2018 Berlin Fest Adds ‘Damsel’ With Robert Pattinson, Christian Petzold’s ‘Transit’ & More

This week all eyes will be turned to Sundance, where the next big Oscar player could emerge (don’t forget, “Call Me  by Your Name” premiered at Park City one year ago). However, Berlin is looming in the background, and today they’ve added a strong handful of new titles.

Shooting to the top our attention is “Transit,” the new film by Christian Petzold, the filmmaker behind “Barbara” and “Phoenix.” Based on the novel by Anna Seghers, the story is set during WWII and follows a man who has escaped the concentration camps, who is asked to deliver a letter to someone named Weidel in Paris. Meanwhile, the Zellner Bros. “Damsel” starring Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska gets a pre-Sundance boost as it joins the Competition lineup in Berlin. Also, we’re not quite sure what “Black 47” is but just based on the cast — Hugo Weaving, James Frecheville, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox, Barry Keoghan, Moe Dunford, Sarah Greene, Jim Broadbent — we’re certainly intrigued.

The Berlin International Film Festival runs from February 15th to 25th.

Competition
The following films will be celebrating world or international premieres in the Competition of the Berlinale 2018.

3 Tage in Quiberon (3 Days in Quiberon)
Germany / Austria / France
By Emily Atef (Molly’s Way, The Stranger In Me)
With Marie Bäumer, Birgit Minichmayr, Charly Hübner, Robert Gwisdek, Denis Lavant
World premiere

Black 47
Ireland / Luxembourg
By Lance Daly (Kisses, The Good Doctor)
With Hugo Weaving, James Frecheville, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox, Barry Keoghan, Moe Dunford, Sarah Greene, Jim Broadbent
World premiere – Out of competition

Damsel
USA
By David Zellner, Nathan Zellner (Kid-Thing, Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter)
With Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Robert Forster, Joe Billingiere
International premiere

Eldorado – Documentary
Switzerland / Germany
By Markus Imhoof (The Boat Is Full, More Than Honey)
World premiere – Out of competition

Las herederas (The Heiresses)
Paraguay / Germany / Uruguay / Norway / Brazil / France
By Marcelo Martinessi
With Ana Brun, Margarita Irún, Ana Ivanova
World premiere – First Feature

Khook (Pig)
Iran
By Mani Haghighi (Modest Reception, A Dragon Arrives!)
With Hasan Majuni, Leila Hatami, Leili Rashidi, Parinaz Izadyar, Ali Bagheri
World premiere

La prière (The Prayer)
France
By Cédric Kahn (Red Lights, Wild Life)
With Anthony Bajon, Damien Chapelle, Alex Brendemühl, Louise Grinberg, Hanna Schygulla
World premiere

Toppen av ingenting (The Real Estate)
Sweden / United Kingdom
By Måns Månsson (The Yard, Mr Governor), Axel Petersén (Avalon)
With Léonore Ekstrand, Christer Levin, Christian Saldert, Olof Rhodin, Carl Johan Merner, Don Bennechi
World premiere

Touch Me Not 
Romania / Germany / Czech Republic / Bulgaria / France
By Adina Pintilie (Don’t Get Me Wrong)
With Laura Benson, Tómas Lemarquis, Christian Bayerlein, Grit Uhlemann, Hanna Hofmann, Seani Love, Irmena Chichikova
World premiere – First Feature

Transit 
Germany / France
By Christian Petzold (Yella, Barbara, Phoenix)
With Franz Rogowski, Paula Beer, Godehard Giese, Lilien Batman, Maryam Zaree, Barbara Auer, Matthias Brandt, Sebastian Hülk, Emilie de Preissac, Antoine Oppenheim
World premiere

Berlinale Special Gala at the Friedrichstadt-Palast
Monster Hunt 2
People’s Republic of China / Hong Kong, China
By Raman Hui (Monster Hunt)
With Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Baihe Bai, Boran Jing
European premiere

Berlinale Special at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Gurrumul – Documentary
Australia
By Paul Williams
International premiere – Debut film
In Cooperation with NATIVe

Viaje a los Pueblos Fumigados – Documentary
Argentina
By Fernando Solanas (The Hour Of The Furnaces, Tangos, The Exile Of Gardel, Memoria del saqueo – A Social Genocide)
World premiere