The Berlin International Film Festival has revealed that celebrated German director, author and photographer Wim Wenders will lead the international jury for its 76th edition, in 2026. A towering figure in world cinema for more than six decades, Wenders brings with him an unparalleled artistic legacy and a profound connection to both German and international film culture.

“Wim Wenders is one of the most influential voices in international cinema. For six decades, he has made films that move and delight us with their humanity and sense of wonder,” stated Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle. “His insatiable curiosity and deep mastery of film language are evident in every work, whether he is exploring the gifts of other artists, or illuminating our own search for meaning and connection. To say we are proud of this homegrown polymath is an understatement, and we cannot wait to see where jury president Wim Wenders leads our jury in picking the Golden and Silver Bear winners of the 76th Berlinale.”

Accepting the position, Wenders commented: “It never struck me to even remotely think about being jury president in my hometown until Tricia Tuttle asked me. And then I realised: ‘Wow!’ It’ll be a whole new way to see films at the Berlinale – for once, to watch each and every one in the Competition and discuss them all in depth with a group of intelligent, movie-loving people. How good can it get? I’m grateful to Tricia for inviting me to partake in this rare experience.”

Wenders’ career, which spans fiction and documentary filmmaking, has profoundly shaped modern cinematic language. Emerging as a central figure of New German Cinema in the 1970s, he helped redefine the contours of the national film landscape. His early works – including The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty (1972), Alice in the Cities (1974), Kings of the Road (1976) and The American Friend (1977) – introduced a contemplative, road-driven sensibility that would become his signature.

Over the decades, Wenders has remained a pioneering and globally recognised artist. With Paris, Texas (winner of the Palme d’Or in 1984) and the iconic, Berlin-set Wings of Desire, he created two of the most enduring classics of contemporary cinema. His oeuvre also includes the ambitious sci-fi epic Until the End of the World (1991), the companion piece Faraway, So Close! (1993) and the acclaimed music documentary Buena Vista Social Club (1999), which earned both an Oscar nomination and the European Film Award for Best Documentary.

A restless experimenter, Wenders has also pushed cinematic form with 3D works such as Pina [+lee también:
tráiler
entrevista: Wim Wenders
ficha de la película], which premiered in competition at the Berlinale and won Best Documentary at the German Film Awards, and Anselm [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película], a visually inventive portrait of artist Anselm Kiefer. Most recently, Perfect Days [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película] garnered an Academy Award nomination. Wenders is also a co-founder of the European Film Academy and served as its president for more than two decades.

Wenders’ connection to the Berlinale is longstanding and profound. Beyond premiering multiple works at the festival – including The Million Dollar Hotel and Every Thing Will Be Fine [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
making of
ficha de la película] – he was a strong supporter of and contributor to the founding of the Berlinale Talent Campus (now Berlinale Talents). In 2015, he received the Honorary Golden Bear in recognition of his exceptional contributions to cinema.

The festival will run from 12-22 February, with the Golden and Silver Bears to be awarded on 21 February.