The first seven films for the 65th Berlin International Film Festival Competition program have been selected, and include former Berlinale bear winners Andreas Dresen (Nightshapes 1999,Grill Point 2002) and Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line 1999) with their newest films. Frequent Berlinale Forum guest Peter Greenaway will participate in this year’s Competition. The directorial debut by Jayro Bustamante, simultaneously Guatemala’s debut in Competition, a feature film by former Generation participant Andrew Haigh, and the newest work by Russian director Alexey German are also among the first selected Competition films. The live action film adaptation Cinderella by Kenneth Branagh will screen out of competition.
Films confirmed in Competition to date (in alphabetical order):
45 Years
United Kingdom
By Andrew Haigh (Weekend)
With Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay
World premiere
Als wir träumten (As We Were Dreaming)
Germany / France
By Andreas Dresen (Grill Point, Cloud 9, Stopped on Track)
With Merlin Rose, Julius Nitschkoff, Joel Basman, Marcel Heuperman, Frederic Haselon, Ruby O. Fee
World premiere
Cinderella
USA
By Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet)
With Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Derek Jacobi und Helena Bonham Carter
International premiere – Out of competition
Eisenstein in Guanajuato
The Netherlands / Mexico / Belgium / Finland
By Peter Greenaway (The Tulse Luper Suitcases)
With Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti
World premiere
Ixcanul (Ixcanul Volcano)
Guatemala / France
By Jayro Bustamante
With María Mercedes Coroy, María Telón, Manuel Antún, Justo Lorenzo, Marvin Coroy
World premiere – Debut feature
Knight of Cups
USA
By Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line)
With Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman
World premiere
Pod electricheskimi oblakami (Under Electric Clouds)
Russian Federation / Ukraine / Poland
By Alexey German (Paper Soldier)
With Lui Frank, Merab Ninidze, Viktoriya Korotkova, Chulpan Khamatova, Anastasiya Melnikova, Piotr Gasowski
World premiere