The future of Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle remains uncertain after the Supervisory Board meeting on Thursday morning.
The supervisory board of the KBB, the umbrella union that runs the Berlinale, held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the future of the Berlinale and its director. KBB is wholly owned by the German government, which, through the Ministry of Culture, is the main financial backer of the Berlinale.
“This morning, a meeting of the supervisory board of KBB GmbH was held at the Federal Chancellery,” the German Culture Ministry said in a statement. “The topic was the Berlinale. Discussions on the direction of the Berlinale will continue in the coming days between director Tricia Tuttle and the supervisory board.”
Tuttle has come under fire from conservative circles for pro-Palestinian comments made by some filmmakers at this year’s awards ceremony, which was held on Saturday. Palestinian director Abdullah Al-Khatib and his film Records from the siege He won first prize in the viewpoints section, and used his acceptance speech to call for a “free Palestine” and accused the German government of “being an accomplice to the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza.” This prompted German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider to withdraw from the concert in protest, and sparked violent reactions from conservative politicians and the media in Germany, who say the statements amount to “anti-Semitism” and “hatred for Israel.”
Conservative German tabloid newspaper Bild He led the backlash, targeting Tuttle in particular. A Bild In a column on Tuesday, right-wing journalist Gunnar Schubelius accused Tuttle of “filming for propaganda for Gaza,” referring to a photo of the festival director with the preacher and the president. Records from the siege The cast and crew at the film’s world premiere at the Berlinale on February 15. Tuttle stands next to crew members as they raise the Palestinian flag. Many of the men in the group wear the traditional Palestinian headdress, the keffiyeh.
Wednesday, Bild He announced that KBB was calling an extraordinary meeting of the Supervisory Board to discuss events at this year’s festival and Tuttle’s future at the Berlinale. The newspaper, which did not cite any sources, speculated that Tuttle would be fired two years into her five-year term as director of the Berlinale.
The German and European film academies have thrown their support behind Tuttle, warning that her expulsion would be unfair – as none of the supposedly offensive comments came from Tuttle or the festival but were made by the filmmakers themselves – and would have a chilling effect on freedom of expression at the Berlinale.
“The international film festival is not a diplomatic tool, but rather a democratic cultural space that deserves protection,” the German Film Academy wrote in its open letter. “Its strength lies in its ability to hold diverse viewpoints and highlight a multitude of voices.”
Several international filmmakers, including Tilda Swinton, Nancy Spielberg, Sean Baker, Kleber Mendonça Filho, and Radu Gode, have added their names to the open letter in support of Tuttle.
On Thursday, Berlinale staff and contractors also issued a statement on the festival’s official Instagram page, expressing their support for “extraordinary” artistic director Tricia Tuttle amid uncertainty over her future.
“The Berlinale team looks back on the successful 2026 Festival, which was achieved collectively and received a positive response from filmmakers and industry representatives, as well as tens of thousands of audience members,” the statement read. “In light of the ongoing discussions and deeply worrying developments surrounding the Festival Director, Tricia Tuttle, more than 500 Berlinale employees have now jointly shared this message with decision-makers:
“We, the employees, contract employees and freelancers of the Berlinale and its associated institutions, representing multiple viewpoints, speak with one voice in our unanimous support of the exceptional Tricia Tuttle as Director of the Berlinale.”
The statement continues: “We have all worked closely with Tricia during her tenure and have witnessed first-hand the clarity, integrity and artistic vision she brought to the Berlinale.” “You have made hundreds of Berlinale colleagues feel individually respected, and collectively, extremely proud of our achievements over two difficult years.
“We are not exaggerating when we say, as one of us, that it is unlikely that the KBB Supervisory Board could have appointed a more intelligent, ethical and responsive leader for the Berlinale, nor another person more committed to the fundamental principles that make this festival a vital platform for cinema in Germany and internationally.”
In her first year in office, Tuttle has been widely praised for her efforts to foster an open and respectful debate on Gaza and other controversial political issues. In addition to sorting Records from the siegeThe Berlinale Festival also invited Israeli director Tom Shoval to screen a shortened version of his documentary Letter to Davida tribute to his friend, actor David Cuneo, who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 and only recently released. First version of Letter to David It was shown at the Berlinale last year.
Tuttle attended a movie screening Letter to David – full version Following the backlash this week, Cheval posted a photo of the festival director hugging him before the premiere in 2025.
“She chose to show the film and show solidarity with David and Ariel who were at the time still in captivity,” Shuval wrote in the post. “Tricia Tuttle saw beyond politics. She saw the human suffering of the family and recognized the urgent need for their voices to be heard. She realized that the innocent person who starred in a film shown at the Berlinale was now a hostage, and that the film community had a moral responsibility to demand his release…Tricia Tuttle is a true model of cultural leadership. She is a visionary with a global, progressive artistic outlook and, above all, an individual of unparalleled integrity. Tricia Tuttle is an irreplaceable asset. For the Berlinale, I stand strongly behind it.
Hollywood Reporter The Berlinale has been contacted for comment.
