65th Berlin International Film Festival Competition Selection

Dieter Kosslick, Berlinale Director, announced today via press release the final seven (7) films that complete the Competition lineup of the 2015 Berlinale. 19 of 23 films in the Competition program will be vying for the Golden and Silver Bears; 4 films are out of competition, 2 films are debut feature film and 21 films are world premieres. Festival will run from February 5 to 15.

The following countries are participating in the entire program: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong/China, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, United Kingdom, Ukraine, the USA and Vietnam.

I find this year's selection truly outstanding and diverse as has films from many countries, in many languages; but most important, works by great directors like Terrence Malick, Benoit Jacquot, Radu Jude, Malgorzata Szumowska, Pablo Larraín, Patricio Guzmán, Werner Herzog, Kenneth Branagh, Wim Wenders, Jafar Pahahi, and more. On top the selected films assure the festival presence of great actors like Juliette Binoche, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Léa Seydoux, Alba Rohrwacher, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Ian McKellen, Vincent Lindon and more.

Post will be work in progress as will be updated when films are listed in the official site, when the juries are announced and will become final when all info is included.

In Competition

Opening Film: Nobody Wants the Night, Isabel Coixet, Spain, France and Bulgaria

45 Years, Andrew Haigh, UK
Aferim!, Radu Jude, Romania, Bulgaria and Czech Republic
Als wir träumten (As We Were Dreaming), Andreas Dresen, Germany and France
Cha và con và (Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories), Di Phan Dang, Vietnam, France, Germany and Netherlands
Ciało (Body), Malgorzata Szumowska, Poland
El Botón de Nácar (The Pearl Button), Patricio Guzmán, France, Chile and Spain (documentary)
El Club (The Club), Pablo Larraín, Chile
Eisenstein in Guanajuato, Peter Greenaway, Netherlands, Mexico, Belgium and Finland
Ixcanul (Ixcanul Volcano), Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala and France (debut film)
Journal d'une femme de chambre (Diary of a Chambermaid), Benoit Jacquot, France and Belgium
Knight of Cups, Terrence Malick, USA
Под электрическими облаками Pod electricheskimi oblakami (Under Electric Clouds), Alexey German, Russia, Ukraine and Poland
Queen of the Desert, Werner Herzog, USA
تاکسی‎ Taxi, Jafar Panahi, Iran
天の茶助 Ten no chasuke (Chasuke's Journey), Sabu, Japan
Vergine Giurata (Sworn Virgin), Laura Bispuri, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Albania and Kosovo (debut film)
Victoria, Sebastian Schipper, Germany
一步之遥 Yi bu zhi yao (Gone with the Bullets), Wen Jiang, China, Hong Kong and USA

Out of Competition
Cinderella, Kenneth Branagh, USA
Elser (13 Minutes), Oliver Hirschbiegel, Germany
Every Thing Will Be Fine, Wim Wenders, Germany, Canada, France, Sweden and Norway
Mr. Holmes, Bill Condon, UK

Jury
President: Darren Aronofsky, director, screenwriter and producer, USA
Daniel Brühl, actor, Germany
Bong Joon-ho, director, screenwriter, South Korea
Martha De Laurentiis, producer, USA
Claudia Llosa, director, screenwriter, producer, Peru
Audrey Tautou, actress, France
Matthew Weiner, director, writer, producer, USA

Perhaps the most interesting and unexpected news come from a country with very sparse cinema production that lately has been gaining festival presence but none as in this year Berlinale where a film from Guatemala by a Guatemalan director is competing for the fest top award with the likes of Terrence Malick, Andreas Dresen, Pablo Larrain, Jafar Pahahi, Benoit Jackquot, Werner Herzog, and more. Impressive. It is Jayro Bustamante feature film debut and already made it to one of the three big festivals, congrats.

I'm in the process to check info about each film in the list and will post link to trailers, info, film stills, etc as soon as find them.

As we know the Honorary Golden Bear this year goes to Wim Wenders with several of his film screened in his honor, including most famous Paris, Texas. The Berlinale Camera this year will be presented to food activists and Slow Food founders Alice Waters and Carlo Petrini.  The Award Ceremony will take place at the Berlinale Palast on Saturday, February 14th, 2015. The event will close with a screening of the winner of the Golden Bear.

Watch trailer and/or info, film stills @MOC