Potsdam, February 13, 2026: UFA, GALA and FUNKE celebrated the start of the Berlinale 2026 yesterday with around 600 guests at the 11th BERLIN OPENING NIGHT.

The celebrity guests at the luxury boutique hotel “SO/ Berlin Das Stue” included Christian Asanger, Malik Bauer, Wolfgang Bahro, Julia Becker, Julia Beautx, Bibiana Beglau, Tom Beck, Björn Böhning, Wayne Carpendale, Yvonne Catterfeld, Bruce Darnell, Caro Daur, Heiko Deutschmann, David Dietl, Maria Ehrich, Paula Essam, Heino Ferch, Gisa Flake, Ulrike Frank, Annette Frier, Caroline Maria Frier, Sonja Gerhardt, Franziska an der Gassen, Marco Girnth, Lukas Gregorowic, Runa Greiner, Hannes Jaennicke, Anja Kling, Gina Alice Redlinger, Lang Lang, Heiner Lauterbach, Victoria Lauterbach, Annika Lau, Frederik Lau, Heike Makatsch, Melanie Marschke, Oliver Masucci, Claudia Michelsen, Benjamina Mirnik-Voges, Anna Maria Mühe, Trystan Pütter, Fridolin Sandmeyer, Merlin Sandmeyer, Oliver Schablitzki, Sarah Duve-Schmid, Anna Schudt, Dana Schweiger, Luna Schweiger, Katharina Schüttler, Axel Stein, Nico Stank, Aylin Tezel, Janina Uhse, Elke Walthelm, Dr. Wolfram Weimar, Felicitas Woll, Tom Wlaschiha, Jonas Wuttke and Frank Zervos.

Sascha Schwingel, CEO UFA: “BERLIN OPENING NIGHT stands for what our industry needs today and tomorrow: People who meet, ideas that are shared and networks that make new things possible. Creativity does not emerge in isolation, but in exchange, where trust, curiosity and courage come together. For me, hosting this evening together with GALA means opening up precisely this space. 2026 is a year of further development for UFA, and this evening impressively demonstrates the creative potential that arises when we think in a networked way and shape the future together.”

Doris Brückner, editor-in-chief of GALA: “This is the eleventh time we have joined forces with UFA to host the opening party of the International Film Festival and we are delighted that more than 600 exciting personalities from the film and media industry have celebrated this night with us once again. BERLIN OPENING NIGHT has established itself as a ‘must-have’ event because it goes far beyond the red carpet. This is where people come together to tell stories, shape images and move our industry forward. The fact that our guests are shaping this evening with us makes me proud – because GALA stands for precisely this mixture of glamor, closeness and living togetherness.”

This year, VUSE, House of Gatsby, Rado, McDonald’s, Pommery, Dallmayr and Clarins supported the event as partners.

Royalty-free images for reporting are available for download: HERE

About UFA

UFA is one of the leading production companies for series and films, shows and documentaries in the German-speaking world. New and long-running programs from UFA reach an average of over 30 million people every week and are currently available on almost all TV channels and streaming services. The creative house bundles the range of its genres in the units UFA Fiction, UFA Serial Drama, UFA Show & Factual, UFA Documentary and UFA Mitte under one roof. UFA is part of the international production company Fremantle, the global production arm of RTL Group. UFA, rich in tradition, was founded in 1917 and is now present at five locations in Germany. Its headquarters are in Potsdam-Babelsberg. The managing directors of UFA are Sascha Schwingel (CEO) and Christian Rohde.

Press contact UFA:

Janine Friedrich
Head of Communications

janine.friedrich@ufa.dePhone: +49 331 70 60 379

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The press release as PDF for download: