Matt Damon's PROMISED LAND & More to Compete at 63rd Berlin Film Festival

The Berlin Film Festival has announced the names of the first film titles that will compete at the 63rd event in February, 2013. Included in the line-up will be the premiere of Gus Van Sant's Promised Land starring and written by, Matt Damon and John Krasinski. Dreamworks Animation's The Croods will also premiere at the event, running from February 7-17.

PROMISED LAND will open in theaters on December 28, 2012. Damon plays Steve Butler, a corporate salesman who arrives in a rural town with his sales partner, Sue Thomason (Ms. McDormand). With the town having been hit hard by the economic decline of recent years, the two outsiders see the local citizens as likely to accept their company's offer, for drilling rights to their properties, as much-needed relief. What seems like an easy job for the duo becomes complicated by the objection of a respected schoolteacher (Mr. Holbrook) with support from a grassroots campaign led by another man (Mr. Krasinski) who counters Steve both personally and professionally.

The films which will compete in the 63rd Berlin Film Festival are:

Gloria
Chile/Spain
By Sebastián Lelio
With Paulina García, Sergio Hernández
World premiere

Nugu-ui Ttal-do Anin (Nobody's Daughter Haewon)
Republic of Korea
By Hong Sangsoo
With Eunchae Jung, Sunkyun Lee
World premiere

Paradies: Hoffnung (Paradise: Hope)
Austria/France/Germany
By Ulrich Seidl
With Melanie Lenz, Vivian Bartsch, Joseph Lorenz, Michael Thomas
World premiere

Poziia Copilului (Child's Pose)
Romania
By C?lin Peter Netzer
With Lumini?a Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Florin Zamfirescu
World premiere

Promised Land
USA
By Gus Van Sant
With Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, H Al Holbrook
International premiere

The Croods – animated film in 3D
USA
By Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders
With the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds
World premiere / out of competition

Berlinale Special
Unter Menschen (Redemption Impossible) – Documentary
Germany
By Christian Rost, Claus Strigel
World premiere