Latin pix fot Munich fest

'Rose' to bloom at Filmfest, Polanski, Diaz-Abaya get retros

BERLIN -- "The Rose Seller," Victor Gaviria's pic about Colombian street kids, will open this year's Munich Filmfest on Saturday. Fest is set to showcase more than 100 films before the final curtain falls on July 3.

A spotlight on Latin American cinema boasts a lineup of 11 features, including Leonardo Ricagni's "El Chevrole" and Brazilian helmer Belo Brant's "Friendly Fire."

The World Cinema and American Indies sections will give auds a chance to catch up on recent fest runners such as Robert Altman's "Cookie's Fortune," Pedro Almodovar's "All About My Mother" and Fernando Trueba's "The Girl of Your Dreams."

Roman Polanski and Filipino director Marilou Diaz-Abaya will be in town for retrospectives of their work.