Tilda Swinton brought the heat on a snowy night as the 75th edition of the Berlin Film Festival opened with a gala that included a career achievement honor presented to the Scottish Oscar winner known for her versatility and adventure.

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The Berlin International Film Festival is kicking off on Thursday with the world premiere of Tom Tykwer’s “The Light,” a timely tale of a dysfunctional German family and a Syrian refugee. The festival known as the Berlinale this year comes against the backdrop of Germany's parliament elections.

The Berlin Film Festival's opening feature, dysfunctional family drama "The Light," sends the unequivocal message that migrants are welcome, said star Lars Eidinger, ahead of German elections characterised by debate over tougher migration rules.

German director Tom Tykwer said Thursday that his latest movie about a Syrian immigrant aimed to encourage people to stop "isolating" themselves, as it opened Berlin's international film festival.

The new director of the Berlin film festival, Tricia Tuttle, spoke to AFP ahead of the opening, saying it would be an artistic "refuge" in the alarming age of Donald Trump. She spoke about this year's selection of films competing for the Golden Bear,