76th Berlin International Film Festival

Competition: Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars

Motivation: “We have the honour to dedicate our prize to a film of quiet yet profound poetic and political power. Set in a desert village suspended between reality and dream, the film follows a young woman marked as different and treated as an outsider. Through restrained dialogue and a masterful interplay of image, rhythm, and sound, it is a work of luminous magical realism in which landscape becomes both aesthetic and emotional terrain. With its contemplative pacing, striking cinematography, feminist force and critique of authoritarianism, the film affirms the autonomy of its heroine, in its delicate balance between beauty and resistance. The FIPRESCI prize goes to Soumsoum, la nuit des astres directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.”

Perspectives: Animol

Motivation: “With very impressive cinematography and authentic performances, the movie depicts a detention center – a violent environment where young people are serving their sentences. The film subtly portrays the tensions and rivalries required to survive, as well as the friendships between the characters, and ultimately delivers a positive message. The FIPRESCI prize goes to Animol directed by Ashley Walters.”

Panorama: Narciso

Motivation: “A film that doesn’t explain authoritarianism, but makes it audible and breathable through radio, interiors, and the nocturnal city. Its paranoid-thriller grammar turns culture—what is broadcast, what is heard—into a battleground where desire, prestige, and fear quietly reorganize public life. The FIPRESCI Panorama Jury awards the prize to Narciso by Marcelo Martinessi.”

Forum: AnyMart

Motivation: “We were captivated by this sharp satire, at once humorous and horrific, of contemporary Japanese youth confronted with harsh, mind-numbing jobs and toxic family pressure. As a horror comedy, it achieves a striking balance between moments of levity and scenes of extreme violence. For these reasons, we have decided to present the FIPRESCI Award in the Forum section to AnyMart, directed by Yusuke Iwasaki.”

See the results of the Berlinale Critics Poll.

FIPRESCI supports children’s cinema at Berlinale

Panel Talk about visibility, responsibility, and the future of film criticism with the focus on children’s cinema, hosted by Berlin Critics’ Week, the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA), FIPRESCI and the German Film Critics Association (VdFk)

FIPRESCI annual gathering at Berlinale

Each year during the Berlinale, FIPRESCI members come together for the federation’s traditional annual gathering — a moment to exchange updates, reflect on current activities, and discuss future directions. As the second largest meeting of the federation after the General Assembly held in September, it serves as an important forum for dialogue, coordination, and strengthening professional ties within the international critics’ community.

FIPRESCI cocktail at Berlinale 

Hosted by dear colleagues of Arab Cinema Centre, FIPRESCI organised its first Berlinale cocktail in years, in which not less than 150 colleagues from all over the world gathered for a drink, and to witness the announcement of the five films nominated for our first Documentary Grand Prix.