The German government (including Wolfram Weimer) is convening to discuss the future direction of the Berlin Film Festival, amid reports that Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle could be dismissed. The speculation follows political backlash over pro-Palestinian statements made during the recent awards ceremony.

Leading figures from across the European and international film industries have publicly voiced their support for Tuttle, who is two years into a five-year term as head of the Berlinale. Reports suggesting her potential removal stem from controversy surrounding speeches delivered by invited filmmakers at this year’s ceremony.

In an open letter, the German Film Academy expressed “deep concern” about what it described as a proposed dismissal. The academy emphasised that the contested remarks were not made by festival leadership, but by guest filmmakers.

Upward of 2800 professionals from the international film community have signed the letter, including Sean Baker, Tilda Swinton, Nancy Spielberg, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Maria Schrader, Maren Ade, Tom Tykwer and Todd Haynes.

Earlier reporting by Euronews Culture cited claims by German conservative tabloid Bild that the culture ministry was considering Tuttle’s removal during today’s meeting, though no sources were provided. Bild, which has taken a strongly pro-Israel stance, has led criticism of the Berlinale following Saturday’s ceremony.

During the event, several filmmakers used the stage to express pro-Palestinian views, including Best Short Film winner Marie-Rose Osta, Best Screenplay winner Geneviève Dulude-de Celles and Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize winner Emin Alper.

Tensions escalated when Palestinian director Abdallah Al-Khatib, whose film Chronicles From The Siege won the top prize in the Perspectives section, accused the German government of being “partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel.” German Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider left the ceremony in response. Germany’s strong support for Israel is widely understood to be shaped by the country’s historical responsibility following the Holocaust.

On Tuesday, Bild published a column by right-wing journalist Gunnar Schupelius accusing Tuttle of having “posed for Gaza propaganda.” He cited a photograph of Tuttle alongside Al-Khatib and members of the Chronicles From The Siege team at the film’s Berlinale world premiere, alleging that she had allowed the festival to be used by “antisemitic” activists.

The German Film Academy rejected these accusations in its letter.

The letter further warned that imposing professional consequences over statements made by invited guests would threaten both artistic freedom and the institutional independence of the Berlinale.

The situation comes amid broader tensions at this year’s festival. Earlier in the event, pro-Palestinian activists criticised Tuttle and jury president Wim Wenders, accusing them of insufficient solidarity with Palestinians and even of censoring filmmakers who wished to voice pro-Palestinian positions.

Read the full letter:

“As filmmakers in Germany and beyond, we are following the current debates surrounding the Berlinale and the proposed dismissal of Tricia Tuttle with deep concern. We stand in defense of the Berlinale for what it fundamentally is: a place of exchange.

The Berlinale is more than a red carpet or a series of headlines. It is a space where perspectives intersect, narratives are questioned, and social tensions are brought into view. This is where discourse unfolds – at the very heart of cinema.

Recent criticism has focused on statements made from the stage. None of these remarks were made by the festival leadership itself, but by invited filmmakers. An international film festival is not a diplomatic instrument; it is a democratic cultural space worthy of protection. Its strength lies in its ability to hold divergent perspectives and to give visibility to a plurality of voices.

A photograph of the festival leadership with filmmakers, in which a Palestinian flag was visible, has likewise been subject to criticism. Being photographed with international guests is part of the practice of such a festival. The visibility of different identities is not an endorsement; it is an expression of an open and democratic public sphere.

When personnel consequences are drawn from individual statements or symbolic interpretations, a troubling signal is sent: cultural institutions come under political pressure.

If an extraordinary meeting is convened to decide the future of the festival’s leadership, more is at stake than a single appointment. What is at issue is the relationship between artistic freedom and institutional independence.

The Berlinale has always been political - not party-political, but socially engaged. Film makes conflicts visible, opens up perspectives, and renders experiences of injustice and violence tangible. Cinema raises moral questions and asks us to endure ambiguity rather than resolve it prematurely. It illuminates power structures and gives visibility to experiences of oppression - not to deliver simple answers, but to enable meaningful public debate. That is precisely where its democratic value resides.

Especially in times of global crisis, we need spaces capable of sustaining disagreement. The independence of cultural institutions safeguards not only artistic freedom, but the vitality of democratic discourse itself.

If every controversy leads to institutional repercussions, discourse gives way to control.

We stand for a culture of exchange, not intimidation. Where diversity remains visible, democracy remains alive.”

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