George Clooney’s war adventure to receive its international premiere at the 64th Berlinale.

The international premiere of George Clooney’s Second World War adventure The Monuments Men will be presented in the official programme of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.

A German-US co-production is based on a true story and focuses on a platoon, tasked by the Allies with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners.

Directed by and starring Clooney, the ensemble cast also includes Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and Cate Blanchett.

As well as producing, Clooney wrote the screenplay with co-producer Grant Heslov, based on the book by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter.

Clooney has been a frequent guest of the Berlinale as a producer, actor and director. The Monuments Men will be his second directorial appearance in the official programme after Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2003.

The timing of the film is prescient as 1,400 works of art stolen by the Nazis were discovered in a Munich apartment.

Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick said: “Over 5 million cultural assets stolen by the Nazis were returned to their countries of origin in the years following World War II. As the recent discovery in Munich demonstrates, the art theft of that time is as current as ever.

“The Monuments Men finally gives this little-known subject a worldwide audience.”

The Monuments Men is a co-production by Obelisk Productions Limited and Studio Babelsberg. Shooting took place at Studio Babelsberg, in the Goslar region and in Berlin, among other locations.

20th Century Fox, who has international rights, will release The Monuments Men in Germany on Feb 20, 2014.

Sony has the US rights and will release the film on Feb 7.

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