Out Of Africa: Films From South Africa, Democratic Republic Of Congo Selected For 2026 Berlinale Programme
The Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) has unveiled the programme for its 2026 edition. Notably, two African titles have been selected to screen at what is considered one of the world’s biggest film showcases. The forthcoming festival will feature a slate of professional and industry activities, including the European Film Market (EFM), scheduled to take […]
Black News 
The Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) has unveiled the programme for its 2026 edition.
Notably, two African titles have been selected to screen at what is considered one of the world’s biggest film showcases.
The forthcoming festival will feature a slate of professional and industry activities, including the European Film Market (EFM), scheduled to take place from 12 to 18 February; the Berlinale Co-Production Market, which will run from 14 to 17 February; Berlinale Talents, which will take place from 13 to 18 February; and the World Cinema Fund Day, which will be held on 17 February.
The African films that will be screening at the 2026 Berlinale are:
Black Burns Fast (Fiction, South Africa) – Adorkable Luthando is on track for an ordinary year at the prestigious boarding school she attends on scholarship, until the arrival of a new girl in her class ignites Luthando’s suppressed desires and threatens her self-image and relationships. Starring Esihle Ndleleni, Mila Smith, Khensani Khoza, Nstimedi Gwangwa, and Basetsana Motloung. Directed by Sandulela Asanda.
Trop C’est Trop / Enough Is Enough (Documentary, Democratic Republic of the Congo) – Thirty years of war, seven million displaced, ten million dead. This film plunges into the chaos of the city of Goma, capital of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Directed by Elisé Sawasawa.
The Berlinale is one of the largest public film festivals in the world, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe each year. For the film industry and the media, the eleven days in February also represent one of the most important events in the annual calendar and an indispensable trading forum.
The Berlin International Film Festival enjoys an eventful history. Created for the Berlin public in 1951 at the beginning of the Cold War, the festival was conceived as a “showcase of the free world”. Shaped by the turbulent post-war period and the unique situation of a divided city, the Berlinale has developed into a place of intercultural exchange and a platform for the critical cinematic exploration of social issues. To this day, it is considered the most political of all the major film festivals.
Every year, around 200 films of all genres, lengths, and formats are shown across the Berlinale’s various sections and special presentations. From feature films to documentaries and artistic experiments, audiences are invited to encounter highly contrasting milieus, ways of life, and perspectives, challenging their own judgements and prejudices while reinvigorating their experience of cinema between classic narrative forms and extraordinary aesthetics. The programme also thrives on intense dialogue with audiences, supported by a rich array of spoken-word events, audience discussions, and expert panels that facilitate active participation in the festival.
View the full programme of the 2026 Berlinale here.
