On Monday the festival announced the last batch of movies which will be in the competition line-up at Berlin's acclaimed film festival, the Berlinale, which runs from Feb. 8-18.

Among the 26 films in the festival are 19 world premieres, six international premieres and one European premiere. Of those, 22 are competing for the festival's coveted Golden Bear.

These include the world premiere of "Beaufort" from Israeli director Joseph Cedar, which tells the story of the last military unit to be stationed in southern Lebanon prior to the troops being withdrawn from the country.

The world premiere of Francois Ozon's "Angel" will also be shown in competition. Based on the novel of the same title, it is set in England at the beginning of the 20th century and portrays the rise and fall of a young woman from humble beginnings who manages to break into the highest echelons of society as an author.

The Berlinale will also screen the world premiere of "Hyazgar" (Desert Dream), a Korean-French co-production directed by Zhang Lu, who recently won critical acclaim with his award-winning drama "Grain in Ear."

The film, which is set in a small, drought-threatened village situated in the border region between China and Mongolia, tells the story of a farmer and a woman who has fled from North Korea. The movie stars Bat-ulzii and Seo Jung.

It is the second film from a Korean director competing in the festival's main program, with festival organizers having released details of the other films in the main competition over the last few weeks.

Chinese dramas

Two world premieres of Chinese movies have also been selected for the main competition.

This includes "Tu ya de hun shi" (Tuya's Marriage), by Wang Quan'an, which tells the story of a woman's efforts to find a new husband who can take care of both her and her sick ex-husband.

"Ping Guo" (Lost in Beijing) has also been included in the competition section. Against the background of a rapidly changing metropolis, director Li Yu describes the fears and values of residents of Beijing.

Latin American presence

Latin America is to be represented at the 57th film festival by the Brazilian-Argentinean co-production "O ano em que meus pais sairam de ferias" (The Year My Parents Went On Holiday) by Cao Hamburger.

It tells the story of a 12-year-old growing up in Brazil in the seventies whose parents were forced suddenly to "go on a trip" during the military dictatorship.

Argentinian director Ariel Rotter returns to the Berlinale six years after "Solo por hoy" (Just for Today) with "El otro" (The Other) a film about a man who decides to change his identity.

From North America

From Canada and the USA comes the world premiere of "When A Man Falls In The Forest," with director Ryan Eslinger, depicting a group of people in a US provincial village who have to come to terms with their own isolation and loneliness. The film stars Sharon Stone and Timothy Hutton.

Robert De Niro's "The Good Shepherd" and George Clooney's "The Good German" will also be screened.

Other films announced among the batch of entries includes "300" by US director Zack Snyder, Britain's "Notes on a Scandal" by Richard Eyre starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, and "Hallam Foe" by David Mackenzie, also from Britain.

The festival kicks off with a biopic on the life of the iconic French singer Edith Piaf, called "La Vie en Rose."