Between 14 and 20 October, Sibiu International Film Festival will screen 20 movies that relate to Romania either by subject or their author: 13 documentaries are in the running for an award in the Romania and DocSchool competitive sections, four films will be shown in thematic programs and in the Astra Film Junior section, and three films are to be shown in special screenings. 

The films that compete in the Romania section cover both intimate, small-scale history, as well as the big History with a capital H. The issues they deal with are some of the most difficult confronting Romanian society and bring about a deeper understanding of the country’s destiny, from its founding in 1918 to the dark years of the Communist dictatorship and later developments like migration or corruption, which have constantly grown in the 30 years since the Romanian Revolution.

Fata de aur (The Golden Girl), directed by Denisa Morariu Tamaş and Adrian Robe, explores a dramatic incident in the history of Romanian sports: the events at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, when gymnast Andreea Răducan was stripped of her gold medal, and her subsequent fight with the people who had betrayed her in the quest to recover her medal and restore her dignity. Pastures New (by Anne Schiltz and Charlotte Grégoire) is about emigration abroad and homesickness as experienced by the people of the Sibiu county village of Mălâncrav. Casa cu lacăt (The House with a Lock), directed by Diana Gavra, is an exploration of corruption, a plague that has taken deep roots in the minds and daily lives of Romanians. Also, the documentary Teach, directed by Alex Brendea, developed in the Romanian Docs in Progress program of AFF 2016, will have its worldwide premiere at this years’ edition of the festival.

30 years after the fall of Communism, Dobrivoie Kerpenisan’s Rebel With A Cause spotlights the unsung heroes of 1989’s Romanian Revolution. Omul care a vrut să fie liber (The Man Who Would Be Free), by Mihai Mincan and George Chiper-Lillemark tells the story of a rebellious young man who decided that he would live free under Communism, in a country plagued by poverty and terror. Dragoș Zămosteanu’s Grup canal ’77 (Group Canal ’77) narrates the story of five young anti-Communists, followers of the Goma Movement, sent to a labor camp for trying to escape the Communist “paradise”. Palace for the People, by Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov, is a collection of four mini-documentaries that evoke the opulence, grandeur, and sense of oppression seen in Romanian, Bulgarian, Serb, and Russian architecture. Dragoș Turea’s Grădina Sovietică (The Soviet Garden) unveils the truth about the secret nuclear experiments in Moldova’s agriculture from the ’60s to the present time.

Distanța dintre mine și mine (The Distance Between Me and Me), a film by Mona Nicoară and Dana Bunescu, is an ambitious documentary centered on a conversation between author Nina Cassian’s personal recollections and Communist-era archival material. Jurnalul familiei –escu (Being Romanian: A Family Journal) is director Șerban Georgescu’s attempt at connecting life’s small events to history’s great events the nation has witnessed in the 100 years since the Great Union. 

The DocSchool competition also features two films set in Romanian life: La căpșuni (Strawberry Fields), by Priscilla Rasyid and Simon Frey, a Cineimpact Film Academy production, and Angor Pectoris (Sophie Dascal), the recipient of an award at Visions du Réel 2019. 

Other Romanian features are Videograme dintr-o Revoluție (Videograms of a Revolution), a joint feature by Andrei Ujică and Harun Farocki, threads back together the events of 19-25 December 1989 using archival footage and will be screened in the thematic program Videograms - Romania 1989, while Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan’s Oamenii dreptății (People of Justice) reveals the human faces of the Romanian judiciary through a series of portraits of young law professionals. The movie will be screened both as part of the thematic program The Judiciary Examined and in Astra Film Junior, together with Sibiu 1989, by Octavian Repede, and Alexandra Coca-Cozma’s George. 

The Romanian film roster also includes three special screenings: Touch Me Not (directed by Adina Pintilie), Leontina Vătămanu’s Siberia din Oase (Siberia in My Bones) and Între Chin și Amin (Between Torment and Redemption), directed by Toma Enache. Siberia in My Bones, which recounts the horrors thousands of Moldovans met under Stalin’s regime, and the latter movie, thought to be the first fiction feature about the Pitești Phenomenon, will both premiere at Sibiu. After winning the Golden Bear award at 2018’s Berlinale and having been selected at more than 150 major film festivals, Touch Me Not will have a special screening at this year’s AFF. The film will be followed by an educational debate titled “Politics of the Body”, which will give the audience the opportunity to talk to the actors and director Adina Pintilie, for a transformative experience focused on Sibiu’s communities of the disabled that have been invited to be a part of the event. 

Astra Film Festival Sibiu is held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania.

Astra Film Festival 2019 is organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra and Astra Film Foundation, with the support of the Sibiu County Council, the Ministry of Culture and National Identity, and the Romanian Film Center. The Festival is co-financed by the Sibiu Local Council through Sibiu City Hall.

Thirty years have passed since the Fall of the Iron Curtain. This is a good opportunity to question, through some  lmmakers’ point of view, the ways in which profound changes have taken place since 1989 in Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Czech societies.Thirty years have passed since the Fall of the Iron Curtain. This is a good opportunity to question, through some  lmmakers’ point of view, the ways in which profound changes have taken place since 1989 in Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Czech societies.The event will o er a series of screenings and debates in the presence of many guests with diverse backgrounds and will take place from October 18th to October 20th 2019 in di erent venues in Paris. This program is a unique opportunity to discover talented and multi-award-winning artists, as well as the newest  lmmaking trends in Central Europe. With the support of Visegrad International Fund and the Paris City Hall - Label Paris Europe.

PROGRAM:

October 18th from 3pm to 6pm - House of Europe (29, avenue de Villiers, 75017 Paris)

Debates: Cinema as a cultural challenge in uni ed Europe

With the presence of: Andor F. Dávid (General Director of the Visegrad International Fund), Julien Ezanno (Department of European and International A airs of the CNC), Szabolcs Hajdu (Filmmaker, Hungary), Markéta Hodouskova (Creative Europe Expert and Czech-In Festival), Catherine Horel (Historian, CNRS), Isabella Kiszka-Ho ik (International Sales, former director of PISF, Poland), Jana Kluková (Producer, Slovakia), Sophie Mirouze (La Rochelle Film Festival and Weekend of East) and Ariel Schweitzer (critic in the Cahiers du cinéma).

Film Screenings:

October 18th at 7pm - Auditorium of the Cityof Paris (5, quai de l'Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris) Film: Rabbit à la Berlin / Królik po berlińsku, director Bartosz Konopka, Poland,52 minutes, 2009— Screening followed by a cocktail

October 19th at 7pm - Hungarian Institute of Paris (92, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris)Film: It’s not the time of my life / Ernelláék Farkaséknál, director Szabolcs Hajdu, Hungary, 81 minutes, 2016— Screening followed by a meeting with the director and a cocktail

October 20th at 4pm - Cinéma Les 3 Luxembourg (67 Rue Monsieur le Prince, 75006 Paris)Film: When the war comes / Až přijde válka, director Jan Gebert, Czech Republic,76 minutes, 2018

October 20th at 6:30pm - Czech Center of Paris (18, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris)Film: Cooking History / Ako sa varia dejiny, Director Péter Kerekes, Slovakia, 88 minutes, 2009 — Screening followed by a cocktail

More information: http://kino-visegrad.fr/

The ninth edition of the US in Progress co-production forum will be held from the 6th-8th of November 2019, as a part of the 10th anniversary edition of the American Film Festival in Wrocław (November 5th-11th).

The event aims to facilitate professional networking among European and Polish film professionals and independent filmmakers from the United States. It is held twice yearly (June edition takes place in Paris during Champs-Elysees Film Festival). Invite-only screenings will feature six projects selected from numerous submissions of independent American feature-length films in the final editing stages. 

Congratulations to the 2019 US in Progress Wrocław participants:

• Aleph by Iva Radivojevic 

• In a Silent Way by Collin Levin

• My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To by Jonathan Cuartas

• The Unknown Country by Morissa Maltz

• Tiger Style! by Cory Santilli

• Time Now by Spencer King

The directors and/or producers will attend the presentations as well as one-on-one meetings with top European festival programmers and buyers (Cannes, Tribeca, Venice, Berlinale, Bankside Films, Film Republic, WTFilms, among others). 

The 2019 US in Progress Wrocław partners provide in-kind awards of post-production service packages of combined value amounting to $50,000. They are leading Polish sound and image studios:

• Orka (http://www.orkafilm.pl/about/)
• Coloroffon (http://coloroffonfilm.pl/index.php/o-nas/)
• Fixafilm (http://www.fixafilm.pl/en/)

• a score composed by Maciej Zielinski from Soundflower Studio (http://www.polishcomposer.com/

• Platige Image (https://www.platige.com)   

Other awards include an acquisition offer from Ale Kino + and a free pass to Cannes Producers' Network next year and a round trip ticket up to the cost of $1000 USD for post-production in Poland.

The screenings will be complemented by Polish-American co-production meetings, a networking opportunity for Polish producers seeking partners from the US and US producers willing to work in/with Poland. Our event will consist of presentations of Polish production incentives, a scouting trip in Lower Silesia and panel talks about transatlantic collaboration. Guest speakers will include: Andrew Hevia (Moonlight, Leave the Bus Through the Broken Window) and Jay Van Hoy (American Honey, The Witch, The Lighthouse). 

Number of selected Polish producers and filmmakers attending will pitch their ideas to the US producers. Other local professionals are invited to network and learn more about the differences in European and American film production systems.   

This year, for the sixth instalment of the Riga International Film Festival all industry events will be gathered under the name RIGA IFF FORUM. By taking a look into the festivals guest list, one can feel captivated – FORUM will welcome board members of the European Film Academy, Baltic animation industry experts, and virtual reality enthusiasts. It will serve as a platform for foreign guests of the festival and Latvian film professionals to meet and exchange their experiences and ideas.

It's time! After today's press conference at Kinoteka, we are happy to share the list of titles which will battle it out in this year's International Competition and Competition 1-2 of first and second films. As well as some other surprises including the special participation of Gérard Depardieu and the last King of the Belgians, or should we say the first Emperor of Europe?

As the press accreditation for the 23rd  Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and the affiliated audiovisual industry platform Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is already underway we thought we might offer you some insight into the programme of 2019. Please note that a big part of the programme is still to be confirmed so this is a very early overview. You can follow our Pro newsletter and press releases at the bottom of this letter to stay updated.

We can offer foreign press a limited amount of rooms in our hotels and provide transport, but these will not last forever...

23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 15 Nov - 1 Dec 2019

As one of the leading film festivals in Northern Europe and the only FIAPF-accredited competitive feature film festival in the region, Black Nights aka PÖFF strives to present our audiences and international guests a comprehensive selection of world cinema in its cultural, geographic and genre diversity, with a special emphasis on discoveries from countries that are comparatively lesser highlighted on the global film markets, mixing them with this year’s highlights from the global festival circuit.

FESTIVAL FACTS

• 1200 international filmmakers, industry professionals and journalists from more than 60 different countries;
• 80000 attendances;
• The festival, along with the two sub-festivals screens approximately 250 feature-length films  and over 250 short films and animations;
• over 50 world and international premieres;
• over 150 journalists in 2018;
• potential global media reach of over 1.5 billion people.

WATCH THE FESTIVAL TEASER

The main programme of the festival will be announced throughout October and November, with the full programme being announced at the press conference taking place on the 6th of November. The programme of the main festival includes the following:

• Official Selection - the major international competition of the festival screening films from all over the world having their world, international or European premieres. Runs from the 21st until the 29th of November;
• First Feature Competition - the international competition for up and coming directors presenting the world or international premiere of their first feature film. Runs from the 21st until the 29th of November. 
• Rebels With A Cause, an international competition showcasing the experimental film-making and bold artistic statements from all over the world, pushing the boundaries of the art of film
• Baltic Film Competition screening the year’s finest films made in the three Baltic countries.
• The festival has several non-competitive programmes, combining a selection of recent highlights of world cinema, including thematic sections for documentaries, genre films, sports and fashion/ urban culture, etc.
• Focus region: Arabia. Every year the festival puts a country or a region in a special spotlight. 2019 will see 15 feature films covering the last 10 years from the Arab filmmakers’ production (Inside of the Arab countries and the diaspora), screening films from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE.

You've probably never heard of a place called Narva or Kohtla-Järve. That's ok, they haven't heard of you either. But these two wonderful towns in Eastern Estonia are the place where we will launch a new side-festival of Black Nights called KinoFF this year! As the majority of the population of this region in Estonia are Russian, the festival will have a focus on Russian-language cinema, screening selected films from the main programme of the festival. We are organising a tour for foreign journalists in the area on the 22nd of November to visit the area and attend the opening of KinoFF in Kohtla-Järve.

Both of the towns have been a source of some controversy in the past years. Narva, literally on the border of Estonia/ the European Union and Russia, was swarmed with the international press a few years ago as it was speculated that this will be the next Donbas (Ukraine), where Russia will test NATO's unity and organise a hybrid war of some kind. Among the places of interest is the massive czarist era factory called Kreenholm, the biggest clothing manufactury back in the czarist empire.

Kohtla-Järve, on the other hand, is the centre of Estonia's oil shale mining - the country's chief source of energy and a dirty energetic secret for Estonia's reputation, allegedly one of the cleanest countries in Europe. The area is covered with enormous areas of artificial landscapes, equally awe-inspiring and scary examples of Anthropocene.

READ MORE

Black Nights film festival has two sub-festivals that are taking place concurrently with the main festival, exploring the many faces of cinema.

PÖFF Shorts | 19-27 Nov, 2019
PÖFF Shorts is the festival section showcasing short films and animations. With four competition programme and exciting specials, a growing number of international guests and a short film market - this is a festival ideal for someone looking for inspiring creative bursts (and has a short attention span). 

Visit HOMEPAGE!

Youth and children's film festival Just Film | 15 Nov - 1 Dec, 2019

A mirror reflection of the main festival with a focus on the younger audiences, Just Film has it all: an international competition programme, juries of all ages and a workshop for youngsters teaching them how to become a future startup founder.

Visit HOMEPAGE!

Audiovisual industry summit Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event - 25-29 Nov 2019

A vital part of any A-category film event, I@T &; BE is an evergrowing platform of the audiovisual industry with a co-production market, project showcase, the European Film Forum conference, TV drama industry, talent labs, young actors showcase, film music mentorship sessions and much more.

One of the highlights is the European Film Forum Tallinn conference on the 27th of November, held for the fourth time in Tallinn in cooperation with the European Commission.

VISIT HOMEPAGE

We would like to invite you to attend the festival and its side-evens this November, offering a limited number of travel and accommodation packages for the journalists and social media content producers. You can find our contacts at the bottom of this newsletter to discuss this further.

If you want to stay in the loop and find out more, we invite you to join our mailing lists for press and for the audiovisual industry professionals. Just click on the button below to subscribe! 

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