International and German Stars at the Opening of the 56th Berlinale

The Opening Gala of the 56th Berlin International Film Festival was held on February 9 in the Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz. For the first time, the event has been broadcasted live on television (ZDF/3sat). Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick opened the Festival together with Minister of State and Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann, Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit and Jury President Charlotte Rampling. Actor Heino Ferch hosted the show. Musical accompaniment was provided by Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester. Following the introduction of the International Jury, this year’s opening film was the world premiere of Snow Cake by Marc Evans.

At 6:30 p.m., the invited guests began arriving at the red carpet out front of the Berlinale Palast. Marc Evans, the director of Snow Cake, as well as Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickmann, the stars of the film, were also attending this glamorous event.

Other illustrious guests who attended the Opening Gala include:

Marie Bäumer, Michael Ballhaus, Meret Becker, Bibiana Beglau, Senta Berger, Alfred Biolek, Lothar Bisky, Moritz Bleibtreu, Hark Bohm, Matthias Brandt, Thomas Brussig, Christopher Buchholz, Justus von Dohnanyi, Angelica Domröse, Doris Dörrie, Bernd Eichinger, Hannelore Elsner, Thomas Flierl, Martina Gedeck, Matthias Glasner, Vadim Glowna, Valeska Grisebach, Michael Gwisdek, Fritzi Haberlandt, Cosma Shiva Hagen, Nina Hagen, Reinhard Hauff, Oliver Hirschbiegel, Nico Hofmann, Dominique Horwitz, Henry Hübchen, Hellmuth Karasek, Romuald Karmarkar, Burghart Klaußner, Wolfgang Kohlhaase, Nicolette Krebitz, Thomas Kretschmann, Joachim Krol, Alexandra Maria Lara, Jan Josef Liefers, Susanne Lothar, Florian Lukas, Sandra Maischberger, Paulus Manker, Dagmar Manzel, Eva Mattes, Ulrich Matthes, Walter Momper, Ulrich Mühe, Ulrich Noethen, Jana Pallaske, Christiane Paul, Christian Petzold, Franka Potente, Rosa von Praunheim, Oskar Roehler, Katja Riemann, Barbara Rudnik, Lars Rudolph, Udo Samel, Helke Sander, Helma Sander-Brahms, Mark Schlichter, Volker Schlöndorff, Hans-Christian Schmid, Esther Schweins, Robert Stadlober, Margarethe von Trotta, Nora Tschirner, Andres Veiel, Jürgen Vogel, Wim Wenders, Kai Wiesinger, Manfred Zapatka, Hanns Zischler and many more.