Kompagnon Fellowship
The annual Kompagnon Fellowship is awarded jointly by Berlinale Talents and the Berlinale programme sections. In 2026, it is open to screenwriters and directors based in Germany who had their first or second fictional or documentary feature film shown at the Berlinale in the previous year, as well as Alumni from 2025 and current participants of the Berlinale Talents Lab 2026 who are also based in Germany.
The fellowship provides a stipend to develop a screenplay or project, comprising €5,000. Based on the filmmaker’s or producer's individual needs, additional €3,000 can be spent to support and strengthen the fellow's artistic or entrepreneurial signature - whether through coaching, mentoring, or personal consultancy.
The Kompagnon Fellowship is supported by the German Federal Film Board (FFA).
Mala Reinhardt
“Mutter/Sprache” (Mother/Tongue)
Berlinale Talents Doc Station 2025
Jury Statement:
"MOTHER/TONGUE by Mala Reinhardt explores universal questions of migration and identity through the lens of language.
By weaving intimate life stories with collective history, it creates a powerful yet sensitive multi-generational portrait.
Giving visibility to Tamil history from a lived, female perspective,
the film follows six generations of women who carry the responsibility of offering their children a better future.
In doing so, it becomes both an empowering and courageous project."
Elmar Imanov
“Maya mit Y” (Maya with Y)
Berlinale Forum 2025
Jury Statement:
"Making a film about sexual violence that allows humour and vulnerability to coexist is a bold choice—one that restores agency to the victim rather than reducing her to the violence she endured.
MAYA WITH Y by Elmar Imanov closely follows its protagonist from the immediate aftermath of the assault to the moment she takes action, portraying her everyday life with intimacy, care, and subtle humour.
The lightness of the narrative never diminishes the gravity of the subject.
Instead, it creates access to a topic that is still far too rarely addressed, making the film a courageous and urgently needed contribution."
