Talks and Special Events at the Berlinale

The Berlinale offers a rich selection of talks to accompany the public programmes — wide-ranging opportunities for creatives and fans alike to gain deeper insight and reflection on cinema and the craft of filmmaking. Talks extend across many areas of the Berlinale, from the programme sections, to the rich thematic programmes in Berlinale Talents at Radialsystem, to the popular magazine-style free Berlinale HUB panels at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz, and to Teddy Talents Talks and World Cinema Fund Day.

These conversations build on the themes explored in the festival’s films, or engage with creative, social or political dimensions of international cinema culture. Together our talks offer a way for audiences to connect and engage in conversations that sit at the intersections between art, politics, and pop culture.

The festival this year presents two talks centred around Berlinale awards guests.

One of these featured talks is a conversation with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sean Baker and Honorary Golden Bear recipient Michelle Yeoh. As part of this event, the festival will host the world premiere screening of the short film Sandiwara that Sean Baker filmed for the self-portrait Residency. Sandiwara stars Michelle Yeoh and is an immersive celebration of independent Cinema.

Best Director Academy nominee, Chloé Zhao will join the Berlinale to present a Berlinale Camera to composer Max Richter before he takes the stage to talk about his work in film and television.

With this year’s theme, “Creating (and) Confusion — Cinema, Chaos and the Power of Discomfort”, Berlinale Talents invites audiences to embrace the creative potential of uncertainty — to explore the possibilities that emerge when one dives into the unknown. The programme offers 14 public ticketed talks for Berlin audiences and accredited guests, alongside an extensive programme for the 200 invited Talents.

Berlinale Talents 2026 brings together an exceptional group of filmmakers and artists who embrace chaos, discomfort, and creative risk to challenge dominant narratives. This years’ Academy Award–nominated directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni as well as Andrew Jarecki expose systems shaped by institutional failure, while production designers Francesca Di Mottola and Cora Pratz illuminate the craft of building visual coherence from script to screen. Director Aidan Zamiri explores identity and artistic pressure through his collaboration with Charli xcx, and celebrated actor Hiam Abbass reflects on her expansive career across film, theatre, and television. Joining the programme, Oscar‑winning and nominated filmmaker Chloé Zhao discusses her creative evolution, her instinct‑driven approach, and her adaptation of Hamnet. Indigenous Australian director Warwick Thornton reframes erased histories through image and silence, while genre innovators Hanna Bergholm and Edwin explore empathy through horror and transformation. Abdallah Alkhatib, with collaborators Rana Eid and Talal Khoury, examines filmmaking under siege, and choreographer Sasha Waltz traces the deep connections between movement and the camera. Alain Gomis reflects on cinema shaped across continents, and the Teddy Talents Talks celebrate queer form as a radical space for insight. Composer Daniel Blumberg delves into improvisation as creative catalyst, while Olivier Bugge Coutté and Eskil Vogt, both Oscar‑nominated for Sentimental Value, close the programme by exploring discomfort as a source of artistic clarity.

All Talents Talks will be hosted at Berlin’s art and culture venue, Radialsystem, and cover a wide range of cinematic disciplines.

Across the programme sections, Berlinale dives into ideas and themes emerging from the films which are screening at the festival. These events are hosted for public audiences and include topics such as Forum’s talk with two influential filmmakers of the Black film movement: Charles Burnett and Haile Gerima. Retrospective takes a close look at Film Preservation and the work of iconic German director Ulrike Ottinger.

Local crowds can take advantage of a free talk every morning of the festival at the Berlinale HUB at Marlene Dietrich Platz.

February 13, 11.45 am, Zoo Palast

Berlinale Special: Academy Award winner Sean Baker (Anora) with this year’s recipient of the Honorary Golden Bear Michelle Yeoh
The brief talk will take place after the world premiere screening of Sean Baker’s short film Sandiwara, starring Michelle Yeoh. This will be followed by a screening of the film Everything Everywhere All at Once by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, for which Michelle Yeoh won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The talk is included in the ticket for the Special Screening. The event will be held in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 13, 11.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talks: A German New Wave A conversation with Faraz Shariat (Prosecution — Panorama) and Saša Vajda (The Lights, They Fall — Generation), moderated by Jenni Zylka (festival advisor).

February 13, 14, 17, and 18, 10.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Deutschlandfunk Kultur “Im Gespräch”: Radio Programme Recording The recording of the conversations with prominent festival guests takes place in front of an audience. Tom Tykwer, Markus Schleinzer among the guests.

February 14, 10.00 am, Silent Green
Forum Expanded: Artist Talk: Unauthorised Versions Artists participating in the Forum Expanded exhibition provide insights into their work and discuss historical continuities, incomplete historiography and the possibility of counter-narratives.

Event in English. Free admission.

February 14, 10.00 am, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Chaos and Control: Exposing Systems That Thrive on Confusion Academy Award–nominated filmmakers Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni (Cutting Through Rocks) as well as Andrew Jarecki (The Alabama Solution) examine how their documentaries confront abuses of state power and the erosion of trust in public institutions.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 14, 11.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: The Fascination of Music: How Sound in Films Makes the Difference A conversation with Freya Arde (Everyone’s Sorry Nowadays — Generation, Music) and Koxi (Women as Lovers — Forum), moderated by Katja Lucker (managing director of Initiative Musik and co-initiator of Musicboard Berlin).

February 14, 2.00 pm, Kinemathek
Retrospective: Lost in the 90s — Film Heritage in a Time of Upheaval The Retrospective “Lost in the 90s” explores not only the aesthetics and zeitgeist of the decade but also the film heritage lost during the post-reunification years.

Event in English. Free admission.

February 14, 2.30 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Controlled Chaos: The Production Design Process Production designers Francesca Di Mottola (The Moment — Panorama), Cora Pratz (The Weight — Berlinale Special Gala), Inbal Weinberg (Roofman) share their creative journey from early stages of pre-production to the final execution stage of bringing all of the elements together.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 14, 5.00 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: The Moment: Aidan Zamiri on Chaos, Brat and Creative Discomfort Director Aidan Zamiri breaks down his long running creative partnership with Charli xcx and how it deepens his film’s playful discomfort, shaping a funhouse mirror world where authenticity and performance blur.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 15, 11.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: Fashion x Film With costume designer Bina Daigeler (Tár, Volver, All About My Mother)

February 15, 11.30 am, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: The Identity of a Voice: In Conversation with Hiam Abbass
Hiam Abbass (In a Whisper — Competition) addresses the process of how she selects her projects, how she gives her characters a voice, and her collaborations with acclaimed directors, including Hany Abu-Assad, Annemarie Jacir, Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 15, 2.00 pm, Kinemathek
Retrospective: Director’s Talk: Ulrike Ottinger
Ulrike Ottinger talks with art and film curator Doris Berger about her film Johanna d’Arc of Mongolia, a musical and travelogue that artfully weaves together fiction and documentary material.

Event in English. Free admission.

February 15, 2.00 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Love in Numbers: Creating a Short Film Canon Bottom Up Short film lovers worldwide were invited to nominate ten films under 60 minutes that they consider the “greatest” ever. This resulted in a ranked list of 104 titles. But what now? A collective conversation about pros, cons, and potentials of such a canon.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 15, 5.00 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Con Fusion: Sasha Waltz on Creating Connecting Choreographies Internationally renowned choreographer Sasha Waltz, who is based with her company Sasha Waltz & Guests at Radialsystem, makes her Berlinale debut by giving a lecture at Berlinale Talents.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 16, 10.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: Teddy Director’s Exchange — Cinematic Inheritance: Pioneers and Emerging Voices A conversation with Faraz Shariat (Prosecution — Panorama), Natalie Erika Jame s (Saccharine — Berlinale Special Midnight) and Gaël Kamilindi (TAXI MOTO — Berlinale Shorts), moderated by Djamila Grandits (curator and festival programmer)

February 16, 11.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: Teddy Director’s Exchange — Standing in the Way of Control A conversation with Cheryl Dunye (The Watermelon Woman — TEDDY 40), Sophie Heldman (The Education of Jane Cumming — Panorama), Brydie O’Connor (Barbara Forever — Forum Special), moderated by Ana David (festival advisor).

February 16, 12.00 noon, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Reframing Stolen Narratives: The Cinema of Warwick Thornton Premiering his new film Wolfram in Competition, Warwick Thornton joins Berlinale Talents to reflect on his work as both director and cinematographer.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 16, 2.30 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Mixed Feelings: Empathy for the Monster in Genre
Berlinale Talents alumni Hanna Bergholm (Nightborn) and Edwin (Sleep No More) discuss their approaches to genre filmmaking and how they create empathy for their monsters.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 16, 3.00 pm, Embassy of Canada
[i]Forum Expanded[/i]: Augmenting Histories: Indigenous Approaches to XR Media Art
Cassandra Gardine r and Juan Mateo Menendez (“Land Invaders”) in discussion with Isabelle Ruiz (Indigenous Screen Office) about the use of immersive media by Indigenous artists and the critical potential of augmented reality. Presented in collaboration with the Indigenous Screen Office and with the kind support of the Embassy of Canada.

Registration required. Event in English. Free admission.

Feburar 16, 5.00 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Filming Under Siege
Filmmaker Abdallah Alkhatib (Chronicles From the Siege) and his team address their relationship built on trust, but also the current political state of their region, which has directly influenced some of their artistic and technical choices.  Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de 

February 17, 11.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: Perspectives Director’s Exchange — Visual Storytelling A conversation with Kai Stänicke (Der Heimatlose — Perspectives), Dara Van Dusen (A Prayer for the Dying — Perspectives) and Rafael Manuel (Filipiñana — Perspectives), moderated by Jessica Kiang (member of the selection committee).

February 17, 11.00 am, Embassy of Canada
Berlinale Shorts: Let’s Talk About (Short) Films! Pluralistic Discourse in Film Criticism With representatives of Talking Shorts, yanco, ARTE Kurzschluss, zeitgeschichte: online, “The Hollywood Reporter” and Seventh Row.

Moderated by Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck (section head of Berlinale Shorts). Registration required Event in English. Free admission.

February 17, 11.15 am, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: World Cinema Fund Talk: Alain Gomis
Co-hosted by the World Cinema Fund, Alain Gomis (Dao — Competition) joins to discuss his filmmaking practice shaped across borders, various languages, and production contexts.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de 

February 17, 11.15 am, Radialsystem
World Cinema Fund: WCF Day 2026 (in cooperation with Berlinale Talents)
Introduction: What does “World Cinema” mean today?

A reflection on the evolving perception of the films coming from WCF countries by Sata Cissokho, the new head of the World Cinema Fund.

Followed by Berlinale Talents: World Cinema Fund Talk: Alain Gomis (see above)

February 17, 1.45 pm, Radialsystem
WCF Day: Region in Focus: Southeast Asia New currents of Southeast Asian Cinema — Producers Pushing the Boundaries With WCF producers Cattleya Paosrijaroen (Thailand), M eiske Taurisia (Indonesia), Jeremy Chua (Singapore), Daniel Mattes (Cambodia) and Foo Fei Ling (Malaysia), moderated by Lorna Tee (producer, festival curator).

Event in English. Free admission. Registration recommended at worldcinemafund@berlinale.de

February 17, 2.00 pm, Delphi Kino
Forum: Rebellion Revisited — Haile Gerima and Charles Burnett in Conversation A talk with two legends of Black Cinema about their work and their time as part of the L.A. Rebellion, about New Black Cinema and that of the present day, about Hollywood and cinema in the face of racism, colonialism and fascism — now and then. Event in English. Free admission.

February 17, 3.00 pm, Radialsystem
WCF Day: International Potential for Local Stories Visibility and Sales Perspectives for Films Coming from WCF Regions A conversation with international sales agents Virginie Devesa (Alpha Violet, France), Olivier Barbier (Lucky Number, France), and other guests.

Event in English. Free admission. Registration recommended at worldcinemafund@berlinale.de

February 17, 5.00 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Teddy Talents Talks: Confusion as Catalyst
Daniela Vega (A Fantastic Woman — TEDDY 40), Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig (Jaripeo — Panorama Dokumente), Fallon Mayanja (Joy Boy: A Tribute to Julius Eastman — Forum) as well as Sarnt Utamachote (I Don’t Want to Be Just a Memory) explore how queer cinema harnesses ambiguity, resists categorisation, and uses formal disruption to generate new ways of seeing from the margins.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de 

February 18, 11.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: Berlinale Doc Talk A conversation with Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk (Traces — Panorama Dokumente), Anna Fitch and Banker White (Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird) — Competition), Douglas Gordon and Finlay Pretsell (Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon — Panorama Dokumente) as well as Sam Pollard (TUTU — Berlinale Special Presentation).

February 18, 12.00 noon, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Chloé Zhao — In Conversation Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 18, 1.00 pm, Kinemathek
Retrospective: Introducing the Queer Cinema Archive!

The Deutsche Kinemathek and the Queere Kulturstiftung (queer cultural foundation) are working on a Queer Cinema Archive in Berlin, intended to become a place for lively debate. This is a first peek at developments and an invitation to dialogue.

Event in English. Free admission.

February 18, 2.00 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: Composer’s Talk with Daniel Blumberg
Academy Award–winning composer Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist) dives into his musical curiosity and shares his insights from his work on The Testament of Ann Lee.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de 

February 18, 4.30 pm, Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Berlinale Talk: Berlinale Camera to Contemporary Composer and Artist Max Richter
The laudatory speech for Max Richter will be delivered by Oscar‑winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). In the subsequent on‑stage conversation, Max Richter will offer insights into his creative processes and his collaborations with other artists in film and art, illustrated through practical examples.

Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 18, 5.00 pm, Radialsystem
Berlinale Talents: The Power of Discomfort: Crafting Sentimental Value Academy Award-nominated editor Olivier Bugge Coutté and Berlinale Talents alum Eskil Vogt discuss their collaboration with Joachim Trier, another alum of Berlinale Talents, on Sentimental Value.  Event in English. Tickets at www.berlinale.de

February 19, 10.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: Director İlker Çatak (Yellow Letters — Competition)

February 19, 11.00 am, Berlinale HUB
Berlinale Film Talk: John Turturro and director Noah Segan (The Only Living Pickpocket in New York — Berlinale Special Gala)

February 19, 2.00 pm, Kinemathek
Retrospective: Rewinding the 90s: Pop Culture, Music Videos & Visual Trends In this pop culture rewind, host Jenni Zylka talks to Nico Beyer, Nilz Bokelberg, and Laura Russ about the 90s’ aesthetic, formative music videos and visual codes around MTV, the rave and underground culture, and their aftereffects.

Event in German. Free admission.

February 19, 6.00 pm, Silent Green
Forum: Solidary AI?

Following the short film programme “AI Realisms” the panel “Solidary AI?” asks the participating filmmakers about their experiences and strategies for subversively using and questioning generative AI from within.

In English. Free admission.

Note Regarding the “Berlinale Special Talk: Jafar Panahi Meets Mohammad Rasoulof” Announced in the Programme Booklet
Out of deep sadness and respect for the mourning of the Iranian people, the filmmakers have agreed with the Berlinale to postpone this event until a later date. We thank you for your understanding. This event on February 19 will therefore not take place.

More information on Berlinale Talks can be found on the Berlinale website.