‘Yellow Letters’ wins Berlin Film Festival’s top prize

“Yellow Letters,” a drama about what happens to a marriage under extraordinary political pressure, won the Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear top prize on Saturday night.
The Turkish-language drama set in Germany stars Ozgu Namal and Tansu Bicer as a married actor and playwright who lose their jobs and have to leave behind their comfortable lives after the husband is targeted by the Turkish state for posting critical content online.
“The real threat is not among us. It is out there. It’s the autocrats. It’s the right-wing parties. It’s the nihilists of our time who try to come to power and destroy our way of living,” said producer Ingo Fliess.
Full list of winners below:-
MAIN COMPETITION
Golden Bear for Best Film: “Yellow Letters,” İlker Çatak
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: “Salvation,” Emin Alper
Silver Bear Jury Prize: “Queen at Sea,” Lance Hammer
Silver Bear for Best Director: “Everybody Digs Bill Evans,” Grant Gee
Silver Bear for Best Lead Performance: “Rose,” Sandra Hüller
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: “Queen at Sea,” Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: “Nina Roza,” Geneviève Dulude-De Celles
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: “Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird),” Anna Fitch and Banker White
PERSPECTIVES COMPETITION
GWFF Best First Feature Award: “Chronicles From the Siege,” Abdallah Alkhatib
BERLINALE DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Best Documentary: “If Pigeons Turned to Gold,” Pepa Lubojacki
SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Golden Bear for Best Short Film: “Someday a Child,” Marie-Rose Osta
Silver Bear for Best Short Film: “A Woman’s Place is Everywhere,” Fanny Texier
Berlinale Shorts Filmmaker Award: “Kleptomania,” Jingkai Qu
PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARDS
Audience Award (Fiction): “Prosecution,” Faraz Sharia
First Runner-up: “Four Minus Three,” Adrian Goiginger
Second Runner-up: “Mouse,” Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson
Audience Award (Documentary): “Traces,” Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk
First Runner-up: “The Other Side of the Sun,” Tawfik Sabouni
Second Runner-up: “Bucks Harbor,” Pete Muller
GENERATION COMPETITION
International Jury
Grand Prix for the Best Film in Generation Kplus: “Gugu’s World,” Allan Deberton
Special Prize for the Best Short Film in Generation Kplus: “Spi,” Navroz Shaban
Grand Prix for the Best Film in Generation 14plus: “Sad Girlz,” Fernanda Tovar
Special Prize for the Best Short Film in Generation 14plus: “The Thread,” Fenn O’Meally
Youth Jury
Crystal Bear for the Best Film in Generation Kplus: “Gugu’s World,” Allan Deberton
Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film in Generation Kplus: “Whale 52 – Suite for Man, Boy, and Whale,” Daniel Neiden
Crystal Bear for the Best Film in Generation 14plus: “Sad Girlz,” Fernanda Tovar
Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film in Generation 14plus: ”Memories of a Window,” Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar
TEDDY AWARDS
Best Feature Film: “Ivan & Hadoum,” Ian de la Rosa
Best Documentary: “Barbara Forever,” Brydie O’Connor
Best Short Film: “Taxi Moto,” Gaël Kamilindi
Jury Award: “Trial of Hein,” Kai Stänicke
Special Award: Céline Sciamma
FIPRESCI AWARDS
Competition: “Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Perspectives: “Animol,” Ashley Walters
Panorama: “Narciso,” Marcelo Martinessi
Forum: “AnyMart,” Yusuke Iwasaki
ECUMENICAL JURY AWARDS
Competition: “Flies,” Fernando Eimbcke
Panorama: “Bucks Harbor,” Pete Muller
Forum: “River Dreams,“ Kristina Mikhailova
LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS AWARD
“Four Minus Three,” Adrian Goiginger
PRIZE OF THE GUILD OF GERMAN ARTHOUSE CINEMAS
“Yellow Letters,” İlker Çatak
READERS’ JURIES
Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Award: “Flies,” Fernando Eimbcke
Tagesspiegel Readers’ Award: “I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival,” Janaína Marques
CALIGARI FILM PRIZE
“If Pigeons Turned to Gold,” Pepa Lubojacki
PEACE FILM PRIZE
“Tutu,” Sam Pollard
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD
“What Will I Become?,” Lexie Bean and Logan Rozos
(Reuters/Variety)