By Miranda Murray BERLIN, Feb 11 (Reuters) – The Berlin Film Festival opens its 76th edition on Thursday with the film "No Good Men," kicking off 11 days dedicated to celebrating cinema in the German capital. Below is information about important dates, celebrities in attendance and films in contention at this year's festival. GUEST LIST Of the celebrities expected in Berlin to showcase their latest projects, the buzziest names include popstar Charli xcx, in town for her Sundance mockumentary "The Moment". Actors Pamela Anderson, Amanda Seyfried, Sandra Hueller, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke, Neil Patrick Harris, Bella Ramsey, Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan are also expected. Michelle Yeoh, who won an Oscar for "Everything Everywhere All at Once", will receive the Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement during the opening ceremony on February 12. Director Chloe Zhao, whose Shakespearean drama "Hamnet" is nominated for eight Oscars, will also be in town to present a prize to British composer Max Richter. WHY IS THE FESTIVAL IMPORTANT? The Berlin Film Festival is considered one of the top three international showcases, in the same league as Venice and Cannes in terms of importance to the film industry. It was founded in 1951 in the early years of the Cold War to showcase films that address urgent social and political issues in the world. In part due to its origins in a city divided, it is also considered the most political of the three festivals. In addition, the festival hosts one of the world's leading film markets, attracting more than 12,000 buyers and sellers from roughly 140 countries. As the first major market of the year, it gives an early indication of upcoming industry trends. TOP PRIZE This year, 22 films are competing for the top prize, the Golden Bear, which will be decided by a seven-member international jury headed by German film legend Wim Wenders. The films are: "A New Dawn" by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya "At the Sea" by Kornél Mundruczó "In a Whisper" by Leyla Bouzid "Dao" by Alain Gomis "Dust" by Anke Blonde "Home Stories" by Eva Trobisch "Everybody Digs Bill Evans" by Grant Gee "Yellow Letters" by İlker Çatak "Josephine" by Beth de Araujo "Salvation" by Emin Alper "My Wife Cries" by Angela Schanelec "Flies" by Fernando Eimbcke "Nina Roza" by Geneviève Dulude-de Celles "Queen at Sea" by Lance Hammer "Rose" by Markus Schleinzer "Rosebush Pruning" by Karim Aïnouz "Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars" by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun "The Loneliest Man in Town" by Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel "Wolfram" by Warwick Thornton "We Are All Strangers" by Anthony Chen "Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)" by Anna Fitch, Banker White "Nightborn" by Hanna Bergholm OUTSIDE THE COMPETITION The Berlinale Special section presents notable and star-studded films outside the competition. This year's slate includes "The Blood Countess", starring French actor Isabelle Huppert as a vampire, as well as "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die", with U.S. actor Sam Rockwell as a man from the future, and "The Weight," a 1930s-set drama starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe. "The Ballad of Judas Priest" is a new documentary showing at the festival that follows the heavy metal pioneers over their 50-plus-year career, while "Who Killed Alex Odeh?" examines the assassination of a Palestinian American activist in 1985. Two new TV series – "The House of the Spirits" based on Isabel Allende's famous book of the same name, and an adaptation of William Golding's dystopian "Lord of the Flies" – are also in the line-up. LOCATION AND TICKETS The festival, which runs from February 12-22, takes place in the heart of the German capital, near Potsdamer Platz. The nearby Theater am Potsdamer Platz is transformed into the red-hued Berlinale Palast during the festival. Unlike the other major festivals, Berlin also strives to make its films accessible to the public, bringing a selection to arthouse cinemas across the city to reach more audiences and offering a specially priced programme for young adults. (Reporting by Miranda Murray; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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