“This year I was interested mainly in those films that don’t cling to the socio-political context by either eluding it completely or inserting it subtly into intimate stories, which are audaciously explored beyond their consequences”, Mihai Chirilov, the artistic director of the festival, said in a statement.

Tudor Giurgiu’s new film Parking aka Above Man, the Woman Soars, his first film shot outside Romania, will open the festival as a world premiere. Giurgiu, who is the director of TIFF, produced it through Romania's Libra Film in coproduction with Spain's Tito Clint Movies and Evolution Films from the Czech Republic.

The most important film festival in Romania will screen more than 200 titles this year.

Main Competition lineup:

Monsters. / Monștri. (Romania)
Directed by Marius Olteanu
Produced by Parada Film
Coproduction by Wearebasca
Supported by the Romanian Film Centre

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Russia)
Directed by Natasha Merkulova, Aleksei Chupo

The Humorist (Russia, Latvia, Czech Republic)
Directed by Mihail Idov
Produced by Metrafilms (Russia)
In association with SAGA Film Production (Russia), Tasse film (Latvia) and Sirena film (Czech Republic)
Supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Riga Film Fund, the Czech Film Fund and Eurimages

A White, White Day (Island)
Directed by Hlynur Palmason

Pause (Cyprus, Greece)
Directed by Tonia Mishiali
Produced by A.B. Seahorse Film Productions
Coproduced by Soul Productions and Authorwave
Supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture from Cyprus, the Greek Film Centre and SEE Cinema Network

System Crasher (Germany)
Directed by Nora Fingscheidt

Belonging (Turkey)
Directed by Burak Çevik

Scarborough (UK)
Directed by Barnaby Southcombe

Un homme fidèle (France)
Directed by Louis Garrel

Not the End (Spain)
Directed by Cesar and José Esteban Alenda

Queen of Hearts (Denmark, Sweden)
Directed by May el-Toukhy

Monos (Columbia)
Directed by Alejandro Landes