Overview
- Ilker Çatak’s Yellow Letters won the Golden Bear with its portrait of artists targeted under Turkish state repression.
- Emin Alper’s Salvation took the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, and in his remarks he cited Gaza, Iran and Turkish political prisoners including Ekrem İmamoğlu.
- Abdallah Alkhatib, honored for Best First Feature with Chronicles From the Siege, accused the German government of being a partner to Israeli genocide and displayed a Palestinian flag as some in the audience shouted “Free Palestine.”
- Festival director Tricia Tuttle said the Berlinale is not a space for silence, and jury president Wim Wenders addressed polarization after earlier criticism over his initial reluctance to take a public stance on Gaza.
- Other awards included Queen at Sea winning the Silver Bear Jury Prize with Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall sharing supporting honors, Sandra Hüller named best leading performance for Rose, Grant Gee best director, Geneviève Dulude-de Celles best screenplay and Anna Fitch and Banker White recognized for artistic contribution.