• Three African productions secured places among the 22 films competing for the Golden Bear at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.
• Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle described the 2026 edition as “eclectic and diverse” and reaffirmed the festival’s commitment to artistic cinema.
• The selection followed Africa’s second Golden Bear win in 2024 with Dahomey by Mati Diop.

Three African films secured selection among the 22 titles competing at the 76th Berlinale. Festival director Tricia Tuttle announced the lineup on Tuesday, January 20, during a press conference. She said the selection committee remained engaged “in a fight to defend the cinema we love” in a rapidly changing world. She also forecast an “eclectic and diverse” Berlinale. “If you find nothing to love here, then you do not love cinema,” she said, adding a touch of humor.

Scene from “À voix basse,” by Leyla Bouzid

The films representing Africa include À voix basse by Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid, Dao by Franco-Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis, and Soumsoum, la nuit des astres by Chadian director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. Leyla Bouzid won an award at the Venice Film Festival in 2015. Alain Gomis won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2017 and the Étalon d’Or de Yennenga at FESPACO the same year. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. These credentials position all three directors as strong contenders at this edition.

Scene from “Dao,” by Alain Gomis

Critics have welcomed all three films positively, and the selection could allow them to stand out at a festival that seeks to prioritize film quality over established global names. In 2024, Dahomey by Franco-Senegalese director Mati Diop won the Golden Bear, marking only the second African victory in Berlinale history.

Scene from “Soumsoum, la nuit des astres,” by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

The first African film to win the Golden Bear was U-Carmen eKhayelitsha. British director Mark Dornford-May adapted Bizet’s opera Carmen to a township setting, securing the festival’s first African triumph.

This article was initially published in French by Servan Ahougnon

Adapted in English by Ange J. A. de BERRY QUENUM