Wes Anderson film to open Berlin film festival

With the 2018 Berlinale, it will be the fourth time that a work by US filmmaker Wes Anderson will be running in the competition of Germany's biggest film festival. And for the first time ever, an animated feature will be opening the prestigious event.

"Isle of Dogs" tells the story of 12-year-old Atari Kobayashi, the foster child of the corrupt mayor Kobayashi. After all dogs of Megasaki City were banned to a huge waste deposit by a governmental decree, Atari highjacks a junior turboprop and flies to Trash Island to search for his dog Spots.

One of the most interesting and creative directors of the US, Wes Anderson's works include "The  Royal Tenenbaums" (2001), "The Darjeeling Limited" (2007), "Moonrise Kingdom" (2012) and "The Grand Budapest Hotel," which opened the Berlinale in 2014.

Anderson also signed the highly appraised animated film "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Wenderson's works are known for their fine humor, surrealist elements and a creative mixture of different styles.

"I'm most delighted that Wes Anderson will kick off the Berlinale competition again," festival director Dieter Kosslick said in a statement on Monday. "'Isle of Dogs' will be the first animated film to open the festival — a film that will capture audiences' hearts with its Wes Anderson charm," he added.

The 68th edition of the International Berlin Film Festival will take place from February 15-20, 2018.

jk/ad/eg (KNA, dpa)