Taking place annually in February, Berlinale is one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and drawing both big stars and upcoming talents. Around 200 films of various genres, lengths and formats are screened in locations across the capital – approximately 20 of which will compete for the prestigious Golden and Silver Bears. During Berlinale’s 75th anniversary in 2025, Fremantle also celebrated two world premieres: Paternal Leave, a feature film from Wildside, and the short film Through Your Eyes from Momo Film Co.

Premiering on the red carpet and in competition this year, Rosebush Pruning is a contemporary satire from award-winning director Karim Aïnouz focusing on the absurdity of the traditional patriarchal family. The film is a collaborative project between Fremantle company The Apartment, MUBI and The Match Factory.

Starring Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Elena Anaya, Tracy Letts, Elle Fanning and Pamela Anderson, the film takes place in Catalonia, Spain. In an opulent villa, siblings Jack, Ed, Anna and Robert wallow in self-isolation, avoiding the demands of their blind father and seeking validation from each other and their inherited fortune. When eldest sibling Jack announces he is moving in with his girlfriend, blood ties are severed and Ed starts to uncover the truth about their mother’s death. Under the Catalonian sun, the fabric of the family begins to disintegrate…

Also in competition at this year’s Berlinale, Dao stars Béa Mendy and is set in France and Africa. Using continuous movement to frame reality, the film is centred around two family celebrations: a wedding in France and a commemorative ceremony in West-African country Guinea Bissau. Themes of joy, pain, memory and transmission come into play as the family travels between the two worlds. Dao is a co-production from Fremantle company Srab Films – part of Asacha Media Group – alongside Les films du Worso, Yennenga Production, Nafi Films, Telecine Bissau Produçoes and Canal+ Afrique.

Berlinale 2026 will take place from 12-22 February.