Berlinale director to remain in post despite festival controversy

Despite political controversies linked to the latest edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, festival director Tricia Tuttle will remain in her position.

The decision was made by the supervisory board of Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin (KBB), the institution responsible for organizing the city’s major cultural events, CE Report quotes ANSA.

The decision, taken in coordination with the Culture Ministry, was accompanied by a series of recommendations, including “the creation of a code of conduct, training for staff dealing with politically sensitive content, and the launch of an independent advisory forum representing various social groups, including Jewish voices,” Variety reported.

In its first official comment, the festival emphasized that the recommendations should not be considered strict conditions.

“Following today’s meeting of the KBB Supervisory Board on the future of the Berlinale, we welcome the Board’s confirmation of the importance of the independence of our work,” the statement said. “We share their belief that the festival is on the right path and can continue to grow and improve under the leadership of Tricia Tuttle. We have also received recommendations, rather than conditions, regarding the continuation of Tuttle’s mandate. Their evaluation and any implementation now rest with the Berlinale, and we will review them.”

The controversy surrounding the 2026 edition began at the opening press conference, when jury president Wim Wenders said that cinema should remain “outside politics because if we make films that are explicitly political, we enter a field that does not belong to us.”

The statement triggered a wave of reactions, including the decision by Indian writer Arundhati Roy to cancel her participation in the festival.

The most debated episode occurred at the end of the Berlinale during the awards ceremony, when Syrian-Palestinian director Abdallah Alkhatib, who was honored for his film “Chronicles from a Siege,” accused Germany of complicity in genocide from the stage, adding: “We will remember who stood with us and who stood against us.”

His remarks prompted Carsten Schneider, Germany’s environment minister, who was present at the ceremony, to leave the hall, and sparked a series of criticisms regarding Tuttle’s management of the festival.

According to Bild, the government had considered replacing her. However, Tuttle received strong support from Berlinale employees and hundreds of international filmmakers and film industry professionals, including Sean Baker, Tilda Swinton, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Tom Tykwer, and Todd Haynes.