Berlinale is a big festival; the claim is real. Size is not the problem; relevance is the challenge. Sundance leads in January the calendar. The indie filmmaking gathering sets the new voices tone with its many premieres. South by Southwest in March positioned itself as star launching pad for Hollywood releases. Of course, the duo thrones of Cannes and Venice sit at the top of the prestige cinema gathering heap. The Berlinale while in its own way significant continues to find itself in a snowy wintery space with gray clouds.
One prominent film blogger wrote “The Berlinale is where films go to die.” While that could be a harsh assessment, the complaints concerning the way films are curated in Berlin have been voiced over the years. The 2025 Golden Bear winner, Norway’s Dreams only sold 26,000 tickets in Germany. Local Ramon Noodle restaurant menus have more views on a busy weekend. The critically well received drama went unnoticed with German moviegoers, yet the parody comedy Das Kanu des Manitou hit the 5 million stub marker.
Tricia Tuttle’s second go round as festival head will now come under greater scrutiny. Can the former London leader deliver what it takes to turn the city’s biggest media event around? As the clock begins counts to the February 12th starting date, the soft press relations features started appearing in local newspapers at the end of the year. With this, alarm bells started going off, there was no mention of filmmakers or works. In Tuttle’s defence, inheriting then trying to turnaround a platform known for politics and drama is no easy task for even the most seasoned fest director.
What lacked in these stories was a focus on even the possible movies that may screen in Potsdamer Platz. One question included: Her favorite soccer team. This is not exactly a cinematic themed angle for a film event. Other festivals drop hints ora sneak of the schedule before official announcements as a strategy of getting attention. The big names expected to attend or a highly anticipated debut to get an article written in the media waves. Last year’s Berlinale Competition unveiling had the excitement of analysing Angela Merkel’s new hairstyle, with some commenting “The Same Berlinale Movies”. This is not an expression of enthusiasm, rather a sense of a cinema going woe.
When a film festival does not talk about the movies, this an omen. Good luck to the Berlinale. I hope the Golden Bear Winner for 2026 gets more filmgoers in the seats.
Wim Wenders is the 76th annual Berlianle Jury head.