The 2026 Berlin Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Shahrbanoo Sadat’s No Good Men.
The film will play as a Berlinale Special Gala, opening the festival at the Berlinale Palast on Thursday, February 12.
“Shahrbanoo Sadat is one of the most exciting voices in world cinema and No Good Men really delivers on the promise of her first two features,” said Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle. “Sadat continues her vital work spotlighting Afghan women’s lives, here bringing romance and touches of humour to a rousingly political story.
“That it is based on real events, and the director risked so much to get this film made makes No Good Men even more meaningful as our Opening Gala of the 76th Berlinale.”
The film follows Naru, the only camerawoman at Kabul TV, who is convinced there are no good men in Afghanistan. But when reporter Qodrat takes her on assignment just before the Taliban’s return, sparks fly and she begins to question her belief.
“Growing up in Afghanistan’s deeply patriarchal society, I believed there were no good men – until I found out another reality exists, and I hope this film offers young women hope and young men an example,” said Sadat.
No Good Men is a Germany-France-Norway-Denmark-Afghanistan co-production, for Adomeit Film, La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma, Motlys, Amerikafilm and Wolf Pictures.
The film shot at locations across Germany, with German public funding from MOIN Filmforderung Hamburg-Schleswig-Holstein, German Federal Film Board (FFA) & German French Mini Treaty, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, nordmedia – Film- und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen / Bremen mbH, and MV Filmförderung – Film Fund Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The film will be released in Germany on August 27, 2026.
Iranian-born Afghan filmmaker Sadat previously directed 2016 feature Wolf And Sheep and 2019’s The Orphanage, both of which debuted in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, with the former winning the section’s top prize.
Berlin has been announcing sections this week including Special, Panorama, Generation and Forum. The full lineup including Competition titles will be unveiled on Tuesday, February 3.
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