Overview
Encounters was a competitive section of the Berlin International Film Festival that ran from 2020 to 2024. It was discontinued in 2025 when the new Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle replaced it with Perspectives, a EUR 50,000 competition for international fiction feature debuts. During its five editions, Encounters presented 12 to 15 feature films per year that represented experimental, hybrid, and formally challenging approaches to filmmaking.
The section was created by former artistic director Carlo Chatrian to give formally adventurous cinema its own competitive space, separate from the main Competition and the Forum section. The rationale was that films pushing the boundaries of narrative or documentary form were being evaluated against criteria designed for more conventional work, and a dedicated competition would allow them to be assessed on their own terms.
Films selected for Encounters received full Berlinale accreditation, access to the European Film Market (EFM), and coverage from the international press corps attending the festival. The section did not accept open submissions. Films were selected through the Berlinale's internal programming process, with submissions facilitated by sales agents and producers.
Discontinuation and Replacement
In late 2024, the Berlinale announced that Encounters would be replaced by Perspectives starting with the 2025 edition. Perspectives is a competitive section for first-time fiction feature filmmakers, with a top prize of EUR 50,000. The first edition of Perspectives featured 14 debut features, with 5 directed or co-directed by women and 2 directed by non-binary directors.
Tuttle stated that the change was motivated by a desire to create a clearer profile for debut filmmakers, whose work had previously been spread across multiple Berlinale sections. She also indicated that formally adventurous work formerly programmed in Encounters would continue to find a home in the Forum section, which remains non-competitive.
The Berlinale said it would "still seek to profile aesthetically and structurally daring works from independent filmmakers across different sections of the festival."
Past Winners
Encounters presented three jury prizes each year: Best Film, Best Director (sometimes awarded ex-aequo to two directors), and a Special Jury Award. Additional special mentions were given in some years.
Best Film Winners
- 2024: Direct Action by Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell (Germany, France) - a 216-minute documentary portrait of a French eco-activist collective at the Notre-Dame-des-Lands ZAD. World premiered at Berlinale Encounters 2024. Also won the Grand Prix at Cinema du Reel 2024 and received a Special Mention from the Berlinale Documentary Award jury. German theatrical release April 2026.
- 2023: Here by Bas Devos (Belgium) - an 82-minute film about a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese moss researcher in Brussels. World premiered at Berlinale Encounters 2023. Also screened at L'Alternativa Barcelona, Toronto, and New York Film Festival. Available on the Criterion Channel.
- 2022: Mutzenbacher by Ruth Beckermann (Austria)
- 2021: Nous (We) by Alice Diop (France) - a documentary essay following the RER B commuter train through Paris suburbs. Won the Encounters Best Film award and later won the Best First Film Cesar in 2023. Released theatrically in France and streamed globally on MUBI.
- 2020: The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin) by Anders Edstrom and C.W. Winter (Japan, Sweden, UK, US)
Notable Special Jury Award Winners
- 2020: Sandra Wollner for The Trouble with Being Born (Austria)
- 2021: Le Bao for Taste (Vi) (Vietnam)
- 2022: Mitra Farahani for See You Friday, Robinson (France)
- 2023: Paul B. Preciado for Orlando, My Political Biography (France) and Lois Patino for Samsara (Spain)
- 2024: Qiu Yang for Some Rain Must Fall (China, US, France, Singapore) - Qiu Yang's debut feature, later screened at Tribeca 2024
Notable Best Director Winners
- 2020: Cristi Puiu for Malmkrog (Romania)
- 2021: Ramon and Silvan Zurcher for The Girl and the Spider (Switzerland) and Denis Cote for Social Hygiene (Canada)
- 2022: Cyril Schaublin for Unrest (Switzerland)
- 2023: Tatiana Huezo for The Echo (Mexico)
- 2024: Juliana Rojas for Cidade; Campo (Brazil, Germany, France)
Submission Details
Encounters did not accept open submissions. Films were selected through the Berlinale's internal programming process, with submissions facilitated by sales agents, producers, and film schools. The Berlinale's general submission process required a screener link, production credits, and a synopsis sent through the festival's online submission portal.
For filmmakers whose work might fit the Encounters profile (formally adventurous, hybrid, or experimental), the relevant pathway was through a sales agent or producer who could submit directly to the Berlinale programming team. The festival did not charge a submission fee for invited films.
Since Encounters was discontinued in 2025, these submission details are historical. Filmmakers should now refer to the submission processes for Forum, Panorama, and Perspectives, which have replaced Encounters as destinations for formally adventurous work.
Key Sections
Encounters was one of several Berlinale sections. During its run from 2020 to 2024, it programmed 12 to 15 feature films per year that represented experimental, hybrid, and formally challenging approaches to filmmaking. The section was designed as a competitive alternative to the main Competition and the non-competitive Forum section.
- Encounters Competition: 12 to 15 feature films per year, competing for Best Film, Best Director, and Special Jury Award
- Related Berlinale sections (still active): Forum (non-competitive, formally adventurous work, programmed by Arsenal Institute), Panorama (competitive, distinct artistic signatures and LGBTQ+ or political themes), Perspectives (competitive, fiction feature debuts, EUR 50,000 top prize, replaced Encounters in 2025)
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- Direct Action (Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell, 2024 Best Film): World premiered at Encounters 2024. Won the Grand Prix at Cinema du Reel 2024. Received a Special Mention from the Berlinale Documentary Award jury. German theatrical release in April 2026. Also screened at NYFF 2024 and Northern Lights Film Festival.
- Here (Bas Devos, 2023 Best Film): World premiered at Encounters 2023. Screened at Toronto, New York Film Festival, and L'Alternativa Barcelona. Acquired by the Criterion Channel for US streaming. Devos's previous film Ghost Tropic played at Toronto and was distributed by Cinema Guild.
- Nous (We) (Alice Diop, 2021 Best Film): Won the Encounters Best Film award. Theatrically released in France in February 2022. Streamed globally on MUBI starting June 2022. Diop subsequently directed Saint Omer (2022), which won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at Venice and was France's Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film. Diop won the Cesar for Best First Film in 2023.
- Orlando, My Political Biography (Paul B. Preciado, 2023 Special Jury Award): Premiered at Encounters 2023. Won the Teddy Award for Best Documentary at the Berlinale. Theatrically released in France and the US (distributed by Kino Lorber). Screened at TIFF, NYFF, and over 50 other festivals.
- Some Rain Must Fall (Qiu Yang, 2024 Special Jury Award): World premiered at Encounters 2024. Screened at Tribeca 2024 in the International Narrative Competition. Qiu Yang previously won the Short Film Palme d'Or at Cannes 2017 for A Gentle Night. Repped internationally by Goodfellas.
- The Echo (Tatiana Huezo, 2023 Best Director): Huezo is one of the most recognized documentary filmmakers working today. Her film Prayers for the Stolen (2021) was Mexico's Oscar submission and distributed by Netflix. The Echo was acquired by several international distributors after its Encounters premiere.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
Since Encounters is discontinued, these tips apply to the Berlinale sections that now serve formally adventurous filmmakers:
Forum is the primary destination for formally adventurous and experimental work at the Berlinale. Forum is non-competitive and programmed by the Arsenal Institute for Film and Video Art. It has no premiere requirement and accepts both feature-length and short films. Forum is the most natural successor to Encounters for filmmakers working in hybrid or experimental forms. Submit through the Berlinale's general submission process, and your film will be considered for whichever section the programming team determines is the best fit.
Perspectives is the replacement competitive section, but it is limited to fiction feature debuts. The EUR 50,000 top prize makes it financially significant for first-time filmmakers. If your debut fiction feature has a formally adventurous approach, Perspectives may be the right destination.
Panorama is a competitive section for films with distinct artistic signatures, particularly those addressing LGBTQ+ themes, political subjects, or underrepresented voices. If your work combines formal innovation with thematic urgency, Panorama may be appropriate.
The key point is that the Berlinale's selection committee determines which section a film is programmed in, not the submitter. You submit through the general process, and the committee routes your film to the appropriate section. Having a sales agent or producer with Berlinale connections improves visibility with the programming team.
Industry Reputation Notes
During its five editions (2020 to 2024), Encounters built a reputation as the Berlinale's home for formally innovative cinema that blurred the line between fiction and documentary. The section was respected by critics and programmers but had a lower industry profile than the main Competition or Panorama. Acquisitions activity around Encounters films was limited: most winners found distribution through specialized arthouse distributors (Cinema Guild, Kino Lorber, MUBI) rather than major buyers.
Compared to peer sections at other major festivals, Encounters occupied a similar niche to Cannes' Directors' Fortnight or Venice's Horizons - a space for formally ambitious work that might not fit the main competition. However, Encounters was smaller in scale (12 to 15 films vs. 20+ at Directors' Fortnight) and had a shorter track record.
The section's most significant industry impact came through the filmmakers it launched. Alice Diop's Nous led directly to Saint Omer (Venice Silver Lion, France's Oscar submission). Tatiana Huezo's Encounters win reinforced her status as a leading documentary filmmaker. The discontinuation of Encounters in favor of Perspectives (focused on debuts) reflects the Berlinale's shift toward supporting emerging filmmakers rather than mid-career formal experimentation.
Awards / Accreditation
Encounters presented three jury prizes each year during its 2020 to 2024 run:
- Best Film - Golden Bear plaque
- Best Director - Golden Bear plaque (sometimes awarded ex-aequo)
- Special Jury Award - Golden Bear plaque
Additional special mentions were given in some years. The section was part of the Berlinale, which is FIAPF-accredited as a competitive festival. However, Encounters itself was a sub-section, not a separate FIAPF-accredited competition. The Berlinale's main Competition awards the Golden Bear and Silver Bears, while Encounters had its own separate jury and prize structure.
Encounters did not carry Academy Award-qualifying status. Its accreditation value came from its association with the Berlinale brand and the EFM (European Film Market), which ran concurrently with the festival and provided industry access for all Berlinale sections.
Since 2025, the replacement section Perspectives awards a top prize of EUR 50,000 for the best fiction feature debut, with jury prizes for Best Director and a Special Jury Award.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Encounters no longer exists as a submission destination. Filmmakers working in the formally experimental or hybrid space that Encounters served should consider the following Berlinale sections:
- Forum: The primary destination for formally adventurous and experimental work at the Berlinale. Forum is non-competitive and programmed by Arsenal Institute for Film and Video Art. It has no premiere requirement and accepts both feature-length and short films.
- Panorama: A competitive section for films with distinct artistic signatures and perspectives, particularly those addressing LGBTQ+ themes, political subjects, or underrepresented voices.
- Perspectives: The replacement competitive section, but limited to fiction feature debuts. The EUR 50,000 top prize makes it financially significant for first-time filmmakers.
Films that might have been Encounters candidates in previous years can still be submitted through the Berlinale's general submission process. The selection committee determines which section a film is programmed in, not the submitter.
History
Encounters was launched in 2020 as part of the Berlinale's restructuring under Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek, who took over the festival's leadership in 2019. The inaugural edition featured 15 films, including 14 world premieres and 4 debut films. The section was immediately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the 2020 Berlinale curtailed and the 2021 edition moved to a summer slot (June 9 to 20, 2021).
The section developed a reputation for programming films that blurred the line between fiction and documentary. Alice Diop's Nous (We), the 2021 Best Film winner, was a documentary that played in the Encounters competition and went on to win the Best First Film award at Cesar 2023. Tatiana Huezo's The Echo, which won Best Director in 2023, was also a documentary form work that had previously been recognized at Cannes.
The decision to discontinue Encounters was part of broader leadership changes at the Berlinale. Chatrian and Rissenbeek departed after the 2024 edition, and Tricia Tuttle took over as festival director. The Encounters section was one of several programming changes Tuttle introduced for the 2025 edition, alongside the launch of Perspectives and adjustments to the Competition structure.
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See Also
For the main Berlin Film Festival, see Berlin International Film Festival. For the co-production financing event held during the EFM, see Berlinale Co-Production Market. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To evaluate the financial return of a festival run, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator.
