Berlin Film Festival To Open With ‘No Good Men’ By Afghan Director Shahrbanoo Sadat
No Good Men, the latest feature from Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, will open the 2026 Berlin Film Festival.
The film follows Naru, the only camerawoman at Kabul TV, who is convinced that there are no good men in Afghanistan. But when the reporter Qodrat takes her on assignment just before the Taliban’s return, sparks fly – and she begins to question this belief. The film was shot in several locations across Germany.
No Good Men is an international co-production between Germany, France, Norway, Denmark, and Afghanistan. Production companies are Adomeit Film, La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma, Motlys, Amerikafilm, and Wolf Pictures.
The feature follows Sadat’s last works, Wolf and Sheep (2016) and Parwareshgah (The Orphanage, 2019). Both films screened at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. No Good Men is also the third of five planned films based on the autobiographical writings of author and actor Anwar Hashimi. Hashimi stars in the film alongside Sadat, who is in the lead role.
“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,” Berlinale Director Tricia Tuttle said in a statement this afternoon.
“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.”
Earlier this week, Berlin made several additions to its Panorama, Forum, and Expanded competition strands. Features set for the fest include Charli XCX’s buzzy flick The Moment, which will screen in the Panorama competition.
The Moment will travel to Berlin following its Sundance debut and screen in the European festival’s Panorama competition section. Panorama will screen new works by Hong Sangsoo, Joaquín del Paso, André Novais Oliveira, and Elle Sofe Sara.
Directed by Aidan Zamiri from a screenplay he wrote with Bertie Brandes, the film is based on an original idea by Charli xcx. The “Brat” singer-songwriter also stars in the film, which follows a rising pop star as she navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena-tour debut.
The 2026 Berlin Film Festival runs from February 12–22.
