After having high viewing figures on CANAL+ this summer as well as getting great reviews from Polish journalists and audience members, THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE directed by Dariusz Jabłoński debuted in the Czech television market, on Czech TV,Monday October 14th. The series will be broadcasted from October 14th at a prime time, on Mondays at 8 pm, in the airtime reserved for the best criminal series. The participation of a galaxy of Czech film stars, including the outstanding actor Karel Roden, makes it one of the most anticipated premiere of this autumn.

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE is a multi-threaded criminal thriller, produced by Apple Film Production, co-produced by CANAL+ Poland, Czech TV and Star Media and distributed by Beta Film, which is one of the world's largest television program distributors.

Created with a cinematic flourish in three cities: Warsaw, Prague and Odessa, with best Polish, Czech and Ukrainian actors, the series received great reviews after its premiere in Poland, from critics who highlighted its uniqueness: “A masterpiece of detective story.” (Barbara Hollender, Rzeczpospolita), “Together with Maciej Maciejewski, the screenwriter of the memorable series ‘The Cop’, and an international team, the Polish director has created an exceptional super production, which incorporates a truly Hollywood-style spirit, a mystery typical of the best Scandinavian TV series, and hot Slavic temperament. (Paulina Januszewska, Newsweek) and quality: “The TV series by Jabłoński and Maciejewski can  be easily compared to the best western thrillers and detective movies.” (Rzeczpospolita), “If you have ever dreamed of a Polish version of ‘The Bridge’, now you will be satisfied. (Serialowa.pl.)

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE is a premium series and the first ever international television co-production of Central and Eastern European countries on such a great scale. During over nine months, nearly five hundred filmmakers worked on the set in three countries. When shooting the series, 8K cameras, underwater cameras and drones, etc., were used. 

The plot of THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE takes the audience into the middle of a multi-threaded police investigation, which begins with the murders of young women in Warsaw, Odessa and Prague. The showrunner of the production is Dariusz Jabłoński, the pictures were shot by operators from three countries: Paweł Dyllus, Martin Žiaran and Andrey Lisietskiy, and the script was written by Maciej Maciejewski, the author of “The Cop", a cult series recognized by critics and audience.

DIRECTOR: Dariusz Jabłoński; SCREENPLAY: Maciej Maciejewski; DoP: Paweł Dyllus, Martin Žiaran, Andrey Lisietskiy; EDITING: Milenia Fiedler; PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Wojciech Żogała, Jiří Karásek, Piotr Wyrzykowski, Diana Todoratyeva; MAKE-UP: Anna Nobel-Nobielska; COSTUMES: Dominika Gebel, Aleksandr Dmitriyev, Tereza Kučerová; CAST: Małgorzata Buczkowska, Karel Roden, Sergey Strelnikov Robert Gonera, Dawid Czupryński, Mirosław Baka, Kryštof Hádek, Marek Taclík, Ana Geislerová Dmitriy Oleshko, Stanislav Booklan, Vladimir Minyaylo, Urszula Grabowska, Dorota Segda, Piotr Machal Marcin Tyrol, Mirosław Haniszewski and others; PRODUCERS: Izabela Wójcik, Violetta Kamińska; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Dariusz Jabłoński; PRODUCTION: Apple Film Production; IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH: CANAL+, Česká Televize (Czech Rep.) and Star Media (Ukraine); WITH THE SUPPORT of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine; IN COOPERATION with Beta Film

Duration: 10 episodes x 56 min.

After the opening night with sold-out screenings and an audience of thousands of people, Astra Film Festival 2019 continues until Sunday, 20 October, with a busy schedule including top films, Q&A sessions, debates, event-meetings with the legends of documentary filmmaking and live concerts.

This year, Astra Film Festival launches a new series of special events:”Astra Film: Life in Documentaries”and the first guest in this series is the legendary Peter Dale, Head of Documentary at the world-renowned National Film and Television School in London. Over 40 years of artistic success will be presented during a discussion between Peter Dale and Liviu Tipuriță. The meeting will take place on Thursday, October 17, 5 PM, at Hub - Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu and the audience is encouraged to get involved and ask questions.

”The Film Collector”focuses on Andrei Ujică, Romanian filmmaker, known and appreciated all around the world. To collect means to create your personal universe.What are the films most cherished by the Romanian director? We will find out by meeting him on Friday, 18 October, 5 PM, at the Glass Hall of Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu. His film, ”Videograms of a Revolution”, will be screened from 7:30 PM at Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu followed by a discussion with the audience at the end of the documentary. 

Hidden secrets from the sensible corners of marriage, love and sex are revealed in the thematic programme called “Marriage, Sex and Beyond”. The film ”Heartbound”steps behind the scenes of the marriage industry that links the lives of Thai women with those of Danish men. The screening of this documentary will take place on Wednesday, 16 October, 5:30 PM, at Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu and it will be followed by a discussion with director Janus Metz. “School of Seduction” will also be screened on Wednesday, 9:30 PM, in the same venue, a film that goes inside the classrooms of a school of seduction where young women are trained to find a husband that will offer them a better life.

Three films from the thematic programme “Sex Work Stories” move the emphasis from shock and disgust to understanding and empathy when dealing with people whose sexual explorations know no boundaries. The stories of seven Romanian sex workers and one star of gay erotic movies are presented in the films ”Blue Boy” and ”Until Porn Do Us Part”, which will be screened on Thursday, 17 October, 8 PM, at Cinema Ion Besoiu – Large Hall, followed by a Q&A session with producer Bogdan Georgescu. One of the most popular gay pornstars presents his taboo-career but also his relationship with his mother in the film ”Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life” that will be screened on Friday, 18 October, 9 PM, at Cinema Ion Besoiu – Large Hall, followed by a Q&A session with the protagonist’s mother who will be in Sibiu for the screening.

Depicting the combination of a controversial subject and a unique style of filmmaking, “Shooting the Mafia” directedby Kim Longinotto, one of the leading voices in British documentary, is a captivating film that adopts a totally different perspective on the Sicilian Mafia. The documentary included in the thematic programme “Great Masters” will be screened on Saturday, 19 October, 5 PM, at Cinema Ion Besoiu – Large Hall.

A series of live music performances will delight the festival audience: on Wednesday, 16 October, from9:30 PM, Disco Sigaretta will performin the lobby of Cinema Ion Besoiu; on Thursday, 17 October, from9:30 PM, at the Dome in the Large Square, Ungo Visualswill hold a spectacular immersive party andafter11 PMthe music will play at Hub - Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu, on the rhythms of Balkan Taksim; on Saturday, 19 October, after the AFF 2019 Awards, Om la lună will play on the stage of Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu.

You can find the complete festival programme here: https://www.astrafilm.ro/en/program/

Tickets for AFF 2019 can be purchased online: https://eventbook.ro/festival/astra-film-festival

Astra Film Festival Sibiu is held under the High Patronage of the Romanian Presidency.

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

The Black Nights Film Festival’s youth and children’s film festival Just Film has announced its international youth film competition programme.

The 19th Just Film international youth competition programme (consisting of 12 films) explores the world and has found the most important topics to ponder and discuss upon. The heroes of these films do not have superpowers, but they have kind hearts. However, when life throws big obstacles at you, they remind you that at some point it must get better. All these battles and grand emotions unravel on the screen during the Just Film festival.

The international youth competition is judged by a five-member Just Film youth jury and  three-member international jury. The latter will present the winning film with the Just Film grand prix at the Black Nights Film Festival closing ceremony.

The Black Nights Film Festival’s youth and children’s film festival Just Film will be held from the 15th of November until the 1st of December. Ticket sales will begin on the 16th of October.

Presenting the international youth film programme competitors:

“Boyz In The Wood”
BOYZ IN THE WOOD
The United Kingdom 2019, 87 min
Director: Ninian Doff

Dean, Duncan and DJ Beatroot are teenage pals from Glasgow who embark on a character-building camping trip—based on a real-life program—known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, where foraging, teamwork and orienteering are the order of the day. The trio find themselves paired with straight-laced Ian, a fellow camper determined to play by the rules. 

From writer-director Ninian Doff—making his feature debut after a slew of award-winning music videos and short films for artists such as Run the Jewels, Miike Snow, Migos, and Mykki Blanco —comes an anarchic cocktail of generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit droppings that pit the youth of tomorrow against the status quo of yesterday. Boyz in the Wood stars Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickey, Georgie Glen, James Cosmo and a breakout young cast featuring Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon, and Lewis Gribben.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

“About That Life”
DE LIBI
The Netherlands 2019, 102 min
Director: Shady El-Hamus

About That Life is a comical portrait about three young suburban friends, who we follow around Amsterdam over the course of 24 hours. The three do everything they can to get inside the famous nightclub ‘Jimmy Woo’ that evening in order to prove their worth in life. A film about an indomitable zest for life and dreams of a future full of possibilities. About three boys who do all they can to be noticed by the rest of the world.

“Cleo”
CLEO
Belgium 2019, 105 min
Director: Eva Cools

Seventeen-year-old Cleo survived a hit and run accident in which both her parents lost their lives. Her grandmother tries to offer Cleo and her brother a warm and comfortable home, but she ends up bearing the brunt of a rebellious teenager who searches for comfort with the mysterious Leos.

“FoMo - Fear of Missing Out”
FOMO: MEGOSZTOD, ES URALKODSZ 
Hungary 2019, 91 min
Director: Attila Hartung

Gergő and his teenage friends are into three things: partying, sex, and their online following. One night, at a party, Lilla falls victim to the boys. A dare gets out of hand and the youngsters’ world changes forever overnight.

“John Denver Trending”
JOHN DENVER TRENDING
The Philippines 2019, 100 min
Director: Arden Rod

John Denver is a quiet, ordinary eighth grader who lives with his mom. During a school dance practice, a classmate who is broadcasting the practice on social media plays a mean prank on John. Upset, John leave the practice early, only to be accused of stealing the boy’s iPad. John retaliates to his bully, and their fight is filmed and uploaded on social media. The video of John attacking his classmate goes viral, and his peaceful life is completely destroyed. 

“Scent of Oranges”
UZLY A POMARANČE
Czech Republic/Germany/Slovak 2019, 92 min
Director: Ivan Pokorný

In love with a girl that smells of oranges, while in a complicated relationship with his father, Darek is gentle, strong and devoted to his little sister and their herd of horses. Darek’s world is a story about the joy and pain of growing up in the isolated, yet beautiful, Lusatian Mountains.

Here, horses are not expensive specimens of racing stables, but beings you should care for and love. Not even that is enough in life though, as Darek finds out nearing the Summer’s end, closing his childhood definitely. But just like any ending, this is a start of something new.

“All For My Mother”
WSZYSTKO DLA MOJEJ MATKI
Poland 2019, 102 min
Director: Małgorzata Imielska

Olka is seventeen years old, tomboyish in her movement, with large eyes hidden behind her hair. Her nails are bitten and her hands bear the marks of self-harm. For years, she had been looking for her mother. Her constant escapes from the orphanage landed her in a reformatory. She lives there, but she is of another world: she does not care for hipster clothes or the newest smartphone. Unlike other girls, she does not want to provide sexual services to the guard for a smoke. She only wants her mother back.

Recommended for ages 12 and up. 

“Perfect 10”
PERFECT 10
Suurbritannia 2019, 84 min
Director: Eva Riley

15-year-old Leigh is a gymnast focused on her first competition on the squad. Leigh’s life is turned upside down when her older half brother Joe, who she didn’t know existed, comes to stay with her and her father. But when her confidence at gymnastics is knocked, Leigh finds herself caught up in an underground world of moped crime with her brother. Starting to find the excitement and attention she has been so desperately craving, Leigh stands at a crossroads between her gymnastic dreams and an exciting new world…

“Corpus Christi”
BOŻE CIALO
Poland 2019, 115 min
Director: Jan Komasa

"Corpus Christi" is the story of 20-year-old Daniel who experiences a spiritual transformation in a Youth Detention Center. The crime he commits prevents him from applying to the seminary and after his release on parole he is sent to work at a carpenter's workshop. However, Daniel has no intention of giving up his dream and dressed as a priest he decides to - minister a small-town parish.

“My Brother Chases Dinousaurs”
MIO FRATELLO RINCORRE I DINOSAURI
Italy 2019, 101 min
Director: Stefano Cipani

Jack has always wanted a little brother to play with, and when Gio is born, his parents tell him his brother is a "special" child. That's when Gio turns into a superhero with amazing powers in his big brother's imagination, like the ones in his comic books. Over time, however, Jack learns the truth: his brother has Down syndrome, a condition Jack decides to keep secret. When he goes to high school and falls in love with Arianna, he hides Gio's very existence from her and his new friends. But how can you expect someone to love you if you conceal such an important part of yourself? In no time, the truth comes out, and Jack realises that Gio's energy and vitality are contagious. Gio's original outlook does indeed change the world, just like a superhero. 

“Antigone”
ANTIGONE
Kanada 2019, 109 min
Director: Sophie Deraspe

In helping her brother escape from prison, Antigone defies the authorities: the police, the judiciary, the penal system and the father of her friend Haemon. Brilliant and, until now, blameless, the teenage girl feels the grip of power tightening around her. But she rejects the law of man and follows her own sense of justice, dictated by love and loyalty.

“I Am Free”
Я СВОБОДЕН
Russia 2019, 95 min
Director: Iliya Severov
International premiere

17 year old Artyom comes to the seaside summer camp for troubled kids where he tries to start a new life and escape his troubles and difficult memories.

Alien Films Entertainment was one of the first Romanian established production companies that met the requirements stated by the scheme and brought successful projects on the Romanian film market, benefiting from this support. The production company created long term relationship with the partners abroad based on trust and quality services.

CEE Animation Workshop is a year-long project development and production skills advancement programme for professionals. For the second edition, filmmakers from low production capacity countries could apply with animated projects of any format (short, TV, features, hybrid) in development. The call was also open to a limited number of participants without projects, representatives of industry and public institutions.