Dreams (Sex Love), from Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud, won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin film festival. The story of a young woman who shocks her female relatives with her writings about a crush on her French teacher also won the FIPRESCI award in the main competition and the German arthouse cinemas’ guild film prize.
Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro took the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize and the Ecumenical jury prize for The Blue Trail, about an elderly woman who embarks on a personal journey in the Amazon. Argentinian filmmaker Ivàn Fund was awarded the Silver Bear Jury Prize for The Message, about opportunistic guardians exploiting a child’s abilities as an animal medium.
Best director went to China’s Huo Meng for Living The Land, set in 1990s rural China, during a period of rapid social and economic change. Germany’s M-Appeal, which is handling international on both Dreams (Sex Love) and Living The Land, closed multiple sales on the two titles during Berlin’s European Film Market.
Rose Byrne won best leading performance for Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I‘d Kick You, while best supporting performance went to Andrew Scott for Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon. Radu Jude took best screenplay for Kontinental ’25. The Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution went to the creative ensemble of Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s The Ice Tower.
US filmmaker Todd Haynes headed the main competition jury, which also included Nabil Ayouch, Fan Bingbing, Bina Daigeler, Rodrigo Moreno, Amy Nicholson and Maria Schrader.
In other sections, Best Film in Generation 14Plus was awarded to Sunshine from the Philippines’ Antoinette Jadaone, while Best Film in Generation Kplus went to Michel Gondry’s animated feature Maya, Give Me A Title (see full list of winners below).
BERLIN 2025 FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
COMPETITION:
Golden Bear for Best Film: Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: The Blue Trail by Gabriel Mascaro
Silver Bear Jury Prize: The Message by Ivan Fund
Silver Bear for Best Director: Huo Meng for Living The Land
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: Andrew Scott for Blue Moon
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Radu Jude for Kontinental ’25
Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Creative ensemble of The Ice Tower
PERSPECTIVES:
Best First Feature: The Devil Smokes (And Saves The Burnt Matches In The Same Box) by Ernesto Martínez Bucio
Special mention: We Believe You by Charlotte Devillers, Arnaud Dufeys
DOCUMENTARY AWARD:
Holding Liat by Brandon Kramer
Special mentions: The Memory Of Butterflies by Tatiana Fuentes Sadowski; and Canone Effimero by Gianluca De Serio & Massimiliano De Serio
GENERATION KPLUS:
Children’s Jury Crystal Bear for Best Film: Maya, Give Me A Title by Michel Gondry
Special mention: Circusboy by Julia Lemke & Anna Koch
Children’s Jury Crystal Bear for Best Short: Rebels Cinema Club by Khozy Rizal
Grand Prix of Generation International Jury for Best Film: The Botanist by Jing Yi
Special mention: Seaside Serendipity by Satoko Yokohama
GENERATION 14PLUS:
Youth Jury Crystal Bear for Best Film: Sunshine by Antoinette Jadaone
Special mention: Playtime by Lucia Murat
Youth Jury Crystal Bear for Best Short: Wish You Were Ear by Mirjana Balogh
Grand Prix of Generation International Jury for Best Film: Christy by Brendan Canty
Special mention: Têtes Brûlées by Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama
GWFF FIRST FEATURE AWARD:
The Devil Smokes (And Saves The Burnt Matches In The Same Box) by Ernesto Martínez Bucio
Special mention: We Believe You by Charlotte Devillers & Arnaud Dufeys
TEDDY AWARDS:
Best feature film: Lesbian Space Princess by Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese
Best documentary: Satanic Sow by Rosa von Praunheim
Jury Award: If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart Into Your Mouth And Smile by Marie Luise Lehner
Special Award: Todd Haynes
FIPRESCI PRIZES:
Competition: Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud
Perspectives: Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić
Panorama: Under The Flags, the Sun by Juanjo Pereira
Forum: The Memory Of Butterflies by Tatiana Fuentes Sadowski
EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL: Hysteria by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay
PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Feature Film: Deaf by Eva Libertad
Documentary: The Moelln Letters by Martina Priessner
PRIZES OF THE INDEPENDENT JURIES:
Amnesty International film award: The Moelln Letters by Martina Priessner
Caligari Film Prize: Fwends by Sophie Somerville
Prizes of the ecumenical jury:
Competition: The Blue Trail by Gabriel Mascaro
Panorama: The Heart Is A Muscle by Imran Hamdulay
Forum: Holding Liat by Brandon Kramer
CICAE Arthouse Cinemas award:
Panorama: Deaf by Eva Libertad
Forum: If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart Into Your Mouth And Smile by Marie Luise Lehner
Guild film prize: Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud