Berlin Fest Adds World Premieres of John Malkovich’s ‘Seneca,’ Alex Gibney’s Boris Becker Doc

Ahead of the Christmas holidays, the Berlin Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled a number of films, and one series, that will screen out of competition at next year’s Berlinale.

Among the highlights are the world premieres of Infinity Pool, the latest horror feature from Canadian director Brandon Cronenberg, starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård; the Roman-era drama Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes from German director Robert Schwentke (RED, The Captain), starring John Malkovich as the famed Stoic philosopher; and Alex Gibney’s as-yet-untitled documentary on disgraced former tennis champion Boris Becker. Seneca and the Becker documentary will have their world premieres in Berlin in the festival’s Berlinale Special sidebar. Infinity Pool‘s Berlinale bow will be a European premiere.

Berlin will also roll out the red carpet for Todd Field’s awards-season favorite Tár, which premiered in Venice, where it won the best actress honor for star Cate Blanchett. The classical music thriller will get a Berlinale Special gala premiere ahead of its Feb. 23 German bow via Universal Pictures. Field, Blanchett and co-star Nina Hoss will also take part in a public talk at the festival’s Berlinale Talent section together with Tár Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.

#Manholea Japanese thriller from Hole in the Sky director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, and Peter Geyer’s Loriot’s Great Cartoon Revuean animated look at the late, great German cartoonist, comedian and film director Vicco von Bülow, aka Loriot, will also screen as Berlinale Specials.

On the television side, Berlin announced its first small-screen premiere for 2023: the hotly-anticipated environmental thriller. The Swarmbased on Frank Schätzing’s international bestseller, will have its world premiere in the Berlinale Series section, the festival’s sidebar for high-end TV productions.

For its Forum section, which highlights more avant-garde and arthouse productions, Berlin unveiled its first eight pics, including Concrete Valley from Canadian director Antoine Bourges; Dearest Tan from Dutch filmmaker Fiona Tan; Moyra Davey’s Horse Opera; Mammalia from director Sebastian Mihăilescu; Notes from Eremocene, described as a “science fiction essay” from filmmaker Viera Čákanyová; and three documentaries: Vincent Dieutre’s This is the endLuís Alejandro Yero’s Calls from Moscowand Ulises de la Orden’s The Trial.

The 2023 Berlin International Film Festival runs Feb. 16-26.