Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island
The 60th Berlin Film Festival has announced the first seven titles for its Golden Bear Competition line-up. As per the film festival's press release, this initial group is "characterized by up-and-coming young directors, stars and masters of filmmaking like Martin Scorsese and Roman Polanski."
Scorsese's out-of-competition entry, Shutter Island, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Jackie Earle Haley, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow, and Elias Koteas. Adapted by Laeta Kalogridis from Dennis Lehane's novel, the thriller chronicles the pursuit of a murderess who has supposedly fled to Shutter Island after escaping from a mental asylum. Shutter Island is Scorsese's first narrative feature since winning the Oscar for The Departed nearly three years ago.
Roman Polanski's entry is The Ghost Writer, a political mystery-thriller based on Robert Harris' novel The Ghost, and starring Ewan McGregor as a ghostwriter and Pierce Brosnan as a former British Prime Minister with a sinister secret in his past.
Also of note in the Berlin 2010 list is the presence of Jasmila Zbanic, whose Grbavica won the 2006 Golden Bear. Zbanic will be back early next year with On the Path, which features Grbavica's European Film Award nominee Mirjana Karanovic.
A total of 26 films will be selected for the Competition section of the 2010 Berlin Film Festival. More titles will be announced in January 2010.
The following films have been confirmed for the 2010 Competition program so far:
Bal (Honey) Turkey / Germany
by Semih Kaplanoglu (Süt/Milk, Yumurta/Egg, Melegin Düsüsü/Angel’s Fall)
with Bora Altas, Erdal Besikcioglu, Tülin Özen, Alev Ucarer, Ayse Altay
World premiereDer Räuber (The Robber) Austria / Germany
by Benjamin Heisenberg (Sleeper, Max-Ophuels-Preis 2006)
with Andreas Lust, Franziska Weisz
World premiereMy Name Is Khan India
by Karan Johar
with Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Out of competitionNa Putu (On the Path) Bosnia and Herzegovina / Austria / Germany / Croatia
by Jasmila Zbanic (Grbavica, Golden Bear 2006)
with Zrinka Cvitesic (Shooting Star 2010), Leon Lucev, Ermin Bravo, Mirjana Karanovic
World premiereShekarchi (The Hunter) Germany / Iran
by Rafi Pitts (Zemestan – It's Winter)
with Rafi Pitts, Mitra Hajjar, Ali Nicksaulat, Hassan Ghalenoi
World premiereShutter Island USA
by Martin Scorsese (The Departed, Aviator, Cape Fear)
with Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Sir Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow
World premiere / Out of competitionThe Ghost Writer France / Germany / UK
by Roman Polanski (The Pianist, Oscar 2002, Chinatown, Cul-de-sac, Golden Bear 1966)
with Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams
World premiere