Wes Anderson premiere to open Berlin film festival

An all-star romp by US director Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel", will open the 64th Berlin film festival in February, organisers said Tuesday. The period piece, filmed in part in Germany, features Ralph Fiennes as the concierge of a famous hotel and tells the story of the theft and recovery of a priceless painting against the backdrop of Europe between the wars. Three-time Oscar nominee Anderson, known for his ensemble movies such as "Moonrise Kingdom", "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", recruited Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Mathieu Amalric, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel and Jude Law for the new picture. The British-German co-production will screen on February 6, launching the 11-day event known as the Berlinale, the first major European film festival of the year. "With unmistakeable Wes Anderson charm, this comedy promises to kick things off in a big way," festival director Dieter Kosslick said. The Texas-born Anderson has a strong following in Europe and "Moonrise Kingdom" opened Cannes in 2012. This year, the Romanian family melodrama "Child's Pose" won the Berlinale's prestigious Golden Bear top prize.