Minister of State and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Prof. Monika Grütters, the Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller, Jury President Meryl Streep and Festival Director Dieter Kosslick will open the 66th Berlin International Film Festival at the Berlinale Palast at 7.30 pm on February 11. During the Opening Gala, the International Jury will be introduced. In addition to Meryl Streep (actress, USA), its members are Lars Eidinger (actor, Germany), Nick James (film critic, author, programmer, United Kingdom), Brigitte Lacombe (photographer, France), Clive Owen (actor, United Kingdom), Alba Rohrwacher (actress, Italy) and Małgorzata Szumowska (director, Poland). Anke Engelke will host the evening. The event will be broadcasted live on television by ZDF/3sat and via www.berlinale.de.

Following the Opening Gala, Hail, Caesar! by Joel and Ethan Coen will have its international premiere. The directors have brought together an array of stars in the ensemble of their new film, and many of them have announced their arrival: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Tilda Swinton und Channing Tatum.

The members of the International Jury and the Best First Feature Award Jury, actor Enrico Lo Verso, Italy, part Swiss part French director Ursula Meier and director and producer Michel Franco, Mexico, are all expected on the Red Carpet. A number of prominent German politicians and ambassadors have also announced their attendance.

Other international and national guests are also anticipated: Maren Ade, Feo Aladag, Karim Aïnouz, Michael Ballhaus, Ben Barenholtz, Marie Bäumer, Meret Becker, Iris Berben, Edward Berger, Senta Berger, Christian Berkel, Tim Bevan, Sebastian Blomberg, Prof. Hark Bohm, Jürgen Böttcher, Matthias Brandt, Dietrich Brüggemann, Daniel Brühl, Daniel Burman, Cecilia Cheung, Anton Corbijn, Denis Côté, August Diehl, Doris Dörrie, Christopher Doyle, Andreas Dresen, Katja Eichinger, Olafur Eliasson, Eric Fellner, Florian David Fitz, Maria Furtwängler, Benno Fürmann, Florian Gallenberger, Toni Garrn, Martina Gedeck, Herbert Grönemeyer, Jella Haase, Karoline Herfurth, Oliver Hirschbiegel, Sherry Hormann, Nina Hoss, Sandra Hüller, Julia Jentsch, Sibel Kekilli, Burghardt Klaußner, Wolfgang Kohlhaase, Thomas Kretschmann, David Kross, Frederick Lau, Jan Josef Liefers, Heike Makatsch, Elyas M’Barek, Prof. Jeanine Meerapfel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Anna Maria Mühe, Jannis Niewöhner, Christiane Paul, Christian Petzold, Rosa von Praunheim, Katja Riemann, Max Riemelt, Oskar Roehler, Andrea Sawatzki, James Schamus, Clemens Schick, Tom Schilling, Sebastian Schipper, Volker Schlöndorff, Hans-Christian Schmid, Jessica Schwarz, Alexander Skarsgård, Hans Steinbichler, Jasmin Tabatabai, Yan Tang, Tom Tykwer, Andres Veiel, Ai Weiwei, Wim Wenders, Natalia Wörner, Ronald Zehrfeld, as well as many others.