French-Canadian director Philippe Falardeau’s My Salinger Year (pictured) will open the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.

The Canada/Ireland copro is produced by Montreal-based prodco micro_scope and Ireland’s Parallel Films. Falardeau wrote and directed the film, which is an adaptation of Joanna Rakoff’s novel of the same name. Memento Films International leads international sales, while UTA handles U.S. sales.

It stars Once Upon a Time in Hollywood breakout Margaret Qualley who works for a literary agent, played by Sigourney Weaver, and spends her days answering the fanmail of her boss’s biggest client, J.D. Salinger.

Falardeau picked up Berlinale’s Crystal Bear award in 2009 for his film C’est pas moi, je le jure! (“It’s Not Me, I Swear!”), along with the Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for the Best Film.

Canadian projects have also been selected for Berlinale’s Generation 14plus competition, which spotlights films with narratives surrounding children and youth.

Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette’s La déesse des mouches à feu (“Goddess of the Fireflies”) will have its world premiere at the festival. The film follows a 16-year-old girl who is drawn to a group of friends that pull her into drugs following her parents’ separation. Also screening in the competition is Pompei, coproduced by micro_scope with Belguim’s Tarantula and France’s Good Fortune Films. Written and directed by Anna Falguères and John Shank, it depicts a group of boys living in a world without adults until a young woman appears.

A number of Canadian shorts will also premiere in the competition, including Mathieu Grimard’s Goodbye Golovin, Halima Ouardiri’s Canada/Morocco short doc Clebs and Catherine Lepage’s animated short Le mal du siècle (“The Great Malaise”).

Canadian projects previously announced for Berlin include Philippe Lesage’s Life of a Great Director, which will be part of the festival’s copro market, and Montreal’s Productions Casablanca drama C’est comme ça que je t’aime (“Happily Married), which will world premiere in Berlinale Series ahead of its premiere on Radio-Canada’s Ici Tout.TV Extra streaming service.

The Berlin International Film Festival will run from Feb. 20 to March 3.

Image courtesy of micro_scope