Berlinale Talents 2025

Berlinale Talents is a talent development programme that explores the how and why of movie making. Since 2003, it has grown to become a one-of-a-kind forum for film professionals and cinema lovers alike, featuring public talks, workshops, networking events and alumni screenings.

Berlinale Talents is aimed at emerging film actors, audience designers (i.e. curators, cinema or festival makers), composers, cinematographers, directors, distributors, editors, film critics, producers, production designers, sales agents, screenwriters, sound designers and digital set designers with an existing portfolio of work. 

Berlinale Talents is aimed at film and television professionals with an existing track record of work and who are willing to share their experiences with others. To be eligible, you need to have made at least one feature-length film OR two short films OR a high-quality drama series or TV movie that have screened in festivals or been widely streamed. Students are only admitted in very exceptional cases, e.g. if they have previously worked in the film business. If you don’t fulfill these criteria yet, don’t worry - simply apply for a future edition! If you wish to apply as a distributor, sales agent or audience designer, you should have been involved in either the distribution or sale of at least two feature-length films or be responsible for a cinema space or festival, e.g. as a curator. If you're applying as a critic, you should be publishing film-related articles, interviews or essays on a regular and professional basis.

Selection criteria

Since "talent" is a broad term and ultimately a very individual characteristic, we don’t have hard selection criteria beyond the eligibility requirements set out under "Who can apply?". Nevertheless, there are several soft factors in the selection committee’s work. Their decision will take into account aspects such as “professionalism” (education, professional independence, track record etc.), “craftsmanship” (aesthetic capacities as shown e.g. in your work sample), “resonance” (relations with your local communities, acceptance among festival programmers, audiences and press etc.) and the “relevance” of your work (willingness to take artistic risks, to overcome internal and external boundaries, and to deal with individual and social issues etc.). We also look for innovative qualities in your work (new modes of collaboration, technical innovations and other fresh approaches in your field of work). However, please be assured that we don’t check boxes and truly believe in everyone’s individual strengths, including yours. We encourage you to honestly and fully present who you are as an artist and what you think is right to move your work forward, inspire others and impact the world that surrounds you.

Berlinale Talents is an initiative funded by public entities, partners from the industry and its own communities. So that we can continue to offer our services, all applicants contribute a service fee as part of their first application. Since we'd like to encourage you to try again if your first application is not successful or if you want to join our Talents Labs as an alumni, your initial fee automatically includes a second application round if it falls within the following five years.

When applying you can choose between three rates: the standard rate of 20 Euro covers our costs but can be a lot of money for some applicants. Thanks to our Talents Solidarity Pact we can offer a reduced rate of 10 Euro for those who have to get along with less income. And if your background allows you to support others, you can help your fellow applicants by paying the solidarity rate of 25 Euro. The decision is all yours and there's no proof of income needed.