The opening of the Berlin Film Festival was somewhat overshadowed by the untimely death from a suspected drug overdose of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Festival Director Dieter Kosslick said there would be a special showing of the film for which the actor won an Oscar: “On Tuesday, we will show ‘Capote’ and we will commemorate him because he was here with ‘Capote’ the last time. And he was one of the greatest actors we had in the world.”

Hoffman had been due to be in Berlin to promote his Sundance festival film ‘God’s Pocket’.

The Berlin festival opened with Wes Anderson’s new movie ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’.

Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum and Tilda Swinton were all on the red carpet for the premier.

Tilda Swinton is pleased with the film, though she couldn’t categorise it: “Whenever somebody says a film is one thing you feel like arguing that it is the opposite. It’s a fairytale, it’s also political, but it is super-beautiful and full of love.”

Edward Norton expressed his pleasure at working with Wes Anderson: “He’s very unique, you know there is not many directors that if you see a film one minute you know it’s his film, he’s just a very original voice.”

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ is the first in a 20-strong lineup of movies competing for the main Golden Bear award at Berlin.