BERLIN 2013: Gus van Sant's 'Promised Land,' Animated 'The Croods' in Official Lineup

COLOGNE, Germany - Gus van Sant's Promised Land, which stars Matt Damon as a natural gas salesman looking to exploit the resources in a small American town, is heading to Berlin, where it will have its international premiere in competition at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.

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The drama, which also stars Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt and Hal Holbrook, will be the fourth Van Sant's film to feature in Berlin's line-up. Both Finding Forrester (2000) and Good Will Hunting (1997) screened in competition in Berlin and Drugstore Cowboy (1989) premiered in Berlin's Forum sidebar, where it won the C.I.C.A.E award.

On the other end of the drama scale, DreamWorks' prehistoric family 3-D romp, The Croods, will have its world premiere in Berlin. The animated feature from How to Train Your Dragon director Chris Sanders and Space Chimps' helmer Kirk De Micco features voice work from Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone. The Croods will screen out of competition in Berlin.

Other world premieres in Berlin's competition line up include Paradise: Hope, the final entry in the Paradise trilogy from controversial Austrian director Ulrich Seidl, whose Paradise: Love and Paradise: Faith screened in Cannes and Venice respectively. Gloria, a drama from Chilean director Sebastian Lelio, which won San Sebastian's Film in Progress honor earlier this year, will have its official unveiling in Berlin's competition, as will Nobody's Daughter Haewon, the latest from prolific Korean helmer Hong Sang-Soo (In Another Country). Child's Pose, a Romanian-language drama from acclaimed art house helmer Calin Peter Netzer (Medal of Honor) has also made the competition cut and will have its world premiere in Berlin.

The first German film announced for Berlin's official election is Redemption Impossible, a documentary from directors Christian Rost and Claus Strigel about a group of chimpanzees in an Austrian safari park, severely traumatized after being used for controversial HIV experiments. The film will have its world premiere in a special, out of competition screening.

The remainder of films in the 2013 Berlin Film Festival line up will be announced early next year. The 63rd Berlinale runs Feb.7-17.