2018 BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL

The Berlin Film Festival is the first to introduce some of the upcoming international releases of the year and the 68th edition, which will be held on February 15th through the 25th, will open with the world premiere of Wes Anderson’ latest feature, “Isle of Dogs”. This stop-motion animated film tells the story of a future Japan where all dogs have been quarantined due to a “canine flu”. The dogs are fed up with their isolated existence until a young boy arrives in search of his dog and they all help in trying to find him. “Isle of Dogs”, featuring the voices of Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton and Yoko Ono, marks the second time Anderson has opened this fest following “The Grand Budapest Hotel” in 2014 (which won the Silver Bear Jury Prize ) and will open in the U.S. on March 23rd.



Tom Tykwer (best known here as the German director of the 1998 international hit, “Run Lola Run”) will head this year’s jury which will select all of the prizes. The other jury members includes Belgium actress, Cécile de France; Spanish photographer, Chema Prada; American film critic, Stephanie Zacharek; Japanese musician, Ryuichi Sakamoto and American producer, Adele Romanski.

The Berlinale Classics section will present the world premieres of seven films that have been digitally restored. This includes Wim Wenders’ 1987 prize-winner, "Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin), "My 20th Century (Az én XX. századom)", the 1989 black & white, fairy tale which pays homage to silent films by Hungarian director, Ildikó Enyedi, (who is up for a Best Foreign-Language Oscar this year for her film, "On Body and Soul") and "Fail Safe", Sidney Lumet's intense Cold War drama from 1964.







And Willem Dafoe, who is nominated for an Oscar this year for his performance in “The Florida Project“, will receive an Honorary Golden Bear for life-time achievement. Some of his notable films will be screened including his first major screen appearance in “To Live and Die in L.A.”, “The Last Temptation of Christ “, “Mississippi Burning”, “Shadow of a Vampire”, “Antichrist”, and “Platoon “.