Québécois director Dulude-De Celles wins Berlin Silver Bear for screenplay

By Canadian Press on February 21, 2026.

Québécois director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles has won the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival for her film “Nina Roza.”

The film follows a Bulgarian art conservator living in Quebec who returns home to assess the work of an eight-year-old painting prodigy.

Visibly nervous on stage, Dulude-De Celles thanked collaborators from Belgium, Italy and Bulgaria, and highlighted the importance of preserving Canadian and Quebec cultural identity amid U.S. influence.

She also spoke in support of immigrants and exiles navigating multiple identities.

The jury, led by German filmmaker Wim Wenders, praised the screenplay’s use of silence and honesty, calling its story universal.

“Nina Roza,” a Canadian-Italian-Bulgarian-Belgian co-production, is set to open in Quebec theatres on April 24.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2026.

The Canadian Press