Everybody Digs Bill Evans wins Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival
Posted: 23rd February 2026
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to congratulate director Grant Gee and the entire team behind Irish/UK feature film Everybody Digs Bill Evans, which has been awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale).
The film received its World Premiere at the festival to rave reviews, with the Hollywood Reporter lauding the film's "artful direction, nimble structure, visual richness and impeccable performances" in a film that "hits every note"; four-star reviews from The Guardian and the BBC; and Deadline commending the film as "extraordinary, intimate and gloriously experimental".
Based on the book Intermission by Owen Martell, Everybody Digs Bill Evans is written by Mark O'Halloran, and stars Anders Danielsen Lee, Bill Pullman, Laurie Metcalf, Irish actors Barry Ward, Valene Kane and Katie McGrath. The film follows the legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans as he forms his perfect trio and records two of the greatest jazz records of all time in one night.
Everybody Digs Bill Evans is a Cowtown Pictures and Hot Property Films production, produced by Janine Marmot for Hot Property Films and Alan Maher for Cowtown Pictures. The film is supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the UK Global Screen Fund, Over The Fence Films, Finite Films, Shoni Productions, OnSight and Metropolitan Pictures. Worldwide sales are being handled by Mister Smith Entertainment, with CAA co-repping US rights, and Irish distributor Break Out Pictures has acquired UK-Ireland distribution.
The prestigious award win comes on the back of an incredible weekend for Irish talent and Irish film. On Sunday, actress Jessie Buckley made history as the first Irish woman to win the BAFTA for Lead Actress for her role in Hamnet. Irish production company Element Pictures also won the Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer award for their production My Father's Shadow.
Jessie Buckley was also the winner of the Lead Actress IFTA at Friday's 2026 IFTA Awards, where a wide range of Irish screen stories were celebrated and recognised - from Brendan Canty's Christy to Myrid Carten's A Want in Her and John Kelly's Retirement Plan.