Film festival directors from around the world have signed a joint statement in support of Tricia Tuttle, head of the Berlin Film Festival. His future will be discussed at tomorrow’s steering committee meeting in Berlin.
Among the signatories are the leaders of Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, Busan, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, San Sebastian, Rotterdam and London.
This statement emphasizes the importance of discussion. “We need to embrace discomfort and maintain a space where discussions can expand, new ideas can circulate, and unexpected and sometimes contradictory perspectives can be made visible.”
It also reminded stakeholders of their responsibilities, saying: “All stakeholders – audiences, creators, festival teams, public and private partners, industry, media and other institutions – need to show courtesy, respect and solidarity to each other as communities and networks connected through the love of film. If we don’t, we risk losing these spaces forever.”
The 76th Berlin Film Festival, which ran from February 12 to 22, was initially accused of censoring political topics after prominent attendees, including jury president Wim Wenders, refused to discuss politics. But on the closing night, controversy erupted when some winners expressed support for Palestine and Gaza in their acceptance speeches.
After an article in the German tabloid Bild on Wednesday suggested that Tuttle was about to be fired, film industry insiders and Berlinale staff rallied to her defense. A petition in support of her, signed by film experts including celebrities such as Sean Baker, Todd Haynes, Tilda Swinton and Kleber Mendonça Filho, has attracted more than 3,000 names.
And on Thursday morning, more than 500 festival staff wrote an open letter expressing their support for Tuttle.
The full statement is below:
As Festival Directors and Leaders, we support Tricia Tuttle’s desire to continue as Director of the Berlinale Film Festival with full confidence and organizational independence.
In the past months of discussions surrounding the 2026 Berlinale and other cultural and artistic events, we have recognized the increasing pressure on film festivals everywhere to navigate uncertain times while maintaining a safe space for the exchange of films and ideas.
At the core of our role as cultural stewards is to create and protect spaces where filmmakers, artists, professionals and audiences can come together. This includes people who bring not only a shared love of film, but a wide variety of lived experiences and perspectives. This is what gives our festival its vitality, relevance and value, and it is what forms its ‘spirit’.
We must also be sensitive to the fact that “everyone” may also include people with political and personal views that do not necessarily align, or positions that are socially accepted or politically mandated. And while long-lasting and well-attended film festivals may seem like indestructible gathering places, these spaces are often fragile, hard-won, and complex to preserve.
The film festivals we know and need are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain in a climate where nuanced appreciation is collapsing. It has never been more important to support true freedom of expression, including the freedom to express imperfect or unpopular opinions. We need to embrace discomfort and maintain a space where discussion can expand, new ideas can circulate, and unexpected and sometimes contradictory perspectives can be made visible.
We need all stakeholders – audiences, creators, festival teams, public and private partners, industry, media and other institutions – to show courtesy, respect and solidarity with each other as a community and network connected through the love of film. Otherwise, you risk losing these spaces completely. It is much easier to destroy than to build.
Christy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Artistic Director
Jung Han-seok Busan International Film Festival Festival Director
Ellen YD Kim, Asia Content & Film Market Director
Karen Park, Busan International Film Festival Program Director
Thierry Frémaux, Executive Director of the Cannes Film Festival
Christian Jeune, Director of Film – Cannes Film Festival Deputy Director
Amr Mansi, Executive Director and Co-Founder of El Gouna Film Festival
Ilda Santiago, Rio Festival Executive Director
Pia Lundberg, Artistic Director, Gothenburg Film Festival
Mirja Wester, Gothenburg Film Festival VD/CEO
Vanja Kaldjelčić, Festival Director, Rotterdam International Film Festival
Claire Stewart, Managing Director, International Film Festival Rotterdam
Karel Och, Artistic Director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Krysztof Mucha, Executive Director, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Jonah A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director, Locarno Film Festival
Damien Hodgkinson, CEO, Melbourne International Film Festival
Al Khosar, Artistic Director, Melbourne International Film Festival
Daniela Michel, founding director of the Morelia Film Festival
Mr. Romain Gutek, President of the New Horizons Association
Dorota Lech, Festival Director, New Horizons International Film Festival
Jose Luis Rebordinos, Director, San Sebastian International Film Festival
Mayalen Belloki, Lucia Olasiregui – Deputy Director, San Sebastian International Film Festival
Jovan Marjanovic, Sarajevo Film Festival Festival Director
Renata de Almeida, Director, São Paulo International Film Festival
Eugene Hernandez, Festival Director, Sundance Film Festival
Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Programming Director
Nashen Moodley, Festival Director, Sydney Film Festival
Francis Wallace, CEO, Sydney Film Festival
Julie Hunsinger, Telluride Film Festival Executive Director
Cameron Bailey, CEO, Toronto International Film Festival
Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, Toronto International Film Festival
Shozo Ichiyama Tokyo International Film Festival Program Director
