New films by Wim Wenders, Tom Tykwer, Constantin Costa-Gavras and Rosa von Praunheim are among the first titles being tipped for an invitation to Dieter Kosslick's first Berlin festival as director.

While Wim Wenders' music documentary Vill Passiert about the German rock dinosaurs BAP - to be distributed in Germany by the new outfit Ottfilm - might get a "special out of competition" screening similar to the one afforded Wenders' previous music film Buena Vista Social Club in 1999, Tykwer's Heaven, starring Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi, looks as if it could be a candidate for the festival's opening film. Indeed, producer, X-Filme Creative Pool's distribution arm, X-Verleih has re-scheduled Heaven's theatrical opening in Germany to February 14, eight days into the festival.

Both Vill Passiert and Heaven received production funding from Filmstiftung NRW last year while Kosslick was still executive director of the public fund in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Meanwhile, speculation within the German industry has identified Greek-born director Constantin Costa-Gavras' latest English-language feature Eyewitness as a possible candidate for the Official Competition. The film was adapted from the controversial play Der Stellvertreter by Rolf Hochhuth and co-produced by France's Pathe, with Renn Productions, German private fund CP Medien and K.G. Productions. Centring on the role of the Catholic Church and, in particular, Pope Pius XII regarding the persecution of the Jews during World War II, Eyewitness features an international cast including Ulrich Tukur, Ulrich Muehe, Mathieu Kassovitz, Monica Bleibtreu, Hanns Zischler, and Marcel Lures.

In addition, internationally renowned gay filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim is aiming for a Berlin premiere - most likely in the Panorama section - for his latest documentary Vier Tunten Fuer Ein Hallelujah (working title) about four politically and socially committed queens in Berlin.