Group photo including Luc Frieden, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, and Eric Thill, Luxembourg’s Minister for Culture; Credit: ME

On Sunday 15 and Monday 16 February 2026, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Minister for Culture Eric Thill took part in a series of meetings and official events during the 76th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).

The visit aimed to support Luxembourg’s audiovisual creation and strengthen the sector’s international visibility. It also formed part of the government’s coordinated presence at the Berlinale and the European Film Market (EFM), alongside Film Fund Luxembourg and the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Berlin.

According to the ministries and Film Fund Luxembourg, this joint participation in the festival reflects the strategic cultural and economic importance placed on the national audiovisual sector.

Three Luxembourg co-productions secured selection in major sections of Berlinale 2026. The ministers attended the premieres of two of the works:

  • Liebhaberinnen, the first feature film by Luxembourg director Koxi (Caroline Kox), co-produced by Amour Fou Luxembourg and presented in the Forum section;
     

  • Die Blutgräfin (The Blood Countess), directed by Ulrike Ottinger, co-produced by Amour Fou Luxembourg and starring Isabelle Huppert, Lars Eidinger and André Jung, selected for the Berlinale Special Gala.

A third Luxembourg co-production, ROYA by Mahnaz Mohammadi (Panorama section), also highlights the diversity of international partnerships developed by production companies based in Luxembourg.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Frieden and Minister Thill visited the EFM at the Martin-Gropius-Bau exhibition hall in Berlin, where they met Berlinale representatives and key players from the international film market. They also held discussions with Film Fund Luxembourg and representatives of Luxembourg’s main audiovisual professional associations, focusing on sector development prospects, the national support framework and Luxembourg’s strategic positioning in a changing international environment.

The programme continued on Monday, when the traditional Luxembourg reception at the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Berlin brought together film professionals, institutional partners and representatives from the cultural and diplomatic fields.

During the reception, Prime Minister Frieden said: “The Berlinale represents far more than a festival. It symbolises the collective momentum, creative boldness and European solidarity that drive our film industry. Luxembourg fully plays its part. We can take pride in supporting works that cross borders, bring languages together and unite perspectives. Through these collaborations, we reaffirm our European and international commitment with determination, convinced that culture acts as a powerful bridge between nations and a driver for our country’s future.”

Minister Thill highlighted the structural role of public support in developing an ambitious audiovisual ecosystem, noting: “To further support this development, a new financing law for Film Fund Luxembourg passed at the end of last year, giving sector professionals long-term planning security.”

He also praised the creativity, perseverance and commitment of national industry professionals, stressing their contribution to Luxembourg’s international visibility and audiovisual scene.