MUMBAI: Kicking off the 10-day cinema showcase, the 2011 Berlin film festival is opening on Thursday with Coen Brothers‘ True Grit.

The Western remake has already been released in North America and hence is not eligible for prizes at the closing ceremony on 19 February 19. The film, a story of a young girl‘s quest to track down her father‘s killer, stars Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. 

The film has garnered 10 Academy Award nominations, second only to The King‘s Speech.

However, the spotlight on the opening day is likely to fall on absentee Iranian director Jafar Panahi who was invited to be on the jury.

This year, the festival aims to promote 3D, with the premieres of Wim Wender‘s 3D dance film Cave of Forgotten Dreams about choreographer Pina Bausch and Werner Herzog‘s prehistoric paintings in France.

In competition would be French director Michel Ocelot‘s 3D film Tales of the Night. Also in competition would be British actor Ralph Fiennes‘ directorial debut Coriolanus.

Besides hosting world premieres and show business parties, the Berlin Festival runs a major film market where buyers and sellers meet on the sidelines of the festival in search of distribution and production deals.