Dag Johan Haugerud’s Dreams (Sex Love) won the Golden Bear at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, the first under the directorship of Tricia Tuttle, on Saturday. Haugerud accepted the award from jury president Todd Haynes.
The film is the third instalment in Haugerud’s Dream Sex Love trilogy, following Sex, which premiered at the 2024 Berlinale in the Panorama section, and Love, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival later that year.
The Grand Jury Prize went to Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro’s The Blue Trail, a dystopian yet hopeful film that critiques the treatment of elderly citizens. The Jury Prize was awarded to The Message, a South American entry from Argentine filmmaker Iván Fund.
Chinese director Huo Meng took home the Best Director Silver Bear for Living the Land. Australian actress Rose Byrne won the leading performance prize for her powerful role in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, directed by Mary Bronstein. Byrne delivers a tour-de-force performance as an overworked mother balancing her career as a therapist while raising a special needs child.
Andrew Scott was honoured with the Silver Bear for Supporting Performance for his role as Broadway composer Richard Rodgers in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon.
Romanian director Radu Jude, a previous Golden Bear winner, was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay for Kontinental '25, a political satire.
A key innovation under Tricia Tuttle’s leadership was the introduction of the new Perspectives section, dedicated to first-time directors. The award in this category went to Mexican filmmaker Ernesto Martínez Bucio for The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box).
The best documentary prize went to Holding Liat, directed by Brandon Kramer and produced by Darren Aronofsky. Meanwhile, the Teddy Award for best queer feature went to Lesbian Space Princess, an Australian animated film.
Full list of winners:
COMPETITION
Golden Bear for Best Film: Dreams (Sex Love)
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: The Blue Trail
Silver Bear Jury Prize: The Message
Silver Bear for Best Director: Huo Meng for Living the Land
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: Andrew Scott for Blue Moon
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Kontinental ’25 for Radu Jude
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: The creative ensemble of The Ice Tower, Lucile Hadžihalilović
BERLINALE DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Best Documentary: Holding Liat by Brandon Kramer
PERSPECTIVES JURY
GWFF Best First Feature: The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) by Ernesto Martínez Bucio
BERLINALE SHORTS
Golden Bear: Lloyd Wong, Unfinished, Lesley Loksi Chan
Silver Bear: Ordinary Life, Yoriko Mizushiri