Berlinale Talents Selection Process

Each year, Berlinale Talents welcomes 200 filmmakers from all over the world to take part in our Summit, Lab, Talent Press and Talent Project Market and to join the Talents community. That is, however, the final stretch of a long road, beginning in July with our Call for Entries and culminating at the Berlinale in February. Transparency is key for us, and that's why we would like to explain more about that process.

Every year, we receive more than 3,800 applications, and we’re always thrilled to see so many outstanding film professionals dedicate their passion, time and energy to joining us. We know it is a lot of work, and we appreciate each and every one who puts their trust in us by applying. Choosing the final 200 participants from such a large pool of talented filmmakers is an inspiring process, and one that requires both time and careful consideration. From the application deadline at the start of September until all applicants are notified in mid-December, our team is dedicated to celebrating this talent and carefully shaping a diverse, balanced selection. It’s an exciting journey, so let us guide you through how it all comes together.

1. Start of July: Call for Entries
2. July – End of August: Application Period
3. September: Eligibility Screening
4. October – November: Application Review
5. Mid-December: Applicants Notified
6. Early January: Talents announced publicly

Application Review

Once all applications have been screened to ensure they are eligible, they are then sent on to be reviewed for consideration.
If you applied to the Summit, then your application is sent to the general Selection Committee.
If you also applied to the Lab or Talent Press, that application is sent to the relevant selection committee.

Since "talent" is a broad term and ultimately a unique characteristic, we don’t have hard selection criteria beyond our fundamental eligibility requirements, however a number of soft factors are taken into consideration. You can find more about them in our FAQs.
To check if you meet the eligibility requirements, head to our How to Apply page, which breaks it down by craft.

Summit Application

Applications to the Summit are reviewed by our Selection Committee, which is comprised of four members:

• Agustina Arbetman, Director, Programmer, Curator
• Gabor Greiner, Acquisition & Distribution
• Dana Linssen, Film Critic, Philosopher & Writer
• Wilfred Okiche, Film & Culture Critic

The applications are split into six blocks. The committee members work in teams of two, ensuring that every application is viewed at least twice. As the members work through the six blocks, they also switch teams, so the pairings change at each round making sure the review is balanced and diverse.

Berlinale Talents Lab and Talent Press Applications

If you have submitted a project to the Berlinale Talents Lab or have applied as a critic to Talent Press, a shortlist of applications is sent to a specialised selection committee.

It is important to note that if your project is not selected for the Berlinale Talents Lab, that does not affect your Summit application. The two are reviewed separately.

The selection committees for 2026 are: 

Berlinale Talents Lab

• Sarah Schlüssel, Cultural worker & film programmer
• Zeynep Güzel, Filmmaker & consultant,
• Naomi Levari, Producer & development executive

Talent Press

• Frauke Greiner, Head of Press & Publicity, Berlinale
• Manfred Stoffl, Head of Division Film, Television, Radio, Goethe-Institut
• Ahmed Shawky, Film critic, President of FIPRESCI

After two months of intensive reviewing, the selection committees come together at the start of December to finalise their decisions. Once all the wrap up meetings have taken place, we can finally let all applicants know the outcome of their application.

1. Start of December: Final wrap up by selection committees
2. Mid-December: Applicants notified of outcome
3. Mid/End of December: Deadline for selected applicants to respond
4. Early January: 200 Talents announced publicly
5. February: Berlinale Talents Summit