Alumni Network

Interview: Merve Caydere

We caught up with 2021 alumni Merve Caydere, accomplished animation director, designer and model maker, and set designer on Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning "Pinocchio".

Talents Alumni at Quinzaine de Cinéastes 2023

Historically the free-spirited side of Cannes, take a walk on the wild side with the 15 Berlinale Talents alumni who have lent their creative crafts to 11 films in Quinzaine des Cinéastes, including two projects from our Talents Labs.

More Alumni at Cannes 2023

It isn't just the big Cannes sections that Berlinale Talents alumni are popping up in! From ACID to La Fabrique and beyond, the Talents keep coming, making the total number of alumni who have work in Cannes 86 across 52 films.

Talents Alumni at Cannes Semaine de la Critique 2023

Cannes Critic's Week contains 10 films on which 25 Berlinale Talents alumni contributed their creative skills and craft, including one which was presented at our Talent Project Market.

Talents Alumni in Cannes Official Selection

The arrival of May means Cannes is just around the corner, and we're happy to see that there are 27 Talents alumni who have worked on 17 films in Official Selection alone.

Interview: Jonas Bak & Charlotte Lelong

We caught up with Jonas Bak, who was awarded the Kompagnon Fellowship in 2022 with his project "She Makes and Unmakes", and the projects producer Charlotte Lelong, who is also his wife and a 2023 Berlinale Talent! We spoke to the pair about the project, its development, and their connection to the Berlinale.

Festival Returnees 2023

It's always so rewarding to see Berlinale Talents alumni return to Berlin with work in the festival's official selection. This year, we're thrilled to announce that we have 94 returnees who have played a key creative role in 72 films selected for the 73rd Berlinale.

We Stand With... Sadaf Foroughi & Kiarash Anvari

In our 'We Stand With' series, we will use our platform to highlight those filmmakers in our community who are in or have been through incredibly difficult situations, to allow them to share their thoughts and comments on their current situations, what they are working on, whatever they would like to share. We stand with them.

Interview: Maria Carla Del Rio

Berlin Film Residencies is a portal that offers an overview of fellowships for international filmmakers looking for opportunities in Berlin, and for local creatives seeking scholarships abroad. Initiated by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Nipkow Programm and the Berlinale, it is an important platform for talent development. Many Berlinale Talents alumni go on to receive one of these residencies, and we caught up with producer Maria Carla Del Rio, an alumna of both, to hear about her experiences in the residency, her work, and more.

Talents Alumni in International Feature Race at Oscars 2023

With 77 Berlinale Talents alumni involved in 43 official submissions to the International Feature section at the 2023 Oscars, the race is going to be more exciting than ever. The shortlist will be announced on Wednesday, 21 December, and then it's a waiting game until the awards ceremony on 12 March, 2023.

European Film Awards 2022

The nominees for the European Film Awards are out and, excitingly, there are 22 Berlinale Talents alumni involved in 11 films selected for consideration.

Talents Alumni at Toronto 2022

More September successes for the Berlinale Talents alumni! This time we're directing our congratulations and applause to the longgggg list of at least 68 alumni who were selected for TIFF across 47 films and the five of those who walked away with awards! Congratulations to all!

Talents Alumni at Venice 2022

The official selection of the 79th Venice Film Festival proved to be another roll call of Talents alumni, some of whom walked away with a particularly sparkly new decoration for their mantle-piece!

Locarno 2022

Looks like there's going to be a whole lot of talent in Locarno in the coming days! Talents alumni to be specific! We're delighted to share and celebrate the fact that there are at least 53 alumni creatively involved in key roles across 34 films of this exciting 75th edition of Locarno Film Festival.

Talents at Cannes 2022

It's slowly edging towards summer here in Berlin and that means one thing: Cannes is close! And as the sun gets ever brighter, many of our former Talents are also preparing to dazzle on the Croisette!

Interview: Carla Simón

We had the pleasure of Golden Bear winning director Carla Simón joining us for our final event of Berlinale Talents 2022. After the talk with Carlo Chatrian, we caught up to discuss her connection to Berlinale Talents and the festival as a whole.

Berlinale Talents 2022 Recap

A look back at all the highlights of Berlinale Talents 2022.

Festival Returnees 2022

This year we welcome an incredible 116 alumni back to the Berlinale, this time with films in the official selection. There is an alumni presence across 75 of the films, covering every section, including four films selected for the festival's prestigious Competition programme.

Talents Alumni in Oscar Race 2022

The Talents alumni have been limbering up, and now they're off! The Oscars race is offically on and we are delighted to see over 35 familiar faces involved in 27 of the films in the running for International Feature!

Berlinale Talents 2022: Selection Committee Interview

It's up to our selection committee to get to work filtering through all that talent to choose the final 200 filmmakers who will take part in our 20th anniversary edition. Check out their thoughts on Berlinale Talents' significant birthday and this year's applications here.

Rezwan Shahriar Sumit at COP26

Our 2008 alum Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's film "The Salt in Our Waters" focuses on the precarious lifestyle of the residents of a remote seaside village of Bangladesh threatened by climate change. It has been selected to screen at COP26 in Glasgow.

Interview: Jamyang Wangchuk

We spoke with Bhutanese Filmmaker and 2019 alum Jamyang Wangchuk about his efforts to highlight and combat climate change both through his film work and beyond.

Talents Alumni Take Over Toronto

The Talents alumni are making waves on the shores of Lake Ontario, with over 90 involved in films across this years selections.

Talents alumni at Venice 2021

Viva Venezia! Talents alumni invade the Lido this year, taking one of world's most iconic festivals by storm with an incredible lineup of familiar faces across the selections.

Interview: Devika Girish

Since being part of Talent Press 2019, Devika Girish has been busy. Very busy. We caught up to discuss her perspectives on the profession of film criticism.

Interview: Maja Korbecka

We caught up with Talent Press 2020's Maja Korbecka to talk non-traditional film criticism, from video essays to GIFs.

Talents Take Cannes

From Official Selection to Semaine de la Critique, Director's Fortnight and beyond, there are over 75 alumni involved in films across the festival! Check out the entire Talents alumni team sheet.

Interview: Ian Purnell

In honour of World Environment day, we caught up with 2020 alum and winner of the Kompagnon fellowship Ian Purnell to talk about his work, filmmaking and climate change, and the influence they have on eachother.

Festival Returnees 2021

A wonderful 63 former Talents have played key creative roles in 45 films selected for this year's Berlinale, most of which will be screened across the Berlinale Summer Special. Check them out here.

Interview Mollye Asher

In celebration of "Nomadland" sweeping up at the Oscars, revisit our interview with the film's producer and 2017 Talents alum from earlier this year on the subject of Dreams.