Berlin International Film Festival – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

WEEK IN WOMEN: Michelle Yeoh receives honorary Golden Bear at 2026 Berlinale – Brandy McDonnell reports

January 28, 2026January 31, 2026 Brandy McDonnell 2026 Berlinale, Berlin International Film Festival, golden bear, Michelle Yeoh, the week in women, Tricia Tuttle, twiw

The Berlin International Film Festival will award the 2026 Honorary Golden Bear to Academy Award–winning actress Michelle Yeoh in recognition of her outstanding achievements in film and cinema. The 76th Berlin International Film Festival is set for Feb. 12-22 in Germany. Yeoh will be honored at the Opening Ceremony Feb. 12 at the Berlinale Palast. With a career spanning four decades and multiple continents, Yeoh is considered one of the most versatile and influential actresses of her generation, having made a lasting impact on international cinema.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Tilda Swinton to receive Honorary Golden Bear at Berlinale – Brandy McDonnell reports

January 29, 2025January 30, 2025 Brandy McDonnell Berlin International Film Festival, Honorary Golden Bear, lifetime achievement award, tilda swinton

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival will award Scottish actor Tilda Swinton the Honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement. Since 1977, the Berlin International Film Festival, aka the Berlinale, has paid tribute to the artistic lifetime achievement of leading figures in cinema with an Honorary Golden Bear. The award is presented every year at the Opening Gala, which this year is set for Feb. 13 at the Berlinale Palast.

Festivals

Berlin Film Festival 2023: Female Filmmaker Wrap – Serena Seghedoni reports

February 22, 2023February 22, 2023 Serena Seghedoni (Archived contributor) Berlin International Film Festival, berlinale 2023, female directors, Korean films, past lives

The Berlinale has been publishing a gender evaluation since 2004, and though the festival hasn’t reached gender parity yet, their inclusivity has significantly improved since 2019. If from 2002 to 2018 their percentage of female-directed films in competition amounted to 5-22%, in 2019 they almost reached gender parity with 41%, and the percentage has exceeded 30% every year since then. Their internal organization also reflects their desire to be inclusive, as they have achieved gender parity in almost all of their committees, juries, and even festival directors.

Festivals Reviews

PAST LIVES (Berlinale 2023) – Review by Serena Seghedoni

February 22, 2023February 23, 2023 Serena Seghedoni (Archived contributor) Berlin International Film Festival, berlinale 2023, celine song, Greta Lee, john magaro, Korean films, past lives, Seung Ah Moon

A favorite amongst audiences and critics and a strong contender for the Golden Bear is without a doubt Celine Song’s Past Lives, screened in competition after its World Premiere at Sundance and about to be distributed theatrically in the summer by A24. We first meet the film’s protagonist, her name is Na Young (Seung Ah Moon), she’s 12 years old and she lives in South Korea. But her family soon has to emigrate from the country, which means that Nora has to leave her childhood sweetheart/best friend Hae Sung behind and take on not only a new name, but also a new identity.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Kristen Stewart named Berlinale Jury President – Brandy McDonnell reports

January 27, 2023January 29, 2023 Brandy McDonnell Berlin International Film Festival, directorial debuts, film festivals, Kristen Stewart, twiw, week in women

Oscar-nominated American actor, screenwriter and director Kristen Stewart will serve as the president of the International Jury at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Stewart first attended the Berlin International Film Festival in 2010 with Welcome to the Rileys. She has just completed production on Love Me, as well as on Love Lies Bleeding, and is currently working on her feature-length directorial debut, the adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s The Chronology of Water.