The 2026 Berlin Film Festival is almost here, and we made a list of 20 movies to watch at the festival. Read Loud and Clear Reviews’ Berlinale recommendations!
The 2026 Berlin Film Festival is approaching, and our recommendations are out! We made a list of 20 movies to watch at the Berlinale this year, from the most anticipated premieres to lesser known, promising gems.
The full programme is out now on the Berlinale’s website: we counted 22 films in competition, on top of many Berlinale Special and Gala screenings. The Perspectives strand returns in 2026, on top of Panorama, Forum, Generation, Retrospective, Classics, and Berlinale Shorts. As always, there will be a Virtual Reality section called Forum Expanded.
This year’s Berlinale, the 76th edition, will take place on February 12-22, 2026, with big premieres at the Palast and other screenings at various venues. Without further ado, let’s look at what caught our interest this year! Here are the 20 movies to watch at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival, selected by our staff writers Jack Walters, William Stottor, and Serena Seghedoni. They are in alphabetical order, with an additional list at the end. See you in Berlin!
1. AnyMart (チルド)
Forum
Director: Yusuke Iwasaki
Cast: Shota Sometani, Erika Karata, Masahiko Nishimura
Country: Japan
There’s a very specific vibe you get when you enter a Japanese convenience store that the trailer captures very well. With more than 50,000 “kombini” in Japan, shopping at one is a completely ordinary experience, yet it can also feel like a dystopian one, as if you entered a different dimension where everything is perfectly arranged and everyone’s quietly polite, yet there’s a certain detachedness that makes it feel artificial and surreal.
Which makes it the perfect setting for a horror film, and Yusuke Iwasaki’s feature debut AnyMart (チルド) brings us just that. The director’s previous work, acclaimed short film Void (2024), tackled themes like the fear of death, or lack thereof, and what that says about humanity. We don’t know much about AnyMart yet, but Iwasaki describes it as “an anarchic and absurd film” on which he worked frantically, and that enabled him to “express his true feelings on film for the first time”. With the filmmaker’s interest in the mysteries of life and Shota Sometani (Himizu), Erika Karata (Desert of Namibia) and Masahiko Nishimura (Furuhata Ninzaburō) in the cast, we are intrigued. (S.S.)
2. At the Sea
Berlinale 2026: In Competition
Director: Kornél Mundruczó
Cast: Amy Adams, Murray Bartlett, Chloe East, Brett Goldstein, Dan Levy
Countries: USA, Hungary
At The Sea will have its world premiere in competition at this year’s Berlinale, with plenty of attention surrounding the film’s lead performances. Amy Adams stars as a woman returning home after a long stint in rehab, forced to reckon with the silent impacts that sobriety has on her life and the lives of those around her. At The Sea boasts a strong ensemble and comes from the director of Pieces of a Woman – the film that pushed Vanessa Kirby to an Oscar nomination in 2021. (J.W.)
3. The Ballad of Judas Priest
Berlinale Special Midnight
Directors: Sam Dunn, Tom Morello
Country: United States
This Judas Priest documentary will make for a very “Special Midnight” screening indeed. If you’re familiar with the band, you’re probably expecting high energy, 80s glam vibes, and great heavy metal music – and so are we. This documentary comes from Canadian documentarian Sam Dunn, who directed many films about heavy metal history and bands (including Iron Maiden, Rush and Alice Cooper) and (wait for it) Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello.
That, alone, is enough to make The Ballad of Judas Priest one of our most anticipated Berlin titles. But the documentary also promises to chronicle a journey spanning 50+ years, from the band’s formation in Birmingham to their rise to fame and more. We’re in. (S.S.)
4. The Blood Countess (Die Blutgräfin)
Berlinale Special Gala
Director: Ulrike Ottinger
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Birgit Minichmayr, Thomas Schubert, Lars Eidinger
Countries: Austri, Luxembourg, Germany
The Blood Countess (Die Blutgräfin) is another out-of-competition film to keep an eye on at the Berlinale this year, most notably thanks to its daring lead performance from Isabelle Huppert. The movie is described as a subversive vampire adventure that centers around the titular countess’ attempts to find the red elixir of life while tailed closely by an ambitious police inspector. Directed by veteran German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger (Ticket of No Return, Freak Orlando), The Blood Countess is sure to be one of the Berlinale’s boldest and most talked-about titles. (J.W.)
5. Dao
Berlinale 2026: In Competition
Director: Alain Gomis
Cast: Katy Correa, D’Johé Kouadia, Samir Guesmi, Mike Etienne, Nicolas Gomis
Countries: France, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau
Alain Gomis’ previous fiction film, Félicité (2017), won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at that year’s Berlinale. With his next fiction feature Dao, which comes after his 2022 music documentary Rewind & Play, playing in this year’s Competition, Gomis could go one better this time.
As one of the main characters prepares for her daughter’s wedding day, she remembers the consecration of her own father years ago. Hopping between two stories—the wedding in France and the commemoration in Guinea-Bissau—Dao looks set to be a detailed, elegant tapestry of families and heritage, with Gomis undoubtedly guiding us on a highly immersive and organic journey alongside the characters.
The portrayal of these interlinked families and cultures will be bolstered with depth by Gomis’ own background as a French-Senegalese man. Where Dao takes us is unclear, but it is sure to be rich and rewarding. (W.S.)
6. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
Berlinale Special Gala
Director: Gore Verbinski
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña
Countries: Germany, U.S.A.
A man goes back in time, enters a diner in L.A., and shouts to its patrons that “This isn’t a robbery!,” and the future “goes horribly, horribly wrong.” But that’s not all: our nameless man (Sam Rockwell) has been there before – 116 times, to be exact – and has never succeeded in saving the world. So why should our patrons, and the audience, trust this strange man in a cheap, futuristic suit and who doesn’t even look all that sane?
Eleven pages of Matthew Robinson’s script later, our hero has found his recruits, and he might has even won us over. What happens next is a wonderfully unhinged, pop-culture infused quest to defeat a rogue AI that defies definition, tackling sci-fi, comedy, horror, film noir, adventure, and even romance while offering some grounded, empathetic reflections on life. Gore Verbinski‘s (Pirates of the Caribbean, Rango) first film in nearly ten years begs to be seen on the big screen and with a crowd, and we can’t wait to do just that in Berlin. (S.S.)
7. Josephine
Berlinale 2026: In Competition
Director: Beth de Araújo
Cast: Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Phillip Ettinger, Syra McCarthy
Country: United States
Beth de Araújo’s (Soft & Quiet) Josephine was one of the most well-received movies at Sundance this year, having captivated festivalgoers and won both the Grand Jury Prize (U.S. Dramatic Competition) and the Audience Award. The story is difficult to watch, as it revolves around an eight-year-old (Mason Reeves) who accidentally witnesses a crime and is traumatized by it – and according to early reviews, so are we. But judging from these reactions, this also sounds like the sensitively told, urgent, empathetic kind of filmmaking that we want to be challenged by at film festivals. Our own Joe Tomastik calls it “masterfully acted, edited, and directed,” and we can’t wait to watch it for ourselves. (S.S.)
8. Lady
Panorama
Director: Olive Nwosu
Cast: Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemisey, Seun Kuti, Bucci Franklin
Country: United Kingdom
Another film in the Panorama section is Lady, the feature film debut by Oliva Nwosu, which will have its European premiere at the Berlin Film Festival 2026. Early reviews out of Sundance, where the film is showing in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, are very positive, setting Lady up as one of the bright stars of Berlinale.
Nwosu’s film is set in the sprawling Nigerian capital Lagos, focussing on the titular character who is one of the city’s only female cab drivers. Throughout her shifts, she meets a number of charismatic sex workers, pulled in by their unbridled sisterhood and leading her to face both the highs and lows of their lives. More specifically, Lady’s reunification with childhood friend Pinky, now a sex worker, widens her view of the world. Lady promises to be an eye-opening, positive portrait of a marginalised minority of the Lagos population. (W.S.)
9. Lali
Panorama
Director: Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
Cast: Mamya Shajaffar, Channan Hanif, Rasti Farooq, Farazeh Syed, Mehr Bano
Country: Pakistan
“This film comes from a place I’ve been trying to understand for years,” says director Sarmad Sultan Khoosat about Lali in an Instagram post that describes its titular character as someone who comes from a place of fears, silence, and doubt, where “love and control blur” and “marriage carries ghosts”. This dark comedy from Pakistan is about a couple who lives in a world that the living share with the ghosts, and that, already, has us intrigued. The fact that Khoosat, who’s an actor, director, and producer, produced the acclaimed Joyland (2022), makes us anticipate Lali even more.
10. The Moment
Panorama
Director: Aidan Zamiri
Cast: Charli XCX, Alexander Skarsgård, Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott
Country: United States
Despite being screened out of competition at this year’s Berlinale, Aidan Zamiri’s The Moment is sure to be one of the festival’s buzziest titles. Global pop sensation Charli XCX stars as a fictionalized version of herself in a mockumentary that’s described as a cutting hate letter to the music industry. It’s a film about the weight of expectations and the crushing pressure of being a star, with a very personal lead performance from somebody who knows more about that than most. (J.W.)
11. Mouse
Panorama
Directors: Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson
Cast: Sophie Okonedo, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Chloe Coleman, David Hyde Pierce, Iman Vellani
Country: United States
Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, the filmmaking duo behind Ghostlight (which they co-directed from O’Sullivan’s script) and Saint Frances (which Thompson directed and O’Sullivan wrote and starred in) return to the festival circuit with Mouse. This time, the co-directors tell the story (written by O’Sullivan) of two best friends, Minnie (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), and Callie (Chloe Coleman), whose relationship changes before their senior year. Left on her own, Minnie forms a complicated relationship with Callie’s mother (Sophie Okonedo). (S.S.)
12. Nightborn (Yön Lapsi)
Berlinale 2026: In Competition
Director: Hanna Bergholm
Cast: Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint
Countries: Finland, Lithuania, France, U.K.
From the director of the critically acclaimed horror film Hatching comes Nightborn (Yön Lapsi), an equally disturbing story about two parents who return to their childhood hometown in order to raise their newborn child. Their idyllic dream of young parenthood soon turns into a twisted nightmare, and they are forced to reckon with the ugly truth of their new child. The film seems like a very dark, socially relevant piece of storytelling that could fit neatly into the Berlinale’s impressive competition selection. (J.W.)
13. The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
Berlinale Special Gala
Director: Noah Segan
Cast: John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany
Country: United States
John Turturro steals the show in this charming crime thriller about an old-school pickpocket who’s sent on a mission through New York but who soon finds out his skills are becoming obsolete in the world of digital wallets and biometric security locks. The Only Living Pickpocket in New York was universally beloved at Sundance, with many praising its energy, its funk-infused score, its stunning filmmaking, and Turturro’s lead performance. Rounding up the cast are Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, and more familiar faces. We’re in. (S.S.)
14. Our Secret (Nosso Segredo)
Perspectives
Director: Grace Passô
Cast: Efraim Santos, Flip, Jéssica Gaspar, Ju Colombo, Marisa Revert
Countries: Brazil, Portugal
Grace Passô brings Our Secret (Nosso Segredo) to the Berlinale, telling the story of a family experiencing a loss. When they return home in silence, carrying their grief, the youngest child reveals a secret that might just help them come together after all. Passô’s feature debut as a director sounds like a promising, timely story that we’re not going to miss. (S.S.)
15. Paradise
Panorama
Director: Jérémy Comte
Cast: Joey Boivin Desmeules, Daniel Atsu, Hukporti, Evelyne de la Chenelière
Countries: Canada, France, Ghana
Paradise, Jérémy Comte’s feature film debut, will have its world premiere in the Panorama section at this year’s Berlinale. Like Dao, another film at the festival, Paradise skips between two different countries: one is Ghana, the other being Canada. The different stories track different people, but soon enough, their journeys intertwine and events coincide. The captain of a burning ship seems to tie the two families together, although Paradise alluringly promises to offer no easy answers to its enigmatic, mysterious premise.
With Paradise, which is co-written with Will Niava, Comte looks to build on his critically acclaimed 2018 short, Fauve, and excitement is high to see what this promising filmmaker can do with a feature film runtime. By the festival’s own admission, the Panorama section searches for new and unconventional voices in cinema; Paradise and Comte seem to fit the bill perfectly. (W.S.)
16. Rosebush Pruning
Berlinale 2026: In Competition
Director: Karim Aïnouz
Cast: Elle Fanning, Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Pamela Anderson
Countries: Italy, Germany, Spain, U.K.
Rosebush Pruning is the latest feature from Brazilian film director Karim Aïnouz, best known for his projects Motel Destino and Firebrand. The story centers around four American siblings whose relationships begin to unravel during a visit to a Spanish villa after inheriting a fortune. Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Elle Fanning, and Jamie Bell star in the lead roles, with Pamela Anderson and Tracy Letts playing the siblings’ parents. (J.W.)
17. Salvation (Kurtuluş)
Berlinale 2026: In Competition
Director: Emin Alper
Cast: Caner Cindoruk, Berkay Ateş, Feyyaz Duman, Naz Göktan, Ǒzlem Taş
Countries: Turkey, France, Netherlands, Greece, Sweden, Saudi Arabia
Turkish filmmaker Emin Alper heads to the Berlin Film Festival 2026 with the world premiere of Salvation (Kurtuluş), his fourth feature film. Even if you’re not aware of Alper’s signature style and usual subject matter, Salvation sounds like a thrilling, nerve-wracking watch. Coupled with Alper’s expert handling of paranoia and turmoil in his previous films alongside taking aim at many of Turkish society’s injustices, Salvation should be a film that is impossible to look away from.
The premise is fascinating: set in a remote village, Salvation follows the return of an exiled clan, which sets in motion a decades-long land feud. This harkens back to Alper’s previous film, Burning Days (2022), and its focus on humanity’s relationship with the environment. Dreams collide with reality as Mesut challenges his brother’s leadership, driven by divine visions. Salvation won’t be as simple as the title suggests. (W.S.)
18. Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars
Berlinale 2026: In Competition
Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Cast: Maïmouna Miawama, Ériq Ebouaney, Achouackh Abakar, Souleymane
Countries: France / Chad
Details are scarce for Soumsoum, la nuit des astres (Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars), but the ninth film from French-Chadian filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun promises to be a beguiling, character-driven work. Playing in the Competition section of the Berlin Film Festival 2026, with its world premiere no less, Soumsoum follows the journey of Kellou, a teenager with supernatural powers. After meeting Aya, her understanding of these gifts become clearer.
More fantastical, then, than Haroun’s previous film, the supremely powerful Lingui, The Sacred Bonds (2021), but still potentially a deep study of reckoning with one’s place in the world. Expectations are high for Haroun after winning awards earlier in his career at the Venice and Cannes film festivals. In what is an intriguing lineup in this year’s Berlinale Competition, Soumsoum sits as one of the most mysterious but alluring entries. (W.S.)
19. Sunny Dancer
Generation 14plus
Director: George Jaques
Cast: Bella Ramsey, Neil Patrick Harris, Ruby Stokes, Jessica Gunning, Shalom Brune-Franklin, James Norton
Country: United Kingdom
Ivy (Bella Ramsey, of The Last of Us) is 17 years old and has just beaten cancer. But another challenge begins when her parents sign her up for what she calls “chemo camp,” where she’s going to spend her summer. But Ivy’s expectations are turned around when she starts making friends there, and ends us having an unforgettable summer with a group of likeminded misfits.
George Jaques, of 2023’s Black Dog, has a real talent for combining humor and heart in his stories, and this project sounds like another original story that will make us laugh, cry, and think in all the right ways. The incredibly talented actors attached to the movie move Sunny Dancer even higher on our watchlist, as does the fact that it has already found distribution in many countries.
20. The Weight
Berlinale Special Gala
Director: Padraic McKinley
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash
Countries: Germany, U.S.A.
Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe star in another film that was received very well at Sundance. Set in Oregon, 1933, The Weight tells the story of a man who’s sent to a work camp after being torn from his daughter. Determined to find her, he cuts a deal with a warden for early release in exchange for smuggling gold through the wilderness. But will he succeeds on his mission? The premise seems simple enough, but it’s its atmosphere and performances that made this character-driven film so well-received at Sundance. We can’t wait to watch it in Berlin.
More Movies to Watch at the 2026 Berlinale:
- A New Dawn
- Animol
- Árru
- Black Burns Fast
- Bucks Harbor
- Everyone’s Sorry Nowadays
- The Fabulous Time Machine
- Jaripeo
- Light Pillar (Han ye deng zhu)
- Matapanki
- Narciso
- No Good Men
- Papaya
- A Prayer for the Dying
- Roya
- Take Me Home
- The Testament of Ann Lee
- Truly Naked
- We Are All Strangers
- Yellow Letters
The 2025 Berlin Film Festival will take place on February 13 – 23. Follow us on our socials for more Berlinale updates and come back soon for our reviews!
Header Credits: © Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin / Claudia Schramke, Berlin
