The Berlin International Film Festival on Tuesday released its competition roster for the 76th edition, scheduled Feb. 12–22. The slate mixes international auteurs, politically charged dramas and intimate character pieces, and includes high-profile entries such as Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning and Beth de Araújo’s Josephine, starring Channing Tatum. The announcement — issued by artistic director Tricia Tuttle alongside programming co-directors Jacqueline Lyanga and Michael Stütz — signals a continued effort to marry awards-caliber filmmaking with accessible, star-driven titles. The lineup also highlights returning Berlinale alumni and a geographic spread spanning Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Key Takeaways
- The 76th Berlinale runs Feb. 12–22, 2026, and this is the festival’s second edition under artistic director Tricia Tuttle, who succeeded Carlo Chatrian in 2025.
- High-profile competition titles include Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning (featuring Riley Keough, Callum Turner, Elle Fanning) and Josephine (directed by Beth de Araújo; starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan).
- Kornél Mundruczó’s At the Sea, with Amy Adams in a lead role, was the first competition title announced and is billed as an expansive drama about identity after rehab.
- The program brings back established Berlinale names such as İlker Çatak (Gelbe Briefe), Alain Gomis (Dao) and Eva Trobisch (Etwas ganz Besonderes), underscoring continuity with prior seasons.
- Sections beyond Competition — including Perspectives, Panorama and Special Galas — will host other buzzy world premieres, from Charli XCX’s mockumentary to Isabelle Huppert’s vampire film and star-driven historical dramas.
- Wim Wenders is set to serve as jury president, succeeding Todd Haynes, while Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat’s No Good Men will open the festival.
- Many titles listed are world premieres or international premieres, reflecting Berlinale’s commitment to first screenings and festival discovery.
Background
The Berlinale has long positioned itself as a politically engaged festival that also embraces international arthouse voices and commercial appeal. Over its history, the festival has mixed social-issue cinema with auteur-driven features, often awarding films that combine artistic rigor with topical resonance. Tricia Tuttle, an American curator and former London Film Festival head, took over artistic leadership in 2025 and has signaled a desire to reposition aspects of the program closer to the awards visibility associated with Cannes while retaining Berlinale’s distinctive public-facing identity.
Recent years have seen the festival host major U.S. talent on the Palast stage — a trend that continued after last year’s appearances by actors such as Timothée Chalamet and Robert Pattinson. This year’s lineup suggests continued convergence between U.S. performers and European auteurs: several competition films pair A-list or recognisable international actors with directors known for festival fare. At the same time, the program retains a global footprint, with entries from Africa, Latin America, Asia and a range of European countries, reflecting Berlinale’s historical emphasis on geographic breadth and political contexts.
Main Event
Festival programmers unveiled the competition slate in a morning briefing in Berlin, opening with Kornél Mundruczó’s At the Sea, which features Amy Adams as a former dancer dealing with trauma and identity after rehab. Tuttle and her programming team described the film as an expansive character study anchored by an “enthralling” lead performance, positioning it as one of the year’s early talking points. Mundruczó, whose Pieces of a Woman (2020) brought international acclaim, returns with a project aimed at both critics and awards season observers.
Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning has become one of the most talked-about competition titles; the contemporary satire gathers an ensemble including Riley Keough, Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Jamie Bell and Pamela Anderson. Aïnouz, known for Motel Destino and Firebrand, uses familial fracturing and inheritance tensions as the film’s engine, with the plot centring on siblings forced to confront uncomfortable truths about their mother’s death. The film’s mix of star casting and auteurial tone explains its buzz ahead of the premiere.
Beth de Araújo’s Josephine, featuring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan as parents coping after their child witnesses a violent crime, is another marquee entry expected to attract both industry attention and mainstream audiences. The film is described as an intimate but emotionally intense family drama that threads trauma and the search for justice. Other competition titles range from Alain Gomis’s Dao, set between France and Guinea-Bissau, to İlker Çatak’s Gelbe Briefe, which explores state pressure on an artist couple from Ankara.
Analysis & Implications
The lineup reflects a deliberate programming strategy: combine auteur-driven cinema with commercially recognisable names to broaden appeal without diluting artistic standards. That balance increases the festival’s visibility in award-season conversations while preserving Berlinale’s reputation for politically engaged selections. For distributors and sales agents, films that straddle those worlds — strong festival pedigree plus marketable talent — are easier to position at fall festivals and awards campaigns.
Artistically, the program signals continuity and renewal. Returning Berlinale alumni such as Gomis and Çatak anchor the slate in familiar critical terrain, while debut directors and animated entries — including Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s A New Dawn — demonstrate an openness to emerging voices and forms. Geopolitically, films addressing state oppression, migration, and postcolonial ties indicate the festival’s ongoing interest in cinema that examines power and identity across borders.
Commercially, the presence of recognizable actors such as Amy Adams, Channing Tatum, Juliette Binoche and Elle Fanning could help secure theatrical releases and wider media coverage. But the ultimate market pull will depend on critical reception during festival screenings and subsequent deals struck at the European film market. In short, the festival’s programming choices aim to generate both critical acclaim and practical distribution outcomes.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Festival dates | Feb. 12–22, 2026 |
| Artistic director | Tricia Tuttle (2nd Berlinale edition) |
| Jury president | Wim Wenders |
The table above places immediate logistical facts side by side for quick reference. While Berlinale historically programs a large Competition slate, this year’s mix underscores both star-driven titles and politically pointed work — a pattern observable in prior editions but emphasised here by strategic casting and repeat festival contributors. This arrangement can boost press coverage and box-office potential for select titles entering distribution.
Reactions & Quotes
Festival leadership framed the slate as a blend of international artistry and broader audience reaches. Programming co-director Michael Stütz highlighted the political and personal stakes of several films, underlining Berlinale’s longstanding interest in socially engaged cinema.
We aimed for films that speak to both the heart and the times, mixing established auteurs with emerging voices to reflect a global cinematic moment.
Tricia Tuttle / Berlinale artistic director (paraphrased)
On specific titles, the programming team pointed to Amy Adams’s role in At the Sea as a standout performance likely to draw critical attention and festival conversation.
Amy Adams delivers a performance that makes the film’s emotional architecture feel enormous and immediate.
Michael Stütz / Berlinale programming co-director (paraphrased)
Industry figures and observers have already flagged Rosebush Pruning and Josephine as potential catalysts for awards season conversations because of their combination of directorial pedigree and recognisable cast members.
Unconfirmed
- Exact attendance plans for A-list actors remain fluid; final red-carpet appearances have not been publicly confirmed for all headline names.
- Early awards predictions and distribution deals are speculative until festival screenings and market negotiations conclude.
Bottom Line
The 76th Berlinale’s competition lineup underscores the festival’s dual aim: to remain a forum for politically engaged, auteur-driven cinema while increasing visibility through well-known performers and market-friendly premieres. By highlighting films such as Rosebush Pruning and Josephine alongside auteur returns and debut features, the program seeks to satisfy critics, distributors and a broader festival audience.
How the slate performs will depend on festival-week reactions, critical consensus and ensuing distribution outcomes. For industry watchers, early markers to watch include press responses to the Mundruczó and Aïnouz films and any sales momentum generated by the festival market; for viewers, the program promises a range of voices and stories that reflect contemporary political and personal concerns.