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A first account of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival attests full cinemas and plenty of curious visitors exploring the diverse festival programme.

With Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs it was the first time that an animation film opened the Berlinale. The star-studded cast of voice-over artists populated the red carpet: accompanying Wes Anderson to the premiere were, amongst others, Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Liev Schreiber, Koyu Rankin, Bob Balaban, Tilda Swinton, Akira Takayama, Yojiro Noda and Mari Natsuki.

Other guests of the first festival days were David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, Hugo Weaving, Jim Broadbent, Isabel Coixet, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Christian Petzold, Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Benoit Jacquot, Isabelle Huppert, Rupert Everett, Emily Watson, Hanna Schygulla, Alba Rohrwacher, Marie Bäumer, Birgit Minichmayr, Charly Hübner, Robert Gwisdek, José Padilha, Rosamund Pike, Daniel Brühl, Lav Diaz, Gus Van Sant, Joaquin Phoenix, Udo Kier, Michael Gwisdek, Jeff Daniels, Peter Sarsgaard, Natalie Dormer, Lars Kraume, Florian Lukas, Ronald Zehrfeld, Steven Soderbergh, Claire Foy and many more.

As part of the film historical programme, besides the Retrospective, the world premiere of a digitally restored Das alte Gesetz (The Ancient Law) by Ewald André Dupont marked a special highlight of the Berlinale Classics.

On Tuesday, the American actor Willem Dafoe was awarded in front of an excited audience the Honorary Golden Bear; the laudatory speech was held by Wim Wenders.

The events and talks of the Berlinale Talents at the HAU provided interesting discussions with panel guests, amongst which were Jury President Tom Tykwer, the directors David and Nathan Zellner, Eric Schlosser, Gus Van Sant as well as the cinematographers Agnès Godard and Nancy Schreiber.

The European Film Market (EFM) is also enjoying a steady increase of exhibitors and visitors as well as a lot of public attention. The many initiatives and special events of the Market, tackling current developments, trends and perspectives, are very popular with the trade visitors and establish the EFM as a platform for innovation and change.

Once more, the 68th Berlin International Film Festival is drawing an impressive amount of audiences: already midway through the festival around 273,000 tickets have been sold.

There will be an ‘encore’ for the public on Sunday, February 25: numerous festival films from the various sections will have repeat screenings on Berlinale Publikumstag.