The Berlinale Co-Production Market is set to launch its 23rd edition between 14 and 17 February, once again positioning itself as a key launchpad for ambitious international co-productions. This year’s selection comprises 35 feature film projects from 27 countries, chosen from among a record-breaking 390 submissions. The market will primarily take place in the Berlinale Service Centre’s Atrium Tower, adjacent to the Berlinale Palast, with the clear goal of connecting producers with international partners in order to bring these films to fruition.

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Women direct 16 of the 35 selected projects, underscoring the market’s continued commitment to diversity and gender balance. According to Martina Bleis, head of the Berlinale Co-Production Market, genre cinema plays a particularly prominent role this year, with horror – especially body horror – emerging as a powerful narrative vehicle for political and psychological themes. Alongside genre projects, the line-up also features arthouse animation, dramas, thrillers, action films and comedies, with recurring motifs including family models, gender-based violence, identity and self-determination.

Among the officially selected projects are partially financed films, backed by renowned international production companies and multiple award-winning filmmakers. Directors represented this year include Aida Begić (responsible for Cannes’ Critics’ Week winner Snow [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Aida Begić
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intervista: Eduardo Casanova
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intervista: Klaudia Reynicke
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intervista: Signe Baumane
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intervista: Amanda Nell Eu
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intervista: Deepak Rauniyar, Asha Magr…
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The Berlinale Directors section will offer up four new projects in the early stages of financing by filmmakers well-known to Berlinale audiences. These include Dénes Nagy (the Silver Bear winner via Natural Light [+leggi anche:
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The Rotterdam-Berlinale Express will once again strengthen the connection between major European co-production platforms, with Beirut Baby by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, and The Dispute by Andrea Ellsworth and Kasey Elise Walker seeking partners at both CineMart and the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

In co-operation with the Berlinale World Cinema Fund, the market will also present Blue Card by Sudanese filmmaker Mohammed Alomda, a project supported by the WCF in 2025 and currently structured as a German-Sudanese co-production.

The Talent Project Market, organised in collaboration with Berlinale Talents, will showcase ten alumni producers at a fundamental moment in their international careers. The selection includes new projects by filmmakers such as Álvaro Gago, who premiered Matria [+leggi anche:
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Several cash prizes will be awarded during the market, including the €20,000 Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, the €10,000 VFF Talent Highlight Award, the €6,000 ARTEKino International Award, and the €5,000 Gen Z Audience Award, sponsored by the Franco-German Youth Office (DFJW/OFAJ) and decided upon by a jury of film students.

Last but not least, five companies will participate in the Company Matching programme, which focuses on long-term, structural networking around production slates rather than individual projects. To date, nearly 400 international co-productions have emerged from the Berlinale Co-Production Market, with recent successes including Franz [+leggi anche:
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The full selection is as follows:

Official Feature Film Project Selection

Nativity – Francisca Alegría (Chile)
Producer: Quijote Films

Karmic Knot – Signe Baumane (Latvia/Germany)
Producers: Studio Locomotive, Fabian&Fred

Sylvia – Aida Begić (Serbia)
Producer: This and That Productions

The Black Goat – Eduardo Casanova (Spain)
Producer: Morena Films

Black As Snow – Farhad Delaram (France)
Producer: Unité

The Talas Affair – Ivan Grbovic (Canada)
Producer: micro_scope

People Still Die of Love – Fernando Guzzoni (Chile/Colombia)
Producers: Oro Films, Hea Sas

Life is Yours – Emma Kawawada (Japan)
Producer: Toei Company

Mercury Child – Leonie Krippendorff (Germany)
Producer: Razor Film Produktion

Feral – Nihaarika Negi (India/Germany)
Producers: Moonweave Films, Mayana Films

Lotus Feet – Amanda Nell Eu (Malaysia)
Producer: Ghost Grrrl Pictures

The Taste of Salt – Deepak Rauniyar (UK/Nepal)
Producers: Film and Music Entertainment, Aadi Films

Il Dominio – Klaudia Reynicke (Switzerland)
Producer: Turnus Film

riot/girl – Arman T. Riahi (Austria/France)
Producers: Golden Girls Filmproduktion & Filmservices, Les Contes Modernes

Manatee – Anna Roller (Germany/France)
Producers: kalekone film, Totem Atelier

Cura Sana – Lucía G. Romero (Spain)
Producer: Filmax

The Transmigration of Bodies – Alonso Ruizpalacios (Mexico)
Producer: Saltalaliebre

Mum is in Puberty – Ami-Ro Sköld (Sweden)
Producer: Onoma Productions

All in My Family – Hao Wu (USA)
Producer: Q&A Entertainment

Berlinale Directors Projects

Liberations – Laurynas Bareisa (Lithuania)
Producer: afterschool production

The Vacation – Dénes Nagy (Hungary/France)
Producers: Campfilm, Films de Force Majeure

The Last Frontier – Rodrigo Moreno (Argentina/Luxembourg)
Producers: Wanka Cine, Les Films Fauves

World Cinema Market Project

Blue Card – Mohammed Alomda (Sudan/Germany)
Producers: Station Films, Mayana Films

Rotterdam-Berlinale Express

The Dispute – Andrea Ellsworth, Kasey Elise Walker (USA)
Producer: Felix Culpa

Beirut Baby – Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige (Lebanon/France)
Producers: Abbout Productions, Haut et Court

Talent Project Market

Yesterday I Will Love You – Guillermo Benet (Spain)
Producer: Solita Films

Miss Pandora – Jan Forsström (Finland)
Producer: Tekele Productions

Porto Alegre – Álvaro Gago (Spain)
Producer: Ringo Media

The Most Romantic Man in the World – Simon Jaquemet (Switzerland)
Producer: 8horses

Fabric of Grief – Samantha Moore (United Kingdom)
Producer: Animate Projects

Watch It Burn – Makbul Mubarak (Indonesia)
Producer: KawanKawan Media

Apnea – Lô Politi (Brazil)
Producer: Enquadramento Produções

Fear Zone – Alina Simone (USA)
Producer: Cinemaria

Acts of Kindness – Ellen Ugelstad (Norway)
Producers: Twentyone Pictures, Mantra Film

Claude – Narcisse Wandji (Cameroon)
Producer: Les Films d’Ebène

Company Matching Programme

2Brave Productions (Ukraine)
Bubbles Project (Brazil)
Elastica (Spain)
Kino Produzioni (Italy)
X Filme Creative Pool (Germany)