35 Film Projects From 27 Countries For Berlinale Co-Production Market
For the 23rd Berlinale Co-Production Market scheduled for between February 14—17, 35 film projects from 27 countries have been selected. Their producers will meet with 600 potential co-producers, world sales agents, distributors and other financiers at the event, which will primarily take place this year in the Atrium Tower at the Berlinale Service Center, right next to the Berlinale Palast. The goal is to realise the feature films as international co-productions. The 390 submissions for the official project selection represent a significant increase of 50 projects compared to the previous year. Interestingly, women are directing 16 of the 35 projects.

Renowned international production companies and multiple award-winning directors are behind the selected, already partially financed projects, including Alonso Ruizpalacios, Aida Begic, Eduardo Casanova, Klaudia Reynicke, Signe Baumane, Deepak Rauniyar, Amanda Nell Eu, Fernando Guzzoni, Hao Wu and Leonie Krippendorff. The Berlinale Directors section will be adding four new projects in the early stages of financing, whose directors are also well-known: Dénes Nagy won the Silver Bear for Best Director in 2021 with Natural Light. Rodrigo Moreno’s The Custodian was honoured in the 2006 Berlinale Competition. Laurynas Bareisa, recently awarded for his feature films in Venice and Locarno, presented his short film, Dummy in the Berlinale Shorts Competition in 2020. Two additional feature film projects — Beirut Baby by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige and The Dispute by Andrea Ellsworth and Kasey Elise Walker, produced by Riley Keough’s U.S. production company Felix Culpa — are looking for partners both at CineMart Rotterdam and the Berlinale Co-Production Market as part of the Rotterdam-Berlinale Express. “Genre is strongly represented in our selection this year: horror, particularly body horror, provides a powerful and commercially interesting narrative form for several projects with relevant political and psychological themes. But participants will also find outstanding arthouse animation projects, dramas, thrillers, action films, and some comedies among the projects they can help finance and realise. Family models, gender-based violence, identity, and self-determination are some of the recurring themes this time,” says Martina Bleis, head of the Berlinale Co-Production Market. A project from Sudan will be presented in cooperation with the Berlinale World Cinema Fund: Blue Card by Mohammed Alomda. Currently structured as a co-production with Germany and supported by the WCF in 2025, the project is looking for additional partners to complete financing.

Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2026
Beyond Film Series
Sundance International Film Festival has unveiled the lineup of authors, celebrities and directors that will feature in this year’s Beyond Film series programme. Beyond Film provides a free community experience to Festival attendees through artist discussions, talks with filmmakers and experts across various disciplines, and exciting opportunities for audience engagement. This year’s lineup, holds from January 23–30, includes Cinema Café presented by Audible and The Big Conversation | From Fire to Flight: Humans, Technology and Time. Beyond Film will feature conversations from various participants, such as Olivia Wilde (Director and Cast, The Invite and Cast, I Want Your Sex), Ava DuVernay, Salman Rushdie (Subject, Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie), Richard Linklater (Director, Nouvelle Vague), Nicole Holofcener (Director, Worried), John Turturro (Cast, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York), Billie Jean King (Subject, Give Me the Ball!), Antoine Fuqua (Director, Troublemaker), Gregg Araki (Director, I Want Your Sex and Mysterious Skin), and Barbara Kopple (Director, American Dream). This year’s programming will include a live podcast recording of Visitations featuring James Wan (Writer-director, Saw) with hosts Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah. Also, for the first time, Sundance introduces a segment called ‘Story Forum’, where there will be a discussion about the latest innovations and technology in storytelling. This year’s series also features a special tribute to the festival’s 43-year history in Utah. The 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the final edition in Utah, runs January 22 through February 1 in Park City and Salt Lake City. This edition of the festival will serve as a meaningful tribute to Robert Redford and his vision that has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema around the world. During the second half of the Festival, the Park City Legacy programme will celebrate the festival’s rich history and shared experiences in Utah through archival screenings of iconic films from previous editions, artist talks with notable Festival alumni, and a special event for the community. Additional information on the series and on the festival can be sourced at www.festival.sundance.org

African Indigenous Language Film Festival To Hold In April
The third edition of the African Indigenous Language Film Festival (AILFF), which was earlier scheduled to hold in December 2025, will now hold as from April 1 to 3, 2026. Founder and Festival Director, Mr. Osezua Stephen-Imobhio, who announced the new dates, described the rescheduling as a proactive step aimed at expanding the festival’s global reach and enhancing the overall experience for participants. Stephen-Imobhio noted that the new timeline allows the festival to deepen its curatorial scope, attract broader international participation, and present a more robust programme. The upcoming edition is expected to feature a rich blend of film screenings, masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking events. Additional information can be sourced at www.ailff.com.