Berlinale Talents 2026

Under the theme “Creating (and) Confusion – Cinema, Chaos and the Power of Discomfort,” Berlinale Talents this year embraces ambiguity and paradox as essential elements of this world and celebrates the courage to resist easy answers.

In postcolonial, Indigenous, queer, and diaspora narratives, the stylistic device of confusion can embody the lived realities of identity, displacement, trauma, and fragmented stories, and has the potential to challenge dominant narratives.

Berlinale Talents, the Berlin International Film Festival’s talent development initiative, will take place for the first time at Radialsystem from February 13 to 18, 2026.

As one of the most important forums for emerging filmmakers, Berlinale Talents invites 200 film professionals from disciplines such as directing, producing, acting, cinematography, editing, sound design, marketing, and film criticism to a week of workshops, think tanks, discussions, and networking opportunities each year. This exchange format celebrates collaboration across more than 15 film disciplines, emphasizes equality in the creative process, and promotes a diverse and equitable cultural sector worldwide.

Berlin's film-loving public is invited to engage in public events with Berlinale stars and industry leaders, discussing creativity and confusion, filmmaking itself, big ideas, and practical challenges. The detailed program will be published on February 3, 2026.

Past guests have included Todd Haynes, Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Scorsese, Kristen Stewart, Tilda Swinton, Bong Joon-ho, and many more.