Berlinale Camera

Since 1986, the Berlinale has awarded the Berlinale Camera to honour personalities and institutions who have made a special contribution to filmmaking and with whom the festival feels closely connected. In this manner, the Berlinale expresses its appreciation towards those who have become friends and supporters of the festival.

At the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, British-German contemporary composer and artist Max Richter will be honoured with the Berlinale Camera.

The presentation of the Berlinale Camera to Max Richter took place on February 18, 2026, at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. The laudatory speech was delivered by Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), with whom Richter recently collaborated on her latest film Hamnet. Following the award ceremony, there was a panel discussion with Max Richter.

Max Richter is regarded as one of the most influential composers of our time and has set new standards in film music. He blends classical composition techniques with electronic elements, creating scores that intensify visual storytelling and are celebrated worldwide. His work for international films such as Waltz with Bashir (2008, by Ari Folman), Ad Astra (2019, by James Gray), Mary Queen of Scots (2018, by Josie Rourke), and the HBO series The Leftovers (2014—2017, created by Damon Lindelof), combines emotional depth with innovative soundscapes. With over one billion streams and numerous awards — including the European Film Award for Waltz with Bashir and a Grammy nomination for Ad Astra — Richter has left a lasting mark on contemporary film music. His recent works, Hamnet (2025, by Chloé Zhao) and Spaceman (2024, by Johan Renck), reaffirm his role as a creative visionary.

Beyond his film work and collaborations, Richter’s solo projects have shaped modern classical music. Even after its 20th anniversary in 2024, his seminal album “The Blue Notebooks” continues to reach new audiences. His magnum opus “SLEEP” (2015), an 8,5-hour exploration of sound and the sleeping mind, co-created with Yulia Mahr, is considered one of the most ambitious and culturally significant classical music projects of the 21st century. Richter’s last solo album “In A Landscape” was released in 2024.

At the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, the Ethiopian director Haile Gerima will be honoured with a Berlinale Camera.

Haile Gerima’s latest work Black Lions – Roman Wolves, a nearly nine-hour exploration of the history and mythology of Italian colonialism and a commemoration of the Ethiopian resistance, is celebrating its world premiere in this year’s Berlinale Forum.

The presentation of the Berlinale Camera to Haile Gerima took place on February 17, 2026, at Delphi Filmpalast, as part of the screening of his film.

“Haile Gerima’s works bear witness to histories marked by oppression, resistance, and the unfinished work of decolonisation — stories that speak with urgent force to the world today. Though he entered Competition with Sankofa in 1993, the Forum recognised Gerima’s work early on, and we are very proud to welcome him back to the Forum with his long-gestating Black Lions – Roman Wolves. It is an honour to present a Berlinale Camera to a filmmaker who has transformed the way so many understand the world,” says Tricia Tuttle, Director of the Berlinale.

In 1967, Ethiopian director Haile Gerima emigrated to the United States and studied at the University of California. He became part of the L.A. Rebellion, a group of African-American and African filmmakers who, beginning in the 1970s, created an alternative, independent Black American cinema. His works combine personal, historical, and political perspectives. Although he has long resided in the United States, he remains deeply connected to his Ethiopian heritage. Among his best-known films are Harvest: 3,000 Years (1975, Forum), Bush Mama (1976), Ashes and Embers (1982, 1983 in Forum), the internationally acclaimed Sankofa (1993, world premiere in Berlinale Competition), and Teza (2008), a drama reflecting on Ethiopia’s past.