Berlinale Special is part of the official programme and presents recent works by contemporary filmmakers, as well as film portraits of renowned personalities and extraordinary formats. This year 18 productions have been invited to participate in Berlinale Special, including nine world premieres.

With many prominent guests expected to attend, the Gala Screenings are being held, as usual, at the Friedrichstadt-Palast and, for the first time, at the Zoo Palast.

“Wonderful that the legendary Zoo Palast may now be added as a venue for big Berlinale films. In 2014 we will celebrate several Gala Screenings of Berlinale Special at this historic movie theatre. Of course, we’ll also roll out the red carpet at the Friedrichstadt-Palast for the stars of Berlinale Special,” says Festival Director Dieter Kosslick.

The presentations at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will again include moderated discussions with the filmmakers after the screenings.

The programme:

Berlinale Special Galas at the Friedrichstadt-Palast

A Long Way Down

United Kingdom / Germany

By Pascal Chaumeil (HeartBreaker)

With Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots

World premiere

American Hustle

USA

By David O. Russell (Silver Linings, Three Kings)

With Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence

German premiere

Cesar Chavez

USA

By Diego Luna (Abel)

With Michael Peña, America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, John Malkovich

World premiere

Dans la cour (In the Courtyard)

France

By Pierre Salvadori (Beautiful Lies, The Apprentices)

With Catherine Deneuve, Gustave Kervern

World premiere

Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann (The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared)

Sweden

By Felix Herngren (Every Other Week, Adult Behaviour)

With Robert Gustafsson, Iwar Wiklander, Mia Skäringer, Alan Ford, David Wiberg

German premiere

The Turning – anthology film

Australia

By Marieka Walsh, Warwick Thornton,  Jub Clerc, Robert Connolly, Anthony Lucas, Rhys Graham, Ashlee Page, Tony Ayres, Claire McCarthy, Stephen Page, Shaun Gladwell, Mia Wasikowska, Simon Stone, David Wenham, Jonathan auf der Heide, Justin Kurzel, Yaron Lifschitz, Ian Meadows

With Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Miranda Otto, Richard Roxburgh, Hugo Weaving

International premiere

Berlinale Special Galas at the Zoo Palast

Das finstere Tal (The Dark Valley)

Austria / Germany

By Andreas Prochaska (Dead In 3 Days, The Unintentional Kidnapping of Mrs. Elfriede Ott)

With Sam Riley, Tobias Moretti, Paula Beer, Thomas Schubert, Carmen Gratl

World premiere

Diplomatie (Diplomacy)

France / Germany

By Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum, The Ninth Day)

With André Dussollier, Niels Arestrup, Robert Stadlober, Burghart Klaussner

World premiere

The Two Faces of January

United Kingdom / USA / France

By Hossein Amini - feature debut

With Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac

World premiere

Berlinale Special at the Kino International

En du elsker (Someone You Love)

Denmark

By Pernille Fischer Christensen (A Family, A Soap)

With Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Sofus Rønnov, Eve Best

World premiere

Berlinale Special at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele

Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq  - documentary

USA

By Nancy Buirski (The Loving Story)

International premiere

Baal (1969)

Germany

By Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum, The Ninth Day)

With Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Sigi Graue, Margarethe von Trotta

Festival premiere

Kathedralen der Kultur - film project in 3D

Germany / Denmark / Austria / Norway / France 

By Wim Wenders, Michael Glawogger, Michael Madsen, Robert Redford, Margreth Olin, Karim Aïnouz

World premiere

Night Will Fall - documentary (work in progress)

United Kingdom

By André Singer (Forbidden Rites, World in Action)

World premiere

The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden - documentary

USA

By Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller (Ballets Russes)

European premiere

The Unknown Known - documentary

USA

By Errol Morris (Standard Operation Procedure, Tabloid)

German premiere

Watermark - documentary

Canada

By Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes), Edward Burtynsky

European premiere

We Come As Friends - documentary

France / Austria

By Hubert Sauper (Darwin‘s Nightmare)

European premiere