), co-producer Jonas Weydemann (BT 2011 & 2013), cinematographer Angello Faccini (BT 2020)

COLOMBIA: “A Poet” – director/writer/producer Simón Mesa Soto (BT 2023, Script Station 2023), producer/cinematographer Juan Sarmiento G. (BT 2011), editor Ricardo Saraiva (BT 2015)

HAITI: “Kidnapping Inc.” – composer Olivier Alary (BT 2015)

PANAMA: “Beloved Tropic” – director/writer Ana Endara (BT 2007), writer Pilar Moreno (BT 2025)

PARAGUAY: “Under The Flags, The Sun” – director/screenwriter/production design/producer/exec. producer Juanjo Pereira (BT 2023), editor Manuel Embalse (BT 2022)

PERU: “Motherland” – editor Fabiola Sialer Cuevas (BT 2006)

AUSTRALIA: “The Wolves Always Come At Night” – director/writer Gabrielle Brady (BT 2016), Julia Niethammer (BT 2020), cinematographer Michael Latham (BT 2012), editor Katharina Fiedler (BT 2014), sound designer/re-recording mixer/supervising sound editor Carlos García (BT 2006)

BANGLADESH: “A House Named Shahana” – sound designer Sukanta Majumdar (BT 2007)

KYRGYZSTAN: “Black, Red, Yellow” – actor Nargiza Mamatkulova (BT 2009)

PHILIPPINES: “Magellan” – actor Bong Cabrera (BT 2023), actor Rafael Morais (BT 2024)

SINGAPORE: “Stranger Eyes” – producer/executive producer Fran Borgia (BT 2014)

THAILAND: “A Useful Ghost” – director/writer Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (BT 2020 & 2021), actor Wanlop Rungkumjad (BT 2014), co-producer May Odeh (BT 2015), co-producer Si En Tan (BT 2020 & 2022), set designer Rasiguet Sookkarn (BT 2014)

ALBANIA: “Luna Park” – director/writer Florenc Papas (BT 2016), co-producer Zvonimir Munivrana (BT 2015)

ARMENIA: “My Armenian Phantoms” – composer Cynthia Zaven (BT 2004)

AUSTRIA: “Peacock” – director/writer Bernhard Wenger (BT 2022)

CROATIA: “Fiume o Morte!” – co-producer Marina Gumzi (BT 2014), producer Vanja Jambrovic (BT 2013), producer Tibor Keser (BT 2016), editor Hrvoslava Brkusic (BT 2011)

DENMARK: “Mr Nobody Against Putin” – co-producer/executive producer Radovan Síbrt (BT 2019)

GEORGIA: “Panopticon” – producer Valdimer Katcharava (BT 2010)

GERMANY: “Sound Of Falling” – editor Evelyn Rack (BT 2023)

GREECE: "Arcadia" – writer Konstantina Kotzamani (BT 2012), cinematography Konstantinos Koukoulios (BT 2015), producer Antigoni Rota (BT 2020), development producer Kyveli Short (BT 2023). This film was presented at our Talent Project Market in 2020. 

ICELAND: “The Love That Remains” – producer Katrin Pors (BT 2008), producer Anton Máni Svansson (BT 2012)

IRELAND: “Sanatorium” – producer Andrew Freedman (BT 2005), producer Ken Wardrop (BT 2004)

LITHUANIA: “The Southern Chronicles” – producer Lukas Trimonis (BT 2005)

LUXEMBOURG: “Breathing Underwater” – director/writer Eric Lamhene (BT 2011)

NETHERLANDS: “Reedland” – producer Marleen Slot (BT 2008)

NORWAY: “Sentimental Value” – director/writer/executive producer Joachim Trier (BT 2004), writer Eskil Vogt (BT 2004)

PORTUGAL: “Banzo” – actor Hoji Fortuna (BT 2014), co-producer Yohann Cornu (BT 2015), co-producer Frank Hoeve (BT 2010)

ROMANIA: “Traffic” – sound designer Marian Balan (BT 2023)

SLOVAKIA: “Father” – director/writer Tereza Nvotová (BT 2019), co-producer Mariusz Wlodarski (BT 2011)

SLOVENIA: “Little Trouble Girls” – co-writer/co-producer Marina Gumzi (BT 2014), cinematographer Lev Predan Kowarski (BT 2017)

SPAIN: “Sirât” – director/writer/producer Óliver Laxe (BT 2009)

SWEDEN: “Eagles Of The Republic” – actor Cherien Dabis (BT 2007), actor Sherwan Haji (BT 2020)

SWITZERLAND: “Late Shift” – sound designer Gina Keller (BT 2018)

IRAN: “Cause Of Death: Unknown” – actor Neda Jebreili (BT 2024)

JORDAN: “All That’s Left Of You” – director/writer/actor/producer Cherien Dabis (BT 2007), actor Maria Zreik (BT 2024), cinematographer Christopher Aoun (BT 2019), sound designer Christoph Walter (BT 2018)

MOROCCO: “Calle Malaga” – co-producer Sol Bondy (BT 2016), composer Freya Arde (BT 2018)

PALESTINE: “Palestine 36” – director/writer Annemarie Jacir (BT 2005), actor Samer Bisharat (BT 2023), producer Ossama Bawardi (BT 2008), co-producer Elisa Fernanda Pirir (BT 2019), co-producer Katrin Pors (BT 2008), cinematographer Sarah Blum (BT 2008)

TUNISIA: “The Voice Of Hind Rajab” – cinematographer Juan Sarmiento G. (BT 2011)