The 2026 Berlinale Talents, Jury of the Berlinale Talents Mastercard Enablement Programme and The Dream Makers Short Film Contest.
From 13 to 18 February 2026, Berlinale Talents will welcome 200 filmmakers to Berlin for a dynamic programme of talks, workshops, and public discussions under the theme “Creating (and) Confusion – Cinema, Chaos and the Power of Discomfort.” The Talents join one of the world’s largest and most connected film networks, with more than 10,000 alumni worldwide, offering a unique opportunity for global collaboration and creativity.
The 2026 Berlinale Talents
The 200 Talents were selected from 3,438 applications from 120 countries. The carefully considered selection (110 female, 81 male, 3 non-binary and 6 who preferred not to say) come from 15 diverse fields of film work, reflecting Berlinale Talents’ commitment to diversity and equality, and showcasing filmmakers whose work explores urgent issues, aids activism, utilises new practices, has been internationally recognised and much more.
Sudanese actor, singer and songwriter Eiman Yousif fuses her artistry with activism in the fields of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and children and advancing peace. She gained recognition for her breakout role in “Goodbye Julia”, winner of the Freedom Prize at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard 2023. Hsin Hsuan Yeh is a Taiwan-based animation and VR director and visual storyteller working across stop-motion, mixed media and immersive forms. Her most recent work, “Sense of Nowhere"; premiered in the Immersive section at Venice Film Festival. Cuban director David Bim dedicated eight years to his debut feature documentary, “Al Oeste, En Zapata”, which enjoyed a major international festival run in 2025. David is also dedicated to film education, from workshops for children to his work as a professor at Cuba International Cinema School, his commitment to the craft is multifaceted. Marco Borromei is an acclaimed Italian film and television screenwriter, and also an educator, who has presented his films at the Cinéfondation in Cannes and at the Semaine de la Critique, among others. Berlin’s very own Asli Özarslan is no stranger to the festival having premiered her “Elbow” in Generation 14plus in 2024. In 2026 Berlinale Talents welcomes costume designers for the first time and Nepalese Janaki Kadayat brings a wealth of experience having worked on films selected for festivals from San Sebastián to Busan, including “Pooja, Sir,” which premiered in Venice to rave reviews.
New in 2026, the Berlinale Talents Lab will host 20 alumni projects spanning fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental forms, creating a collaborative space to refine creative visions and accelerate production. The Talent Project Market will also spotlight alumni, presenting 10 projects seeking production partners within the Berlinale Co-Production Market, reinforcing international partnerships and shaping the future of cinema.
Find more about this year’s Talents here and the Lab and TPM projects here.
Sustainability in Focus: Berlinale Talents Mastercard Enablement Programme Returns
The one-of-a-kind Berlinale Talents Mastercard Enablement Programme returns for its sixth edition, with Berlinale Talents and co‑partner Mastercard supporting sustainable, cinema-centred projects. This year’s jury comprises actor, writer, director, and producer Lamin Leroy Gibba (Dogfriend, Black Fruit), director and Berlinale Talents alumna Mala Reinhardt (The Second Attack, Familiar Places) and Maximilian Floegel, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Mastercard for DACH. They will select two fellows from the international Berlinale Talents alumni community who, beyond their cinematic work, have founded film-related initiatives, networks or platforms that contribute to their local communities in an inclusive and impactful way. Two alumni of the programme will be invited back to Berlinale Talents. The fellows will be announced during the Dine & Shine Dinner on February 15, 2026. Find out more here.
The Dream Makers: New Short Film Contest
Within the framework of the partnership between Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale Talents and CUPRA, 2026 welcomes an exciting new opportunity available to the Berlinale Talents community. The Dream Makers is an international short film contest by CUPRA in cooperation with Studio Babelsberg, to support the next generation of cinematic storytellers by enabling and financing the production of the winning project. The jury consists of actor Daniel Brühl, director and producer J.A. Bayona, Managing Director of the subsidiary Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures Marcus Loges, SEAT & CUPRA Chief Brand Officer Ignacio Prieto and Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle. The winner, announced at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, will receive full production funding of up to €250,000. Find out more here.
Berlinale Talents is part of Berlinale Pro, which unites the European Film Market, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents and the World Cinema Fund. Berlinale Pro is the festival’s full-circle industry infrastructure that serves the global film industry as incubator, enhancer and supporter in all stages of film development, production, sales and distribution.
Berlinale Talents is supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German Federal Film Board, Mastercard and CUPRA.
Press Office
January 9, 2025