Anna Fernandina Buquid, Isabel Sicat, Rafael Manuel, Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos. © Dirk Michael Deckbar / Berlinale 2026
Anna Fernandina Buquid, Isabel Sicat, Rafael Manuel, Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos. © Dirk Michael Deckbar / Berlinale 2026
From Michelle Yeoh’s Honorary Golden Bear to Filipiñana’s European premiere, here’s what happened so far at Berlinale 2026.
Last week, the Berlin International Film Festival 2026 kicked off its 11-day program at the Berlinale Palast. This year’s edition features 22 films in the main competition, including Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning, Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea, and Beth de Araújo’s Josephine.
The festival began with an opening gala, where Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh was presented with the Honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement. “This award doesn’t belong only to me alone,” she says in her speech. “It belongs to every director who took a chance, every producer who believed, every co-star who became family, and every crew member whose artistry lives quietly in every frame. Cinema is never solitary. Even the most intimate moment on screen is lifted by many hands. This bear carries all of them.”
As part of the Honorary Golden Bear presentation to Michelle Yeoh, Sandiwara, her upcoming film with Oscar-winning director Sean Baker, was introduced before Everything Everywhere All at Once in the Zoo Palast.
At the gala, they also introduced this year’s International Jury. Headed by director, writer, and photographer Wim Wenders, the jury includes director, producer, and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpir, producer Ewa Puszczyńska, actor Bae Doona, director and producer Min Bahadur Bham, director, screenwriter, and producer Hikari, and director, screenwriter, and producer Reinaldo Marcus Green.
On Valentine’s Day, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Charli XCX had her moment with the premiere of her mockumentary The Moment. The film follows the pop artist as she battles with immense expectations that come with the highs and lows of success.
The following day, Filipiñana by Rafael Manuel had its European premiere at the Bluemax Theater. “I really hope that they’re able to sit in the film. And that they’re able to watch the film not only with their eyes, but with their ears, with their tongue, with their stomach, with their skin,” says Manuel during a red carpet interview. “I hope that they’re able to immerse themselves, like Isabel in the film, get lost in the milieu, get lost in the environment, and feel maybe some of the heat of Manila that we want to bring this cold day in Berlin.”
Other Filipino films are also included in this year’s program: Cinemalaya’s Rumaragasa by Ryan Machado, Enjoy Your Stay by Dominik Locher and Honeylyn Joy Alipio, and Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005) by Aurgeus Solito. The latter film is part of the festival’s Teddy 40, a section dedicated to celebrating 40 years of awarding critically acclaimed queer productions.
At the Berlinale Co-Production Market, four cash prizes were given to feature film projects: Lotus Feet by Amanda Nell Eu, Cura Sana by Lucia G. Romero, The Most Romantic Man in the World by Simon Jaquemet, and Liberations by Laurynas Bareiša. During this year’s market, producers of 34 feature film projects have also met with potential co-producers and financiers.
As the film festival goes on, anticipation for this year’s Golden Bear for Best Film builds. On February 21, the closing ceremony will be held at the Berlinale Palast.
- Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana Brings Stories of the Filipino to Sundance, Berlinale, and Beyond
- In The Loved One, Director Irene Villamor Wants You to Confront Truths About Love
- Armani, Annie Hall, and a Lot of Vintage: An Exclusive First Look at The Devil Wears Prada 2
- In Surface Tension, Mariana and Gabriela Serrano Wade Through Emotional Currents
