• The hottest American Indie titles of the year, to premiere in Romania between September 15 and 21, at the first edition of the festival

Four-time nominated at the Oscars, Ethan Hawke will be special guest of the American Independent Film Festival, to take place in Bucharest, between September 15 to 21 at Cinema PRO and Cinemateca Eforie. The actor will talk to the audience on September 21 at Cinema PRO at the end of the special screening of “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” directed by Sydney Lumet, starring opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Inspired from the tradition of great American narrative features, the American Independent Film Festival presents a selection of the latest independent productions made in USA, critically acclaimed titles featured in major festivals. The screenings will be rounded-up by talks with special guests and a section dedicated to actor Ethan Hawke. Focus Ethan Hawke will bring for the first time on the Romanian screens two of the most recent films in Hawke’s portfolio – “Maudie”, directed by Aisling Walsh, a love story based on a real story from the life of Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis, where Hawke stars opposite Sally Hawkins, and “Born to Be Blue” by Robert Budreau, on famous jazz musician Chet Baker. Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” (Golden Globe for Best Film, 2015) and “Before Midnight”, co-written by the director, Hawke and July Delpy and nominated at the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, will also be presented in the section. “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” directed by Sidney Lumet, will close the festival on September 21 at Cinema PRO, followed by an open talk with the actor.

Ethan Hawke is a Tony® and four-time Oscar® nominated artist, whose multi-faceted career as an actor, filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist has spanned over thirty years. Hawke recently wrapped production on “Blaze,” a drama he co-wrote and directed about the life of musician Blaze Foley that reunites Hawke with “Born to be Blue” producer Jake Seal, and long-time collaborator John Sloss (“Boyhood”) from Cinetic Media.  He will next be seen in Paul Schrader’s timely political and environmental thriller, “First Reformed” opposite Amanda Seyfried. The film will premiere at the 2017 Venice International Film Festival and will also screen at TIFF. Upcoming, Hawke is set to star in Robert Budreau’s “Stockholm” opposite Noomi Rapace and Mark Strong and he recently wrapped production on the romantic comedy “Juliet, Naked” based on the best-selling novel of the same name.

The program, events and all the news on the festival will be updated on the website and Facebook page American Independent Film Festival.(@AmericanIFF)

Tickets to the festival will be available for 15 lei on the Eventim network (shops Germanos, Carrefour, Orange Shop, Vodafone, Carturesti and Humanitas bookshops, OMV gas stations), Eventim offices (Bucharest: I.C.Bratianu Bd. 6, at the Cinema Pro venue and Cluj: Alexandru Vaida-Voevod 53B – Iulius Mall) and online at www.eventim.ro.

American Independent Film Festival is organized by the Cinemascop Association in partnership with the Bucharest City Hall through ARCUB, supported by Catena.

With the support of: Embassy of the United States in Romania, American Chamber of Commerce in Romania – AmCham Romania, TAP AIR Portugal.

Official car: BMW.

Partners: OvidiuRo Association, CinemaPRO, National Film Archive – Cinemateca Română (ANF), RoImage, InterCom Film, Odeon Cineplex, Voodoo Films, Pro Video, Transilvania Film, Eventim, Cărtureşti, Media Image Factory.

Seen by: Radio Guerrilla.

Media partners: Agerpres, Ziare.com, Zile si Nopți, Sensotv.ro Cinemagia, Cinefan, IQads, Ziarul Metropolis, PRWave, A List Magazine, Urban.ro, Avantaje, Inoras.ro, umblat.ro, AARC.ro, Liternet, Filme-Carti.ro, Scena9.

Photo credits  © Sam Jones