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BERLIN - The Berlin Film Festival will start with a bang Thursday with the premiere of a Rolling Stones documentary by Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese, kicking off 11 days of star turns, live music and a race for the Golden Bear top prize.

Madonna, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Daniel Day-Lewis and Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan are among the stars who will follow Scorsese and the self-proclaimed "world's greatest rock'n'roll band" down the red carpet.

The 58th edition will feature around 400 pictures from around the world. "Shine A Light", the Rolling Stones film, will screen out of competition.

Twenty-one films will vie for awards including the latest from Britain's Mike Leigh, Iranian director Majid Majidi, Yoji Yamada of Japan, Hong Kong's Johnnie To and US filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.

A jury led by Greek-French director Costa-Gavras ("Missing") will hand out the prizes at a gala ceremony February 16 before the Berlinale wraps up the next day.

Festival director Dieter Kosslick said the usual gritty fare that is Berlin's trademark would be leavened by a clutch of music-driven films.

"This year the Berlinale will not be excessively political, at least less than usual," Kosslick said. "It will certainly be more musical."

Madonna will unveil her directorial debut, "Filth and Wisdom", a romp starring a Roma punk band.

The godmother of punk, Patti Smith, will attend a screening of a documentary on her career and perform live on the festival sidelines.

Rock veteran Neil Young will present a film about Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 2006 Freedom of Speech Tour, alongside pictures about Sudanese hip-hop artists and Argentinian tango.

And Khan will be on hand for the international premiere of "Om Shanti Om", which is already a smash in India.

Cruz stars in "Elegy", a picture by Spain's Isabel Coixet based on a Philip Roth novel, while Johansson goes head-to-head with Natalie Portman in "The Other Boleyn Girl".

Fresh from their Oscar nominations, Day-Lewis and Anderson will present epic oil drama "There Will Be Blood".`

Julia Roberts is on the guest list with the family tragedy "Fireflies in the Garden" and Jack Black is expected in town to promote "Be Kind Rewind", a bittersweet comedy by French director Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind").

Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris ("The Fog of War") will offer an unflinching look at the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal at the Abu Ghraib jail, "Standard Operating Procedure". It will be the first documentary to compete for the Golden Bear.

US newcomer Lance Hammer will screen "Ballast", a drama set in the Mississippi Delta.

And To has toned down his usual ultra-violent style with "Sparrow", a look at friendship among pickpockets.

The Berlinale ranks among Europe's top three festivals.

The chief film critic of the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, Jan Schulz-Ojala, said he was looking forward to Leigh's improvised comedy "Happy-Go-Lucky" and the latest from Israeli director Amos Kolek, "Restless".

"The competition this year looks quite promising," Schulz-Ojala told AFP.

"I hope it will be more even than in recent years. Berlin has slipped a bit compared to Cannes and Venice, which have continued to get better and better."

Kosslick said he was content with having the first major festival of the year, based in one of Europe's most dynamic capitals.

"Even if we're 1,000 times bigger than we used to be, even if we're wilder and more fun than Cannes, Cannes will always remain number one -- that's the way it is and I am not trying to change it," he told AFP.

Other keenly awaited pictures include "Katyn" by veteran Polish director Andrzej Wajda, nominated for a best foreign film Oscar this year. The film recounts the 1940 Soviet massacre of thousands of Polish soldiers, including Wajda's father.

Among the quirkier features is "Green Porno", a collection of short films about the sex lives of insects made by Isabella Rossellini.

And parallel to the festival, Hollywood actor Robert De Niro, pop star Kylie Minogue and American rock'n'roll veteran Chuck Berry are expected in Berlin to accept "Golden Camera" prizes for their work.


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