Berlin Film Festival Lineup (Berlinale)

The Berlin International Film Festival, affectionately known as Berlinale, is one of the world’s leading film festivals. Held annually in the heart of Germany’s capital, it has become an essential platform for filmmakers, cinephiles, and industry professionals to showcase innovative, groundbreaking, and thought-provoking films. Every year, the Berlinale brings together an exciting mix of international talent, celebrating everything from avant-garde cinema to powerful, socially conscious narratives. As the festival kicks off its latest edition, the anticipation for the 2025 lineup is already building.

The 75th Berlinale is set to take over Berlin from February 13-23, and we’ve got the perfect list of 10+ must-see films for you. Our team have handpicked the top picks for this year’s festival, ensuring you don’t miss the best of the lineup.

Films to Watch at Berlin International Film Festival

1. Arï

Director: Léonor Serraille
Starring: Andranic Manet, Pascal Rénéric, Théo Delezenne, Ryad Ferrad, Eva Lallier Juan
Countries: France, Belgium

Ari | Films to Watch at Berlinale Festival — Photo via berlinale

This poignant story follows Ari, a 27-year-old trainee teacher. He grapples with failure, rejection, and a painful family estrangement after collapsing in front of a school inspector. Thrust into emotional turmoil and loneliness, Ari is forced to confront his past and rekindle old friendships. As he slowly becomes aware of the struggles around him, he begins to see that perhaps he has been sleepwalking through life, unaware of the deeper connections and challenges of those he’s left behind.

2. After This Death

Director: Lucio Castro
Starring: Mia Maestro, Lee Pace, Rupert Friend, Gwendoline Christie, Philip Ettinger
Country: USA

after this death | Film Festival to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

Isabel’s life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Elliott, a mysterious musician, while hiking alone in the mountains. Their brief but intense connection sparks a passionate affair, only for Elliott to abruptly vanish without a trace. As Isabel returns to her mundane married life, she struggles to reconcile her feelings of love and loss while facing increasingly disturbing threats from Elliott’s obsessive fans. Determined to uncover the truth behind his disappearance, Isabel must confront her fractured marriage and reclaim her identity, her voice, and her future amidst the chaos.

3. Blue Moon

Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott
Countries: USA, Ireland

blue moon | Film Festival to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

In Blue Moon, Richard Linklater takes us into the heart of Lorenz Hart’s world on the fateful night of March 31, 1943, during the opening night party of Richard Rodgers’ hit musical Oklahoma!. As Hart navigates the unraveling of his personal and professional life, the film unspools in real-time, exploring themes of friendship, art, love, and loss. With standout performances from Ethan Hawke as Hart, Andrew Scott as Rodgers, and a rich supporting cast, Linklater captures a pivotal moment in history with his trademark wit and nuance. This brings to life a night that will forever change Hart’s understanding of both the world and love.

4. Dreamers

Director: Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor
Starring: Ronkę Adékoluęjo, Ann Akinjirin, Diana Yekinni, Aiysha Hart, Harriet Webb
Country: UK

Dreamers | Film Festival to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

Freedom tells the poignant story of Isio, a Nigerian migrant who has spent two years living undocumented in the UK before being detained and sent to the Hatchworth Removal Centre. Expecting a fair asylum hearing, Isio is soon disillusioned as she forms a close bond with her charismatic yet cynical roommate, Farah. She warns her that strict compliance with the system won’t guarantee her release. As Isio grows emotionally connected to Farah and becomes close with new friends Nana and Atefeh, she’s faced with the crushing reality of her rejected asylum application. Farah proposes they escape together, a suggestion that Isio initially resists. However, when external forces threaten any chance at a future, Isio realizes that to have a life worth living, she must redefine the rules of freedom—and love.

5. The Blue Trail

Director: Gabriel Mascaro
Starring: Denise Weinberg, Rodrigo Santoro, Miriam Socorrás, Adanilo
Countries: Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Netherlands

the Blue Trail | Films to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

In this deeply moving tale, Tereza follows the journey of a 77-year-old woman who has spent her entire life in a small industrialized town in the heart of the Amazon. Tereza receives an order to relocate to a senior housing colony designed to isolate the elderly from society. She refuses to accept this imposed fate, determined to live on her own terms. Tereza then sets out on a transformative journey through the vast rivers and tributaries of the Amazon, intent on fulfilling one final wish before her freedom is taken away. In doing so, she embarks on a path that will not only change her life but also her understanding of freedom, life, and destiny.

6. Dreams

Director: Michel Franco
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Isaac Hernandez, Rupert Friend, Marshall Bell
Country: Mexico

Dreams | Films to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

Fernando tells the story of a young ballet dancer from Mexico, driven by dreams of international fame in the US. Leaving everything behind, he believes his lover Jennifer, a poised socialite and philanthropist, will be the key to his success. But when he narrowly escapes death while crossing the border, his arrival shatters Jennifer’s carefully constructed world. Now, she will stop at nothing to protect their future together—and the life she’s fought so hard to build. This forces both to confront the cost of ambition, love, and sacrifice.

7. Hot Milk

Director: Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Starring: Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, Vicky Krieps, Vincent Perez, Patsy Ferran
Country: United Kingdom

Hot milk | Films to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

Set against the blistering heat of a Spanish summer, Rose & Sofia follows a mother and daughter’s journey to the seaside town of Almería in search of a cure. Rose (Fiona Shaw), confined to a wheelchair by a mysterious illness, pins her hopes on the enigmatic healer Gómez (Vincent Perez), while Sofia (Emma Mackey), long bound by her mother’s condition, begins to taste freedom for the first time. As she is drawn to the carefree energy of Ingrid (Vicky Krieps), tensions rise between mother and daughter. Under the relentless sun, years of unspoken resentment bubble to the surface, pushing their already fragile bond to the brink.

8. Girls on Wire

Director: Vivian Qu
Starring: Liu Haocun, Wen Qi, Zhang Youhao, Zhou You, Peng Jing
Country: China

Girl on wire | Films to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

Tian Tian and Fang Di grew up like sisters, but life’s hardships tore them apart. While Fang Di leaves to work as a stuntwoman in China’s biggest film studios to pay off her family’s debts, Tian Tian stays behind, trapped by her father’s addiction and eventually entangled with the local mafia. When danger forces her to flee to the city, she seeks out Fang Di. However, their long-awaited reunion is anything but easy. Now pursued by ruthless criminals, the cousins must set aside past grievances and rely on each other’s strength to escape a fate neither of them saw coming.

9. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Director: Mary Bronstein
Starring: Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, Conan O’Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Ivy Wolk
Country: USA

If I had legs I'd kick you | Films to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlnale

Linda is a working mother barely holding it together when her ceiling literally collapses, adding yet another crisis to her already chaotic life. Forced to move into a motel with her young daughter, she juggles repairing her home, her child’s illness, a missing patient, and a string of unhelpful people standing in her way. Linda must find a way to stay afloat in a world that seems determined to push her over the edge.

10. The Incredible Snow Woman

Director: Sébastien Betbeder
Starring: Blanche Gardin, Philippe Katerine, Bastien Bouillon, Ole Eliassen, Martin Jensen
Country: France

the incredible snow woman | Films to Watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

Coline Morel is used to extreme conditions—sleeping on ice floes, Arctic expeditions, even wrestling bears—but nothing prepares her for the storm that awaits back home. Arriving unannounced in her Jura mountain village after years away, she reconnects with her estranged brothers and unexpectedly runs into her first love, Christophe. In the span of days, she loses her job, her boyfriend, and her sense of direction. As frustration boils over into reckless abandon, she throws the quiet village into chaos before retreating into silence. Then, after a final hike with her brothers, she vanishes without a trace, leaving behind unanswered questions and a secret buried deep in the snow-covered landscapes of Greenland.

11. Kontinental 25

Director: Radu Jude
Starring: Eszter Tompa, Gabriel Spahiu, Adonis Tanța, Oana Mardare, Șerban Pavlu
Country: Romania

Kontinental 25 | films to watch at Berlinale — Photo via Berlinale

Set in Cluj, Transylvania, this sharp and darkly comedic drama follows Orsolya, a bailiff whose routine eviction leads to a tragic suicide. Grappling with guilt, she embarks on a series of increasingly desperate attempts to reconcile her actions, only to find herself met with indifference and misunderstanding. Blending absurdist satire with biting social commentary, the film dissects housing crises, post-socialist economics, and nationalism through a lens that recalls Europa ’51—but unlike Rossellini’s heroine, Orsolya’s crisis of conscience spirals into a search for validation rather than redemption. In the end, her moral struggle is less about justice and more about the unsettling modern need to be absolved without truly changing.

12. Late Shift

Director: Petra Volpe
Starring: Leonie Benesch, Sonja Riesen, Urs Bihler, Margherita Schoch
Countries: Germany & Switzerland

More Movies to Watch at the Berlinale 2025:

The Berlin International Film Festival is a cultural event that highlights the creativity of filmmakers from around the world. With a lineup full of exciting debuts, return performances from veteran directors, and films tackling timely political, social, and environmental issues, Berlinale is once again proving why it remains one of the most important and influential film festivals globally. From stunning visual experiences to deeply moving social dramas, there’s something for every movie lover at this year’s festival.

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