Members of the jury from top left, actress Greta Gerwig, jury president James Schamus, actress Trinie Dyrholm, actor Tony Leung, from bottom left director Michel Gondry, producer Barbara Broccoli, actor Christoph Waltz and director Mitra Farahani pose for photographers at a hotel in Berlin prior to the beginning of the International Film Festival Berlinale, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. The festival will run from Feb. 6 until Feb. 16, 2014. AP
BERLIN — The annual Berlin International Film Festival is opening with a trip back to pre-World War II Europe as Wes Anderson presents his new movie, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
The film, premiering Thursday, is the first in a 20-strong lineup of movies competing for the main Golden Bear award at the first of the year’s major European film festivals. The winner will be announced Feb. 15.
Actors Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton and Bill Murray are expected in Berlin to present Anderson’s movie, set at a European hotel in the 1920s.
An eight-member jury under “Brokeback Mountain” producer James Schamus will choose the winner from a diverse and geographically varied program. Jury member Michel Gondry says the festival is “a little less about the looks than some other places.”
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