Berlin

The Berlin International Film Festival opened today, on February 7, 2013 at 7.30 pm.

After a few words of greeting from Minister of State for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann and Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit, the Festival was officially opened by Jury President Wong Kar Wai (Hong Kong, China) and Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick. The International Jury - whose other members are Susanne Bier (Denmark), Andreas Dresen (Germany), Ellen Kuras (USA), Shirin Neshat (Iran), Tim Robbins (USA) and Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece) – were also introduced during the gala. Anke Engelke will again host the evening. This year’s music is provided by Ulrich Tukur & Die Rhythmus Boys. 3sat is broadcasting the opening live.

Following the gala, Wong Kar Wai’s epic martial-arts drama The Grandmaster will have its international premiere. The director and his leading actors, Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang, will personally present the film to the audience in the Berlinale Palast.

The members of the International Jury, the International Short Film Jury and the Best First Feature Award Jury are all expected on the Red Carpet. Other international and national guests who are to come include Fonda, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brigitte Lacombe, Isabella Rossellini, Maren Ade, Mario Adorf, Thomas Arslan, Emily Atef, Michael Ballhaus, Wolfgang Becker, Bibiana Beglau, Iris Berben, Senta Berger, Christian Berkel, Sebastian Blomberg, Hans-Christoph Blumenberg, Fred Breinersdorfer, Thomas Brussig, Christopher Buchholz, Inga Busch, Mareike Carrière, Didi Danquart, Pepe Danquart, Katja Eichinger, Nina Eichinger, Hannelore Elsner, Alexander Fehling, Veronica Ferres, Florian David Fitz, Inka Friedrich, Hans Fromm, Martina Gedeck, Hans W. Geißendörfer, Matthias Glasner, Frank Griebe,Valeska Grisebach, Michael Gwisdek, Fritzi Haberlandt, Hendrik Handloegten, Monika Hansen, Reinhard Hauff, Leander Haussmann, André M. Hennicke, Irm Hermann, Hannah Herzsprung, Sherry Hormann, Nina Hoss, Hermine Huntgeburth, Hannes Jaenicke, Vanessa Jopp, Daniel Kehlmann, Sibel Kekilli, Burghart Klaußner, Volker Koepp, Wolfgang Kohlhaase, David Kross, Steffi Kühnert, Günter Lamprecht, Alina Levshin, Dani Levy, Jan Josef Liefers, Peter Lohmeyer, Anna Loos-Liefers, Florian Lukas, Angelina Maccarone, Heike Makatsch, Pia Marais, Marie-Luise Marjan, Eva Mattes, Jeanine Meerapfel, Michael Mendl, Helke Misselwitz, Anna Maria Mühe, Ulrich Noethen, Christiane Paul, Franziska Petri, Nina Petri, Christian Petzold, Jürgen Prochnow, Katja Riemann, Max Riemelt, Oskar Roehler, Gernot Roll, Lars Rudolph, Udo Samel, Nesrin Samdereli, Yasemin Samdereli, Helma Sanders-Brahms, Katrin Sass, Andrea Sawatzki, Angela Schanelec, Tom Schilling, Hans-Christian Schmid, Maria Schrader, Rolf Schübel, Jessica Schwarz, Peter Sehr, Ulrich Seidl, Robert Stadlober, Ula Stöckl, Hannes Stöhr, Lena Stolze, Aylin Tezel, Anna Thalbach, Jördis Triebel, Elisabeth Trissenaar, Tom Tykwer, Nadja Uhl, Andres Veiel, Joseph Vilsmaier, Jürgen Vogel, Justus von Dohnányi, Vera von Lehndorff, Rosa von Praunheim, Mark Waschke, Hans Weingartner, Ina Weisse, Wim Wenders, Ronald Zehrfeld, Hanns Zischler.

A number of prominent German politicians have also announced their attendance, including: Philipp Rösler, Vice-Chancellor of Germany and Federal Minister of Economics and Technology; Thomas de Maizière, Federal Minister of Defence; Daniel Bahr, Federal Minister for Health;  Ronald Pofalla, Head of the Federal Chancellery; Ralf Wieland, President of the Berlin House of Representatives; Michael Müller, Berlin’s Senator for Urban Development and the Environment; Dilek Kolat, Berlin’s Senator for Labour, Integration und Women’s Issues; Monika Grütters, Chair of the Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs of the German Bundestag; Petra Merkel, Chair of the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag; Eckart von Klaeden, Minister of State in the Federal Chancellery; as well as many others.

The 63rd Berlin International Film Festival will close on February 17, 2013. The Award Ceremony will be held on February 16, 2013.