Two Japanese films have been invited to compete in the 51st Berlin International Film Festival for the first time since 1982, according to officials of the distributing agency Toho Co.
The officials said the selection of two Japanese films -- "Inugami," directed by Masato Harada, and "Chloe," by Go Riju -- at the same time in the annual festival's competition category is a first in 19 years.
Since 1982, Japan has had either one or no entry in the competition.
At last year's Berlin festival, Japanese film director Akira Ogata was awarded the Alfred Bauer Prize for "Dokuritsu Shonen Gasshodan" ("Boy's Choir") in recognition of innovative filmmaking.
"Inugami," taken from a book of the same title written by Masako Bando, is a horror film starring actress Yuki Amami about a clan that has been living for generations in the mountains of Shikoku.
The other work "Chloe," starring Masatoshi Nagase, is an adaptation of the surrealistic novel "Froth on the Daydream" ("L'Ecume des Jours")" by French poet and writer Boris Vian (1920-1959). The film is a love story set in Japan.
The Berlin International Film Festival begins Feb. 7.