Berlinale Head Tricia Tuttle Faces Dismissal Amid Political Controversy

Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer intends to dismiss Tricia Tuttle, head of the Berlin International Film Festival , German daily Bild reported on Wednesday, citing sources within the organization responsible for the Berlinale's management, the "Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH" (KBB). Bild reportedly obtained the confirmation from the Culture Ministry that Weimer is calling an extraordinary meeting of the KBB on Thursday, but no official announcement as to Tuttle's dismissal has been made yet. According to Bild , Weimer and Tuttle agree that she could not remain at the helm of the renowned film festival, following the political backlash generated by speeches at the awards ceremony on February 22. Bild also mentions a picture that allegedly compromises Tuttle's credibility in the eyes of the German government. The tabloid paper describes a February 15 press photo of the festival director posing with the crew of the film "Chronicles From the Siege," directed by Palestinian-Syrian filmmaker Abdallah Alkhatib, as a "scandal" and a "demonstrative propaganda photo." While different members of the film team are wearing a keffiyeh and one person is holding a Palestinian flag, the festival director herself is not wearing any symbols. It was Tuttle's second year at the head of the Berlin film festival. The Berlinale has been dealing with criticism and accusations of antisemitism since its 2024 edition . Tricia Tuttle on the red carpet at the 2026 opening ceremony Image: Julie Edwards/Photoshot/picture alliance Freedom of speech and the Gaza debate: An impossible balancing act? This year's Berlinale prize winners , and their acceptance speeches, revealed the difficult balancing act the festival is trying to maintain. Closing a 10-day festival that had kicked off with a social media storm surrounding jury president Wim Wenders' comment that filmmakers should " stay out of politics ," the films that were selected to win the top awards, Ilker Catak's "Yellow Letters" and Emin Alper's "Salvation," demonstrated that the Berlinale remains the most political of Europe's three big film festivals, next to Cannes and Venice. Despite an open letter which accused the festival of censoring artists speaking out on Gaza, various award winners used their acceptance speeches to make political statements on the issue. Palestinian prize-winner's comment leads to political backlash One award winner in particular directly criticized the German government for remaining a staunch ally of Israel. Syrian-Palestinian director Abdallah Alkhatib, who picked up a prize for Best First Feature Award with his film "Chronicles From the Siege," noted upon accepting the award that as a refugee in Germany, people had warned him against crossing "red lines" in his speech. He nevertheless asked why the country accepted to be "partners of the genocide in Gaza by Israel. I believe you are intelligent enough to recognize this, but you choose not to care." Environment Minister Carsten Schneider — the only member of the German government attending the ceremony — walked out of the awards ceremony during Alkhatib's speech, later stating that the remarks were "unacceptable." Wolfram Weimer, Government Commissioner for Culture, rejected Alkhatib's claim on Germany's position: "These false claims are malicious and poison the political debate. They destroy the appreciation of film art at the Berlinale," he told the newspaper Tagesspiegel . Germany remains one of Israel's staunchest supporters, and its second largest arms supplier. Political leaders say this position is principally based on historical guilt for the Nazi Holocaust — ​a policy known as the "Staatsraison," or " reason of state ." Human rights experts, scholars and a United Nations inquiry say Israel's assault on Gaza amounts to genocide, which Israel strongly denies, saying that its actions in Gaza are justified as self-defence following the October 7, 2023 terror attacks. Festival director Tricia Tuttle: 'We don't get directives at all' The German government funds 40% of the film festival. Amid significant cuts in arts and culture funding, the festival is under pressure to maintain the state's support. During the Berlinale, festival director Tricia Tuttle insisted that this does not constrain Berlinale in what it can say or do: "They have strategic oversight, in that I report to them about financial matters," she told DW, but "what we do, what we say, is entirely up to us. We don't get missives. We don't get directives at all." In 2024, Berlin's culture minister attempted to make arts funding available only to those who committed to the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism . Although the proposed "anti-discrimination clause" for arts funding was ultimately dropped, it has also contributed to the pressure felt by cultural institutions. One argument in the 2026 open letter against the Berlinale is that the festival has in the past made "clear statements" about the "atrocities" carried out against civilians in Ukraine and Iran. "We call on the Berlinale to fulfill its moral duty and clearly state its opposition to Israel's genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Palestinians, and completely end its involvement in shielding Israel from criticism and calls for accountability," the letter reads. Tuttle justified the festival's attempt to remain neutral through the fact that this particular issue "is really polarizing. Every conversation you have, you need to hold the complexity of the situation." Tuttle said she found this year's Berlinale 'emotionally challenging' Image: Liesa Johannssen/REUTERS Pressure from both sides of the Gaza issue The Berlinale is also closely observed by Israeli authorities and cultural commentators. Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, praised Carsten Schneider's walkout from the gala: "Respect for Minister Schneider and his moral clarity," he told the Bild newspaper on Sunday, adding that the Berlinale risked jeopardizing its good reputation if it "served as a platform for Israel-haters." Also reacting to the awards ceremony, a blogger from the Times of Israel claims that "Germany's cultural elite is playing with fire," while a commenter from the Jüdische Allgemeine Zeitung described Alkhatib's speech as "bigotry." On the other side of the debate, the campaign pushing the Berlinale to take an official position on Gaza also put filmmakers and actors under pressure, as they were questioned on their political stances at news conferences throughout the week. This not only led to Wenders' controversial "stay out of politics" soundbite; many others were asked questions that were unrelated to their films. "These viral moments can be really damaging for the films, if it means that all we're writing about is the controversy, not the films," said Tuttle, pointing out that the loaded questions are not just harmful for the festival, but for the cultural personalities who have accepted to take part in the event: "People are forced to speak, and if they don't speak, then that is an affront to people. If they do speak and don't say what the questioner wants to hear, that is an affront. And if they say the wrong thing, then that's a massive problem." The Wim Wenders clip that went viral also led Indian author Arundhati Roy to boycott the festival. She felt that saying filmmakers should stay out of politics "is a way of shutting down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds before us in real time — when artists, writers and film-makers should be doing everything in their power to stop it." Wim Wenders was not the only filmmaker asked about his political opinions during the festival Image: Axel Schmidt/REUTERS "Artists are free to exercise their right of free speech in whatever way they choose," Tuttle said in reaction to the social media storm. They "should not be expected to comment on all broader debates about a festival's previous or current practices over which they have no control." Insight from Ilker Catak's 'Yellow Letters' Ilker Catak, whose "Yellow Letters" won the Golden Bear for best film, provided one of the most powerful speeches of the awards ceremony. He noted that the focus of the conversation should not be social media quotes pitting filmmakers against each other: "We are not enemies. We are allies," he said. The real threat, he added, "is the autocrats, the right-wing parties, the nihilists of our time. Let us not fight each other. Let's fight them.” Ilker Catak won the Golden Bear for best film for 'Yellow Letters' Image: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo/picture alliance "Yellow Letters" is about two artists who lose their position in a state theater due to their political opinions. The Turkish-language film had the German cities of Berlin and Hamburg stand in for Ankara and Istanbul. The political drama also remains purposely vague about the names of the politicians who are repressing their artistic freedom, and equally avoids detailing whatever the artists have done to face a work ban. Some film critics felt this vagueness hampered the impact of "Yellow Letters," but others noted that the fact that the film was shot in Germany provided a strong reminder that artist censorship can happen anywhere, not just in Turkey. The question remains: as the Berlinale navigates the polarized debates of our times, will it retain its commitment to diverse — if at times controversial — artistic voices? Berlinale 2026: The Golden and Silver Bears winners "Yellow Letters" took the top prize among the 22 films in the Berlin International Film Festival's main competition this year. Here are the other award-winning works. Image: Ella Knorz/ifProductions/Alamode Film Golden Bear: 'Yellow Letters' German director Ilker Çatak, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2023 with "The Teachers' Lounge," explores in "Yellow Letters" how political repression targets artistic freedom in this Turkish-language drama about a celebrated theater couple from Ankara who find themselves targeted by the state. Along with the festival's top award, the Golden Bear, the film also won the Guild Film Prize. Image: Ella Knorz_ifProductions_Alamode Film Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: 'Salvation' In a remote mountain village in eastern Turkey, an inter-clan conflict escalates into massacre. Turkish director Emin Alper's "Salvation" is inspired by a real-life blood feud that led to the 2009 Mardin engagement ceremony massacre. The timely cautionary tale won the second highest prize of the competition. Image: Liman Film Silver Bear Jury Prize: 'Queen at Sea' Sexual consent in dementia is one of the ethical dilemmas explored in Lance Hammer's drama "Queen at Sea," which stars Juliette Binoche as the daughter of a woman diving deeper into dementia, played by Anna Calder-Marshall. The aging woman is taken care of by her husband, Martin, portrayed by British actor Tom Courtenay. The film won the third prize in the Berlinale competition. Image: Seafaring/Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Director: 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans' Filmmaker Grant Gee elegantly portrays a somber phase in the life of musician Bill Evans. Norwegian actor Anders Danielsen Lie plays the lead role of the iconic jazz pianist, who is numbed by grief following the death of his bass player, Scott LaFaro, in 1961. The work was honored by the Berlinale jury with a Silver Bear. Image: Shane O'Connor 2026 Cowtown Pictures_Hot Property Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Sandra Hüller In this tale on gender construction directed by Austrian director Markus Schleinzer, a mysterious soldier claims to be the heir of an abandoned farm in an isolated 17th-century village. German actress Sandra Hüller stuns in the title role of "Rose," portraying a woman who dresses as a man to obtain more freedom. Her muscular acting was recognized with a Silver Bear. Image: 2026 Schubert, ROW Pictures, Walker+Worm Film, Gerald Kerkletz Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall The jury honored the shattering performances of Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall in "Queen at Sea." They portray a couple who have been together for 19 years, but the nature of their relationship is tested by the advanced dementia of the woman in the couple, Leslie. Image: Seafaring Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: 'Nina Roza' French Canadian director Genevieve Dulude-de Celles had already won a Berlinale award in the Generation section in 2019. Her new work, "Nina Roza," follows the journey of a Montreal-based art expert who, after having cut ties with his Bulgarian culture and family years earlier, is sent on assignment to his home country to meet a young art prodigy. The screenplay was honored with a Silver Bear. Image: Alexandre Nour Desjardins Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: 'Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)' Anna Fitch pays tribute to her late friend, Yolanda Shea, through this joyful documentary that uses puppets and small-scale reproductions of the spirited woman's environment to recreate episodes of her life. Adding to the magic, acting roles are given to insects and birds. Fitch and her partner, Banker White, spent a decade working on this project that has now been crowned with a Silver Bear. Image: Mirabel Pictures Prize of the Ecumenical Jury: 'Flies' Olga (Teresita Sanchez) leads a reclusive life. Facing financial difficulties, she decides to rent a room in her flat and unexpectedly develops a bond with a 9-year-old child (Bastian Escobar). The heart-warming film by Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke won the prize of the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. Image: Kinotitlán FIPRESCI Jury Prize: 'Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars' French-Chadian filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's magical realist fable follows a young woman troubled by haunting visions who befriends a village outcast. The prize of FIPRESCI Jury (International Federation of Film Critics) went to this arthouse work. Image: Pili Films 10 images 1 | 10 10 images Update: This article was first published on February 23 and updated following reports of Tuttle's possible dismissal on February 25, 2026. Edited by: Brenda Haas and Ruairi Casey