Feb 21, 2026
Berlinale 2026: The Panorama Audience Awards Go to Staatsschutz by Faraz Shariat and Traces by Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk

The audience has voted: The 28th Panorama Audience Award for the best feature film goes to Staatsschutz (Prosecution) by Faraz Shariat, Traces by Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk wins in the category Panorama Dokumente. The prizes are awarded by the Berlinale section Panorama together with radioeins and rbb television (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg).

The award-winning feature film will be shown after the short award ceremony at Zoo Palast starting at 5.30 pm on Sunday, February 22. Knut Elstermann will moderate the ceremony and the awards will be presented by the director of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg Ulrike Demmer. The award-winning film of the Panorama Dokumente section will be shown at 9.00 pm. Both screenings will take place at Zoo Palast 1.

The Panorama Audience Award has been bestowed since 1999. As of 2011, both the best feature film and the best documentary have been honoured. During the Berlinale, all cinemagoers are invited to rate the films in the Panorama section on a voting card. In total over 26,500 votes were cast and evaluated.

This year at Panorama a total of 37 titles competed from 36 production countries, 12 of them in Panorama Dokumente.

Panorama Audience Award 2026 Winner — Feature film

Staatsschutz (Prosecution)
Germany 2026
by Faraz Shariat

The second and third place of the Panorama Audience Award go to:

2nd Place
Vier minus drei (Four Minus Three)
Austria, Germany 2026
by Adrian Goiginger

3rd Place
Mouse
USA 2026
by Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson

Panorama Audience Award Winner 2026 — Documentary

Traces
Ukraine, Poland 2026
by Alisa Kovalenko, Marysia Nikitiuk

The second and third place of the Panorama Audience Award — Documentary go to:

2nd Place
The Other Side of the Sun
Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia 2026
by Tawfik Sabouni

3rd Place
Bucks Harbor
USA 2026
by Pete Muller

Press Office
February 21, 2026