Overview
The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a financing event for producers who have feature film or drama series projects at the development stage and need international co-production partners. It runs for four days during the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlin International Film Festival. The 23rd edition takes place February 14 to 17, 2026, at the Atrium Tower at the Berlinale Service Center.
For the 2026 edition, 35 feature film projects from 27 countries were selected from 390 submissions. Women direct 16 of the 35 selected projects. An additional 10 drama series projects are presented through Co-Pro Series, and 10 books are selected for Books at Berlinale. Over 600 producers, financiers, sales agents, distributors, and funding body representatives attend, with more than 1,500 one-on-one meetings pre-arranged by the market organizers.
Since its launch in 2004, more than 400 films and 25 series presented at the market have been completed. Six films from previous editions screen at the 2026 Berlinale across Competition, Perspectives, and Panorama sections.
Project Categories and Selection Criteria
Official Selection (Feature Films)
The core program. Production companies submit feature-length fiction projects at the financing stage. Requirements:
- Feature-length fiction film with international market potential
- Full script available before the market opens
- Submitting company must have completed at least one international co-production (minority co-productions count)
- At least 30% of financing secured at submission time
- Budget range: approximately EUR 1 million to EUR 20 million
Submission materials include a completed online form, a 5 to 8 page treatment in English, a 5-page script excerpt, a financing plan in euros, visual material, and the director's previous work. A company can submit up to two projects, but only one can be selected.
Co-Pro Series (Drama Series)
Presents 10 first-season, non-procedural drama series or miniseries projects. No prior co-production experience required. Development and financing can be at earlier stages. Submit a one-pager, pilot treatment, season outline, financing plan, mood board, and script excerpts.
Talent Project Market
For producers in the first 10 years of their career applying through Berlinale Talents. Exempt from the 30% financing and prior co-production experience requirements. The producer must be a Berlinale Talents alumnus.
Books at Berlinale
Selects 10 novels for potential film adaptation. The submission period opens in September or October.
Submission Timeline and Process
The submission period opens in mid-August each year. Key deadlines for the 2026 edition:
- Feature film projects (Official Selection): September 17, 2025
- Talent Project Market: September 3, 2025
- Co-Pro Series (drama series): October 1, 2025
- Books at Berlinale: September or October (dates announced annually)
Attendees without a project can request an application link from early November to early December. Selected projects are announced in mid-January. The market does not pay for travel or hotel costs and does not provide festival accreditation. Participants must secure their own EFM badge first.
Awards and Cash Prizes
The Co-Production Market awards several cash prizes to selected feature film projects:
- Eurimages Co-Production Development Award: EUR 20,000, awarded to a project from the Official Selection. A separate Eurimages Special Award of EUR 20,000 may also be presented.
- VFF Talent Highlight Award: EUR 10,000, for a promising project from the Talent Project Market. Two nomination prizes of EUR 1,000 each go to runners-up.
- ARTEKino International Award: EUR 6,000, awarded by ARTE to an artistically outstanding project.
- Gen Z Audience Award: EUR 5,000, for a project that resonates with audiences aged 20 to 28. The jury is composed of film students from German and French universities.
- World Cinema Fund Audience Strategies Award: An in-kind prize providing consultations on audience engagement for a project from a WCF-supported country.
What Filmmakers Should Know
The Co-Production Market is not a festival section and does not screen films. It is a business event where producers pitch projects to potential partners. The value is in the pre-arranged meeting system: organizers coordinate 1,500 meetings based on participants' priorities.
Producers who have never completed an international co-production cannot apply to the Official Selection. The only route without co-production experience is the Talent Project Market, which requires Berlinale Talents alumni status. Projects that have already started shooting cannot apply. The market is designed for projects that still have room to involve international co-producers.
Past Winners
The Co-Production Market awards cash prizes to selected feature film projects at the financing stage. These are development awards, not prizes for completed films.
2026 Award Recipients:
- Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (EUR 20,000): Liberations - Dir. Laurynas Bareisa, producer Klementina Remeikaite (afterschool production, Lithuania). Bareisa previously won awards at Venice and Locarno.
- VFF Talent Highlight Award (EUR 10,000): The Most Romantic Man in the World - Dir. Simon Jaquemet, pitched by producer Olga Lamontanara (8horses, Germany).
- Gen Z Audience Award (EUR 5,000): Cura Sana - Dir. Lucia G. Romero, producers Laura Fernandez Brites and Sendy Palomino Vivar (Filmax, Spain).
2025 Award Recipients:
- Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (EUR 20,000): Ibicaba - Visions of Paradise - Dir. Andrea Staka (Switzerland). A separate Eurimages Special Award went to The Earth - I Flew Around and Saw It by Maksym Nakonechnyi (Ukraine).
- VFF Talent Highlight Award (EUR 10,000): March 14th - Dir. Alberto Gross Molo (Spain).
- ARTEKino International Award (EUR 6,000): Dreamgirl - Dir. Kaan Mujdeci (Turkey).
- Gen Z Audience Award (EUR 5,000): 30 Days of Summer - Dir. Anastasiia Solonevych (Ukraine).
- World Cinema Fund Audience Strategies Award: The Sun Sees Everything - Dir. Wissam Tanios (Lebanon).
2024 Award Recipients:
- Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (EUR 20,000): Screaming Girl - Dir. Antonio Lukich (Ukraine).
- VFF Talent Highlight Award (EUR 10,000): Silence Sometimes - Dir. Alvaro Robles (USA).
- ARTEKino International Award (EUR 6,000): Ich bin Marika - Dir. Hajni Kis (Hungary).
- World Cinema Fund Audience Strategies Award: Hold Time for Me - Dir. Fradique (Germany).
2023 Award Recipients:
- Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (EUR 20,000): Ivan and Hadoum - Dir. Ian de la Rosa, producers Avalon PC (Spain). This project later won the Teddy Award at the Berlinale 2026 Panorama section.
- ARTEKino International Award: Narciso - Dir. Marcelo Martinessi. This project later received the FIPRESCI award at the Berlinale 2026 Panorama section.
Notable Alumni
Since 2004, more than 400 feature films and 25 series presented at the Co-Production Market have been completed. Many have premiered at major A-list festivals.
- Yellow Letters by Ilker Catak - Won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale 2026. Presented at the Co-Production Market as a project before completion.
- No Good Men by Shahrbanoo Sadat - The Berlinale 2026 Opening Film. Presented at the Co-Production Market as a project.
- Franz K. by Agnieszka Holland - Screened at Toronto and San Sebastian 2025. Nominated in several European Film Award categories.
- Mother by Teona Strugar Mitevska - Opening Film in Venice Orizzonti 2025. Stars Noomi Rapace.
- How to Divorce During the War by Andrius Blazevicius - Won Best Directing at Sundance 2026.
- Don't Cry, Butterfly by Duong Dieu Linh - Premiered at Venice. Presented at the Co-Production Market before completion.
- Ivan and Hadoum by Ian de la Rosa - Won the Teddy Award at Berlinale 2026 Panorama. Won the 2023 Eurimages award at the market.
- Babylon Berlin (Co-Pro Series project) - Became an international hit series distributed worldwide.
Submission Tips
- Secure 30% of financing before submitting. The Official Selection requires at least 30% of financing in place at submission time. The Talent Project Market is the exception, with no minimum financing requirement.
- Have a completed or near-completed script. A full script must be available before the market opens. Submission materials include a 5 to 8 page treatment in English, a 5-page script excerpt, a financing plan in euros, visual material, and the director's previous work.
- Demonstrate prior co-production experience. The submitting company must have completed at least one international co-production. Minority co-productions count. Without this experience, the only route is the Talent Project Market, which requires Berlinale Talents alumni status.
- Target the EUR 1 million to EUR 5 million range for best odds. Martina Bleis, head of the market, has stated that this budget range is where arthouse features are most likely to find co-production partners. Projects below EUR 1 million (or EUR 600,000 for selected regions) are not accepted.
- Submit only one project per company for selection. A company can submit up to two projects, but only one can be selected. Re-applications of rejected projects are accepted if the project has changed materially.
- For series, use Co-Pro Series. This strand does not require prior international co-production experience. Development and financing can be at earlier stages. Submit a one-pager, pilot treatment, season outline, financing plan, mood board, and script excerpts.
Industry Reputation
The Berlinale Co-Production Market is the leading co-production financing event in Europe. Its value is in the pre-arranged meeting system: organizers coordinate 1,500 meetings based on participants' priorities. In 2025, participants submitted over 2,500 meeting requests for 1,500 slots.
The 2026 edition received 390 submissions for 35 feature film slots, a selection rate of approximately 9%. The market attracts 600+ producers, financiers, sales agents, distributors, and funding body representatives. It is part of Berlinale Pro*, which unites the European Film Market, the Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents, and the World Cinema Fund.
Compared to CineMart Rotterdam, which is the other major European co-production market, Berlinale offers a larger scale and more formalized meeting system. CineMart runs during IFFR in January and focuses on fewer projects with a more curated approach. Berlinale's 35-project selection and 600+ attendees make it the larger event. The Rotterdam-Berlinale Express allows select projects to present at both markets.
Watch
See Also
For the Berlinale itself, see Berlin International Film Festival. For festival and market strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To evaluate the financial viability of a co-production structure, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator and the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator.
