OCTOBER 21: BERLINALE FEATURE FILMS
The Berlinale is looking forward to receiving your submission. In order to submit a film to the Berlinale you first need to complete and send in the online submission form linked below. Thereafter, you'll find the upload link for the selection screener in your personal account. Both the completed submission form and the selection screener will need to reach the Berlinale within the stated deadline. Notification of the results of the selection process will take place as soon as possible, at the latest by the beginning of 2027.
Before you start, the festival asks you to carefully read its General Guidelines for Submission and Participation as well as the additional regulations of the individual sections and consult the FAQs if you have any questions. You can find an overview of the most important submission requirements below.
- Deadline for submission: October 21, 2026 for feature-length films / November 04, 2026 for short films
- Processing fee: €175 feature-length films / €75 short films (regardless of the number of sections you apply for)
- Date of completion: within the 12 months prior to the festival. Re-submissions are not eligible.
- Premiere Status: world premieres are given priority in all sections, however, the various sections differ in the minimum requirement of the premiere status: World and international premieres can be entered in all sections. Only the Perspectives, Panorama, Generation and Forum sections accept European premieres. The festival does not accept submissions of German premieres or films without premiere status (please refer to the section overview below and the respective guidelines of each section; the definition of the various premiere statuses can also be found in our FAQs).
- Accepted format for selection: file upload in mp4 format (H.264, AAC, Stereo) - see technical specifications. Selection screeners may not be exchanged with updated versions once uploaded. The film version that is submitted should at least have reached the stage of picture lock.
- Formats for festival presentation: DCP or QuickTime ProRes. 35mm and other formats only upon request. See technical specifications.
Section
Running time incl. credits
Premiere Status Minimum Requirement (World premieres are preferred)
Awards (as of September 2026 – subject to change)
min. 60'
International premiere (German productions have to be world premieres)
Golden Bear, Silver Bears, Berlinale Documentary Award, Teddy Awards, Heiner Carow Prize, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Prize of the FIPRESCI Jury, Guild Film Prize, Peace Film Prize, Amnesty International Film Award, Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Jury Award
min. 60'
European premiere
Best First Feature Award – funded by GWFF, Teddy Awards, Heiner Carow Prize
min. 60'
European premiere
Berlinale Documentary Award, Panorama Audience Awards, Teddy Awards, Heiner Carow Prize, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Prize of the FIPRESCI Jury, CICAE Art Cinema Award, Label Europa Cinemas, Peace Film Prize, Amnesty International Film Award
max. 20' (short films) min. 60' (feature films)
European premiere
Crystal Bears, Berlinale Documentary Award, Teddy Awards, Heiner Carow Prize, Peace Film Prize, Amnesty International Film Award
max. 30'
International premiere (German productions have to be world premieres)
Golden Bear for Best Short Film, Silver Bear Jury Prize, Berlinale Shorts CUPRA Filmmaker Award, Berlin Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards, Teddy Award
min. 60'
European premiere
Berlinale Documentary Award, Teddy Awards, Heiner Carow Prize, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Prize of the FIPRESCI Jury, CICAE Art Cinema Award, Caligari Film Prize, Peace Film Prize, Amnesty International Film Award, Prize of the Tagesspiegel Jury
min. 60'
International premiere
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Retrospective does not receive submissions. For information on the programmes Berlinale Special and Forum Expanded please visit the respective section profiles. If you want to submit a film to the European Film Market please use the EFM Film Entry.
- One entry form must be filled out for each film. You may submit to multiple sections with only one application.
- A film entry can only be finished successfully if your browser supports the use of “cookies”. For information regarding the handling and storage of your data, please see the Privacy Policy.
- You can save any ongoing registration process in your account, and return to it later for completion and submission within the stated deadline. In addition, you can use the “Back” and “Next” buttons to check or change your registration data at any time prior to sending it off.
- The submitted data will be made available for download in PDF format after the completion of your registration. Subsequent changes can only be made by the festival – please email clearly stating the film number you have been assigned during registration if you discover you want to change the information about your film after you have completed the submission process.
- The outcome of the selection process will be emailed to the email address given on the submission form as soon as a final decision has been made by all the sections involved.
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