Wednesday, January 16, 2008

"Rolling Stones, Scorsese to open Berlin film festival"

BERLIN (AFP) — The 58th Berlin Film Festival will kick off next month with a Rolling Stones concert movie by Martin Scorsese, with both the band and the director expected on the red carpet, organisers said Wedneday.

The picture, "Shine A Light", features two shows by the veteran rockers in New York in 2006 and guest appearances by Jack White of the White Stripes, pop princess Christina Aguilera and blues legend Buddy Guy.

"Scorsese assembled an award-winning camera team to capture the raw energy of the world's greatest rock'n'roll band," the festival said in a statement.

Scorsese, who scooped up a long-awaited best director Oscar at last year's Academy Awards for "The Departed", used 16 cameras to compile more than half a million feet (150,000 metres) of footage of the band.

"Shine A Light," which will be screening out of competition, also features rare archive footage and catches the band's candid banter backstage.

"Scorsese has created an extraordinary musical film event and given audiences unprecedented access to the Rolling Stones both onstage and off," the festival said.

The Berlinale, which ranks among Europe's top three film festivals, runs February 7 to 17.

Scorsese has developed a series of music-based documentaries including the 2005 Bob Dylan film "No Direction Home" and an upcoming movie on the life of the late Beatle George Harrison.

The director is reportedly also teaming up with Stones frontman Mick Jagger to make a feature film.

The Hollywood trade press has said Jagger will finance the picture titled "The Long Play", which follows the lives of two friends in the rock world from the 1960s until today.


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