Chi Raq by Spike Lee joins the competition

The Competition of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival is now complete. 18 of the 23 films in the Competition programme will be vying for the Golden and Silver Bears (see also press releases from December 4 and 11, 2015, and January 11, 2016). 19 films are world premieres.

The following countries are participating in the entire programme: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, Tunisia, United Kingdom and the US.

The Award Ceremony will take place at the Berlinale Palast on Saturday, February 20th, 2016.

The following films will complete the Competition programme:

24 Wochen (24 Weeks)

Germany

By Anne Zohra Berrached (Two Mothers)

With Julia Jentsch, Bjarne Mädel, Johanna Gastdorf, Emilia Pieske

World premiere

Chang Jiang Tu (Crosscurrent)

People’s Republic of China

By Yang Chao (Passages)

With Qin Hao, Xin Zhi Lei

World premiere

Chi-Raq

USA

By Spike Lee (Malcom X, Do the Right Thing)

With Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson

International  premiere – Out of competition

Des nouvelles de la planète Mars (News from planet Mars)

France / Belgium

By Dominik Moll (Lemming, Harry, He’s Here to Help)

With François Damiens, Vincent Macaigne, Veerle Baetens, Jeanne Guittet, Tom Rivoire

World premiere – Out of competiton

Inhebbek Hedi (Hedi)

Tunisia / Belgium / France

By Mohamed Ben Attia

With Majd Mastoura, Rym Ben Messaoud, Sabah Bouzouita, Hakim Boumessoudi, Omnia Ben Ghali

World premiere – First feature

Mahana (The Patriarch)

New Zealand

By Lee Tamahori (The Devil's Double, Die Another Day, Once Were Warriors)

With Temuera Morrison, Akuhata Keefe, Nancy Brunning, Jim Moriarty, Regan Taylor, Maria Walker

World premiere – Out of competiton

Saint Amour

France / Belgium

By Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern (Mammuth, Le grand soir)

With Gérard Depardieu, Benoît Poelvoorde, Vincent Lacoste, Céline Sallette

World premiere – Out of competiton

Soy Nero

Germany / France / Mexico

By Rafi Pitts (The Hunter, It's Winter)

With Johnny Ortiz, Rory Cochrane, Aml Ameen, Darell Britt-Gibson, Michael Harney

World premiere

As announced in previous press releases, the programme also includes:

Alone in Berlin by Vincent Perez (Germany / France / United Kingdom)

Boris sans Béatrice (Boris without Béatrice) by Denis Côté (Canada)

Cartas da guerra (Letters from War) by Ivo M. Ferreira (Portugal)

Ejhdeha Vared Mishavad! (A Dragon Arrives!) by Mani Haghighi (Iran)

Fuocoammare (Fire at Sea) by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy / France) – documentary

Genius by Michael Grandage (United Kingdom / USA) – First feature

Hail, Caesar! by Joel and Ethan Coen (USA / United Kingdom) – Out of competition

Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery) by Lav Diaz (Philippines / Singapore)

Kollektivet (The Commune) by Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark / Sweden / Netherlands)

L’avenir (Things to Come) by Mia Hansen-Løve (France / Germany)

Midnight Special by Jeff Nichols (USA)

Quand on a 17 ans (Being 17) by André Téchiné (France)

Smrt u Sarajevu / Mort à Sarajevo (Death in Sarajevo) by Danis Tanović (France / Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Zero Days by Alex Gibney (USA) - documentary

Zjednoczone Stany Miłosci (United States of Love) by Tomasz Wasilewski (Poland / Sweden)