Berlinale festivaldirector Dieter Kosslick is introducing a new film programme of features,documentaries and shorts entitled Look & Cook - Culinary Cinema at the 2007festival.

Held at the Wintergartenvariete theatre ten minutes away from Potsdamer Platz, the programme will includescreenings complemented by discussions and tastings as top German chefs will beinvited to offer an alternative to cinema fast food and serve slow foodinspired by films. Each of the programme's five days from Feb 11-15 will have adifferent focus on a certain taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and the littleknown taste category of umami.

'Cooks are there totransform ingredients into delicious dishes and to enchant people with theirart - not unlike directors and actors with their films,' commentedKosslick on the connection between cinema and food culture.

Kosslick's efforts tobring cinema, culinary art and food politics together in a creative environment- such as at the 2006 Berlinale Talent Campus with its motto of Hunger, Foodand Taste - has been recognised by the German Academy for Culinary Art with its$12,555 (Euros 10,000) International Eckart Witzigmann Prize.