Sofia Alaoui on the Berlinale 2026 Jury: When Cinema from the Global South Shapes the World’s Gaze
In a global cinematic landscape undergoing profound transformation, the Berlin International Film Festival—one of the most influential platforms in world cinema—has announced the juries for its 76th edition, scheduled to take place from February 12 to 22, 2026. Among the most significant appointments is that of Moroccan filmmaker and screenwriter Sofia Alaoui, selected as a jury member of the Perspectives section, which awards the prize for Best First Feature Film.
This relatively new section was created as a space dedicated to emerging filmmakers, offering visibility to debut feature films that propose fresh narrative forms and bold aesthetic visions. The award, endowed with €50,000 and supported by the GWFF, is shared between director and producer, providing essential financial and symbolic support at the very beginning of a professional career.
In addition to the monetary prize, the winner also receives a professional cinematic viewfinder, both a technical tool and a symbolic object—an emblem of continuity and future creative commitment within the industry.
Sofia Alaoui’s presence on this jury goes far beyond a gesture of institutional diversity. It reflects a broader shift in global cinema, where voices from the Global South are no longer merely represented but are increasingly involved in shaping critical and aesthetic standards. These voices do not simply seek visibility; they actively contribute to redefining how stories are told and evaluated.
Alaoui’s artistic trajectory embodies this evolution. Her films, deeply human and introspective, explore questions of identity, memory, inner exile, and the invisible fractures of contemporary life. Rather than reproducing cultural stereotypes, her cinematic language favors subtlety, emotional resonance, and a contemplative relationship with reality.
Joining a jury that also includes a prominent European filmmaker and a leading international festival director, Alaoui brings a distinct sensibility rooted in cross-cultural experience, enriching the deliberative process with multiple perspectives and narrative traditions.
In this sense, her nomination signals a symbolic turning point: Moroccan and Arab cinema are no longer confined to the role of participants in global festivals, but are now becoming co-authors of the critical frameworks through which world cinema is interpreted.
The Best First Feature Award will be presented on February 21, 2026, during the official Berlinale awards ceremony—an event expected to highlight a new generation of filmmakers and to confirm the growing centrality of emerging cinematic voices in shaping the future of film.
