On September 9, Berlin Commercial’s main event will take over the Kino International for its sharpest edition yet. Each year the festival brings together an international community of filmmakers, creative professionals, executive producers, commissioners, agencies, brands and production companies for open exchange, screenings and events, exploring the evolution of commercial filmmaking and where it’s heading next.
The Shortlist Is In
Berlin Commercial has unveiled its 2026 shortlist ahead of September’s award show. The list spans commercial work and independent productions, with standouts including:
- Unavailable — Squarespace, starring Emma Stone, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (USA), produced by SUPERPRIME
- Berghain — Rosalía ft. Björk, Yves Tumor, directed by Nicolás Méndez for CANADA
- Forever Suede — Puma, featuring A$AP Rocky, directed by Motion Paper for Freenjoy
- Iceman — Drake, directed by Theo Skudra and Liam Macrae for Denim
- The Hunt — Gentle Monster, featuring Nadia Lee Cohen, produced by DMB Represents
- Nike Air Max DN8 — Unreal Motion Campaign — Nike, Inc. (USA), produced by NEWFORMAT
The full shortlist is available at berlincommercial.awardsengine.com/winners/2026, with winners announced at the award show during the festival.
This year’s festival theme is State of Taste. In an age of optimisation, taste becomes the real competitive advantage. At the heart of the festival is a main-stage panel bearing the same name, exploring instinct, judgement and the decisions shaping culture, brands and contemporary filmmaking.
The panel brings together Lucy Thorpe (Head of Branded Content Editorial, Highsnobiety), Franziska Brunner (Global Creative Director, antoni_), Kopeto (photographer and visual storyteller), Curro Piqueras Parra (Chief Creative Officer, DUDE London) and Bianca Redgrave (Managing Director, Studio Private), hosted by Shawn Thomson (Business Partner, YKONE).
As production becomes increasingly shaped by algorithms, optimisation and AI, the conversation asks why taste may be the creative industry’s most valuable asset. The panellists, leading voices from across advertising, production and visual culture, will explore what originality and creative excellence look like in the next era of filmmaking and who gets to make the decisions that shape it.
“More content doesn’t mean more culture. What makes work memorable is taste—the choices, instincts and points of view that make something resonate. As technology transforms how we create, knowing what audiences connect with, and why, becomes even more valuable. That conversation is at the heart of Berlin Commercial,” statedPhilipp Ulita, managing director, Berlin Commercial.
The 2026 speakers and jury include internationally recognised directors, producers, agency leaders and creative executives from companies such as RSA Films, Superprime, BBDO Germany, Saatchi & Saatchi, The Mill, Jelly, antoni_, DUDE London, Studio RM, Whitehouse Post, Modern Post, TBWA, FutureFrank, Silkrock, freenjoy, Lark Creative, Cabin Edit, Phantasm, Tinygiant, Sizzer and She Sounds.
Interested creatives can learn more via the Berlin Commercial website. Tickets to the event can be purchased here.
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