Nancy Spielberg, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Radu Jude, Yuval Abraham and more have signed an open letter expressing “deep concern” over the potential dismissal of Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle.
Politics have taken the forefront at Berlinale this year, with multiple reporters asking actors and filmmakers to speak on key issues. The controversy started at the festival’s opening press conference, where jury president Wim Wenders insisted that filmmakers “have to stay out of politics” when asked about Germany’s support of the Israel-Gaza war.
“When personnel consequences are drawn from individual statements or symbolic interpretations, a troubling signal is sent: cultural institutions come under political pressure,” the open letter reads.
The letter arrives just hours after the Supervisory Board of the KBB (Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin) called a special meeting to determine the future of Berlinale. German tabloid Bild reported that Tuttle may be dismissed from her position as the festival’s controversies made repeated headlines.
“The Berlinale is more than a red carpet or a series of headlines,” the letter reads. “It is a space where perspectives intersect, narratives are questioned, and social tensions are brought into view. This is where discourse unfolds – at the very heart of cinema.”
2026 marks Tuttle’s second year in charge of Berlinale.
You can read the full letter and list of signatories below:
“As filmmakers in Germany and beyond, we are following the current debates surrounding the Berlinale and the proposed dismissal of Tricia Tuttle with deep concern. We stand in defense of the Berlinale for what it fundamentally is: a place of exchange.
The Berlinale is more than a red carpet or a series of headlines. It is a space where perspectives intersect, narratives are questioned, and social tensions are brought into view. This is where discourse unfolds – at the very heart of cinema.
Recent criticism has focused on statements made from the stage. None of these remarks were made by the festival leadership itself, but by invited filmmakers. An international film festival is not a diplomatic instrument; it is a democratic cultural space worthy of protection. Its strength lies in its ability to hold divergent perspectives and to give visibility to a plurality of voices.
A photograph of the festival leadership with filmmakers, in which a Palestinian flag was visible, has likewise been subject to criticism. Being photographed with international guests is part of the practice of such a festival. The visibility of different identities is not an endorsement; it is an expression of an open and democratic public sphere.
When personnel consequences are drawn from individual statements or symbolic interpretations, a troubling signal is sent: cultural institutions come under political pressure.
If an extraordinary meeting is convened to decide the future of the festival’s leadership, more is at stake than a single appointment. What is at issue is the relationship between artistic freedom and institutional independence.
The Berlinale has always been political — not party-political, but socially engaged. Film makes conflicts visible, opens up perspectives, and renders experiences of injustice and violence tangible. Cinema raises moral questions and asks us to endure ambiguity rather than resolve it prematurely. It illuminates power structures and gives visibility to experiences of oppression — not to deliver simple answers, but to enable meaningful public debate. That is precisely where its democratic value resides.
Especially in times of global crisis, we need spaces capable of sustaining disagreement. The independence of cultural institutions safeguards not only artistic freedom, but the vitality of democratic discourse itself.
If every controversy leads to institutional repercussions, discourse gives way to control.
We stand for a culture of exchange, not intimidation.
Where diversity remains visible, democracy remains alive.”
Unterzeichnende / Signatories:
Faraz Shariat, Regisseur und Produzent
Ilker Çatak, Regisseur
Janine Jackowski, Produzentin
Maryam Zaree, Regisseurin und Schauspielerin
Jonas Dassler, Schauspieler
Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu, Schauspielerin
Sebastian Urzendowsky, Schauspieler
Paulina Lorenz, Produzentin
Jakob Kijas, Verleiher
Jorgo Narjes, Produzent
Raquel Dukpa, Autorin
Tara Afsah, Produzentin
Lilian Pfeuffer, PR Agent
Karim Aïnouz, Regisseur
Dieu Hao Do, Autor und Regisseur
Helene Hegemann, Autorin & Regisseurin
Aaron Altaras, Schauspieler
Ramon Zürcher, Regisseur
Sol Bondy, Produzent
Fred Burle, Produzent
Ira Sachs, filmmaker and writer
Kleber Mendonça Filho, filmmaker and writer
Benny O. Arthur, Schauspieler
Mandy Krahn, Regisseurin
Pong Film (Alex Gerbaulet, Caroline Kirberg, Merle Kröger, Philipp Scheffner)
Clarissa Thieme, Regisseurin
Susanne Bieger, Dramaturgin
Mike MacMillan, Lithium Studios
Roshanak Khodabakhsh, Produzentin
Claudia Tomassini, PR Agent
Carsten Siebert, PR Agent
Paola Schettino Nobile, PR Agent
Jan Krüger, Produzent & Verleiher
Anja Joos, Schauspielagentin
Fani Suan-Baum, Acquisitions Executive
Felix von Boehm, Produzent
Constantin Lieb, Autor
Chen Emilie Yan, Schauspielerin
Lan Rommel, Produzentin
Maria Schrader, Schauspielerin und Regisseurin
Hoang Quynh Nguyen, Regisseurin & Drehbuchautorin
Daniel Kehlmann, Schriftsteller & Drehbuchautor
Olivier Kaempfer, Produzent
Konstantin Bock, Regisseur & Editor
Nancy Spielberg – Producer, Playmount productions
AG Filmfestival – Festivals in Deutschland e.V.
Amos Geva – Produzent, Regisseur
Tom Shoval – Screenwriter, Director
Hansjörg Weißbrich, Filmeditor
Prof. Beatrice Babin, Filmeditorin
Cecilia Frugiuele, Produzentin
Cassandra Sigsgaard, Produzentin
Christine A. Maier, DOP
Svea Pöstges, Kostüm
Balthasar Busmann, Produzent
Maxi Haslberger, Produzent
Eva Trobisch, Filmemacherin
Mona Bräuer, Filmeditorin
Sara Fazilat, Schauspielerin & Produzentin
Maja Tennstedt, Filmeditorin
Silvan Zürcher, Filmemacher
Andrea Schütte, Produzentin
Andrea Kuhn, Festivalleiterin
Sophie Ahrens, Produzentin
Isabelle Krauss, Festivalmacherin
Ruth Schönegge, Filmeditorin
Erik Glijnis, producer
Desiree Akhavan, Director
Julia Langhof, Regisseurin & Autorin
Alexandra Rossi, Produzentin
Christopher Aoun, DOP
Marie-Lou Sellem, Schauspielerin & Regisseurin
Udi Aloni, Autor & Regisseur
Maya Fischer, Producer
Barbara Toennieshen, Filmeditorin
Shaunak Sen, Director
Marcin Łuczaj, Sales
Ada Solomon, Producer, Chairperson of the European Film Academy
Dustin Loose, Regisseur
Markus Schleinzer, Regisseur, Drehbuchautor
Samm Haillay, producer
Juan Sarmiento G., DoP, Producer
Katharina Bergfeld, Producer
Jenny Lou Ziegel, DoP
Trini Götze, Produzentin
Fabian Stumm, Regisseur & Schauspieler
Roman Paul, Produzent, Germany
Adrian Campean, DoP
Fatih Abay, Industry Consultant
Lisa Bierwirth, Regisseurin, Autorin
Nicolette Krebitz, Regisseurin und Schauspielerin
Maike Mia Höhne, Regisseurin, Kuratorin
Georg Georgi, consultant
Mariam Shatberashvili, Produzentin
Florian Dietrich, Regisseur
Carlos Vasquez, DoP
Ina Weisse, Schauspielerin und Regisseurin
Elena Hahn, Setrequisiteurin
Alexander Wadouh, Produzent
Jens Harant, DoP
Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl, Produzentin
Amrou Al-Kadhi, Writer/Director
Valentina Huber, Producerin
Chris Curling, Producer
Lotta Kilian, DOP
Dejan Bućin, Schauspieler
Jana Briesner, Filmeditorin
Mikosch Horn, Verleiher
Patrick Horn, Verleiher
Julia Peters, Verleiherin
Aslı Özarslan, Regisseurin
Romina Küper, Schauspielerin und Regisseurin
Stefan Oliveira-Pita, Filmeditor
Karoline Schulz, Filmeditorin
Sabine Lidl, Regisseurin
Dani Levy, Regisseur
Asli Özge, Regisseurin, Autorin
Emre Erkmen, DoP
Emin Alper, Regisseur, Autor
Hugh Mulhern, Director
Ann Oren, Regisseurin, Autorin
Jon Kiriac, Schauspielagent
Natalia Dabrowska, Sales
Carlotta Cornehl, Produzentin
Uwe Schott, Produzent
Joanna Natasegara, Filmmaker
Anne Haug, Schauspielerin und Autorin
Yuval Abraham, Regisseur und Journalist
Tolley Shields, PR
Jan-Peter Horstmann, Regisseur und Drehbuchautor
Leandro Goddinho, Regisseur und Dozent
Benita Sarah Bailey, Schauspielerin und Produzentin
Julius Feldmeier, Schauspieler & Regisseur
Jussi Rantamäki, producer
Alemberg Ang, producer
Lena May Graf, Regie/Drehbuch
Mohamed Shalaby, Producer/Director
Melina Pafundi, Producer, Director, Film restorer
Lea Najjar, Regisseurin
Florian Pochlatko, Regisseur, Autor, Österreich
Alexa Karolinski, Autorin und Regisseurin
Emma Alice Gräf, Filmeditorin
Philip Froissant, he/him Schauspieler
Alexandru Solomon, filmmaker, Romania
Jana Raschke, Dramaturgin
Natalia Libet, producer, Ukraine
Fabian Altenried, Produzent
Heike Parplies, Editorin
Olha Bregman, producer, Ukraine
Sebastian Brameshuber, Regisseur, Österreich
Alisa Kovalenko, director, filmmaker, Ukraine
Aenne Schwarz, Schauspielerin,
Tina Mersmann, Filmschaffende
Patrick Heidmann, Filmjournalist & Moderator
Emilie Lesclaux, producer, Brazil
Nele Müller Stöfen, Schauspielerin & Regisseurin
Claudia Schröder, DOP
Babette Dieu, Festival Worker
Tom Hawkins, producer, UK
Soleen Yusef, Autorin & Regisseurin
Petra Volpe, Regisseurin
William Light, Regisseur
Frank Griebe, DoP,
France Orsenne, Produzentin Deutschland
Rosa Bosch – international consultant
Vincent Edusei, Produzent
Lena Krenz, DOP
Annika Pinske, Regisseurin
Stefan Butzmühlen, Regisseur / Verleiher
Samantha Mialet – 1st AD
Luise Hauschild, Produzentin
Christine Lang, Prof. & Filmschaffende
Roxana Richters, Produzentin
Florian Hoffmann, Regisseur
Ruta Svedkauskaite, Festivals Liaison
Michael Sideris, Schauspieler
Magdalena Banasik, sales
Anna Potter, script supervisor, writer
Lucas Flasch, Drehbuchautor
César Luna, Distributor
Max Kerkhoff, Filmemacher
Caroline Daube, Produzentin
Michael Arnon – PR Agent
Johan Löfstedt, producer
Bundesverband Kommunale Filmarbeit
AG Kurzfilm
Hauptverband Cinephilie
Constanza Macras Choreographer
Pavel Bozhilov, Regisseur
Lea van Acken- Schauspielerin
Rebekka Garrido, Producer
Marie Rosa Tietjen Actress/ Director
Alexander Beyer, Colorist, DIT
Andrea Kessler, Szenenbildnerin
Gordon Spragg – PR Agent
María Royo – Director & Producer
Alexandra Koknat, Casting Director
Jan-Ole Gerster, Autor & Regisseur
Bérénice Vincent, Sales Agent
Nadav Lapid, Writer & Director
Lena Kammermeier, Drehbuchautorin
Paula Vaccaro, producer/scriptwriter, johannes Suhm, Schauspieler
European Producers Club Board Member and Vice-president.
Anna Sagalovskaya, Talent Agent
Ari Folman, Director, Israel
Jan Künemund, Kurator
Thommy Mayer, Arts&Music producer
Bettina Böhler, Filmeditorin
Pheline Roggan, Schauspielerin
Lora Betsinska, DFFB Studentin
Ulé Barcelos, Kostümbildnerin
Andreas Struck, Regisseur, Autor, Kino-Co-Leiter
Stephan Ryll, Regieassistent
Eliza Capai, director, Brazil
Tuna Kaptan, Autor & Regisseur
Caroline Link, Regisseurin
Janina Herhoffer, Editorin, Dramaturgin
RegisseurinAnna SofIe Hartmann,
Janina Findeisen, Autorin & Regisseurin
Regisseurin& Drehbuchautorin
Stefan Stabenow, Filmeditor
Michael Randel, Szenenbildner
Leonie Schäfer, Producerin
Clara Fee Stürzl, Kostümbildnerin
Sherry Hormann, Regisseurin
Silke Botsch, Filmeditorin& KI Regisseurin ]
Carolin Schmitz, Regisseurin und Autorin
Amelie Kienlin, Produzentin
Dominik Graf, Regisseur
Anne Misselwitz, DoP
Ines Johnson-Spain, Regisseurin, Autorin
Dino Osmanović, DOP
Bastian Hopfgarten, VFX Supervisor
Mala Reinhardt, Filmemacherin
Janne Ebel, DoP
Marie Kreutzer, Regisseurin, Drehbuchautorin
Ido Fluk, Writer & Director
Billur Turan, Production Designer
Radu Jude, Writr & Director
Andreas Döhler, Schauspieler
Alexander Nanau, Director & Producer
Mete Sasioglu, Producer
Beth de Araujo, Writer & Director
Stephanie Fuchs, Sales Agent
Susanne Regina Meures, RegisseurinS
Leonie Krippendorff, Regisseurin
Anne Laurent-Delage & Autorin
Sabine Herpich, Regisseurin
