AIFF returns April 15-21 with packed houses, cult films and electrifying debates.
Proceeds will be donated to Ukrainian refugees.

Cinema is collective emotion. For a few dozen minutes, in the darkness of the cinema, film unites. And even if after the screening it stirs up different reactions and heated debates, the common passion remains. This is the miracle of cinephilia, which provides antibodies to modern diseases of all kinds, from pain, to war and injustice. In dramatic times, film festivals become all the more important because, in the general tumult, they provide that much-needed oasis of humanity and lucidity. In the midst of barbarism, they preserve our humanity. This is what the American Independent Film Festival, the only Romanian film event that gives a voice to original and vital films made outside the Hollywood system, is aiming for at this year’s edition.

The 2022 edition, which will take place from April 15th-21st, also marks a return to its original, pre-restriction format, with venues that can be filled to capacity. Screenings of AIFF.6 will take place at the Elvire Popesco Cinema and the Peasant Museum Cinema, with all proceeds from ticket sales being donated to Ukrainian families who either continue to live in war-torn settlements or have taken refuge in Romania

Opening the festival will be one of the most unconventional ‘indie’ productions of the year: RED ROCKET, directed by Sean Baker (which was in competition at Cannes in 2021). Anchored by Simon Rex’s magnetic performance, Red Rocket delivers a vibrant, grassroots perspective on modern American life. Mike Saber is a fallen ex-porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown where no one missed him. This bold new film from Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Tangerine), a darling of American independent cinema, has at its incandescent core a magnetic, electrifying performance. Red Rocket sketches a dark but humorous and compassionate portrait of a unique American hustler and the hometown that barely tolerates him. “As well as being lewd, hilarious and almost unbearably tense, the film is a tremendous encouragement to anyone too broke to go to film college,” writes the London Evening Standard. “Mikey is like the human version of a car crash: you don’t wish him on anyone, but you can’t take your eyes off him,” states the Sunday Times, and Little White Lies calls it “a filthy delight. Weird, clever, fantastic and very very wrong”.

The 6th AIFF will also present the national premiere of THE OUTFIT, directed by Graham Moore, which was first shown at the Berlinale Special 2022. The Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Imitation Game is now the director of a masterful, gripping thriller in which a high-end tailor (the great Mark Rylance, also a well-deserving Oscar winner) must confront a dangerous group of mobsters to survive one fateful night. 

“Rylance leaves us until the last moment to guess… A taut, beautifully acted period film,” writes the Chicago Sun-Times. “The Outfit’s biggest surprise is also its happiest: this intimate, low-budget film is also one of the best acted of the season,” gloats the San Francisco Chronicle, and This Chix Flix notes that “the story keeps you on the edge of your cinema chair and you can easily glimpse the fine thread with which the plot is woven. Every detail shot and written is well delivered.”

The phenomenal American actress Robin Wright makes her feature directorial debut with LAND, a film that proves that the ideal place for American filmmakers who want to tell stories outside the box is in independent cinema. Land follows a woman’s poignant search for self as she isolates herself in the vast, harsh American wilderness. Following a tragic event, Edee (Wright) finds herself unable to stay connected to the world she once knew and, faced with that uncertainty, retreats into the magnificent but unforgiving wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. After a local hunter (Demián Bichir) rescues her from the brink of death, she must find a way to live again. “By-passing the danger of being merely a painterly exploration of grief, Land becomes something far more interesting: a tough, vigorous film about saving a life,” concludes the Sunday Times, while the Mail on Sunday stresses that “Robin Wright’s gorgeous scenery and magnificent performance give you a rewarding watch that puts some really tough subjects on a plate.”

This year’s festival visual celebrates the 40th anniversary of the launch of E.T. – Steven Spielberg’s beloved film, and features the adorable alien creature in one of the film’s iconic shots. 

The summer of 1982 saw the release of many classic films, but E.T. managed to rise above them all by telling the story of a little boy and his strange friend from another world. The film encapsulated movie magic for generations and in 1994 was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

The American Independent Film Festival is the festival that has chosen since its first edition to associate a civic component by directing all ticket proceeds to support a social cause. In previous editions, the following non-governmental organisations have benefited from the support of AIFF audiences through the festival: Casa Bună, Ovidiu Ro, Casa Share and the Our Big Day Out volunteer program.

This year AIFF decided to support Ukrainian families who either continue to live in war-torn settlements or have taken refuge in Romania. The support will be implemented in partnership with associations represented by Mr. Sorin Ioniță and Ms. Sara Turetta.

Sorin Ionita is the president of the Expert Forum Association and decided to get involved in helping the inhabitants of the Chernivtsi area, organising the transport of aid collected through voluntary contributions to the inhabitants in need in localities in this neighbouring area of Romania.

Sara Turetta is a social activist with over 20 years of experience in Romania helping children and animals, and her book about the largest shelter for abandoned animals in Romania, which she created, will be published by Humanitas Publishing this autumn. Now Sara Turreta has decided to get involved in helping Ukrainian refugee families crossing into Romania at the Isaccea border point – helping with their social integration, transit to their final destinations and even taking temporary care of the pets the families are trying to save from war.

All ticket proceeds received by the Cinemascop Association, organiser of AIFF, and will be directed to these causes. In addition to buying a ticket to any screening, you can contribute to helping those in need by attending special charity screenings during the festival or by donating directly to partner associations.

Now in its 6th year, the American Independent Film Festival will take place this year between April 15th and 21st and will have a warm up in Cluj, presented by FORTECH, which will take place on April 16th and 17th at Cinema Victoria.

The finalists of the 4th edition of the Write a Screenplay for … Competition, organised by the Cinemascop Association with the support of HBO Europe, will be announced at the festival in Bucharest. This year screenwriters have been invited to write for actress Ioana Bugarin and the deadline for submissions is March 31st. All information about the competition can be found at: https://filmedefestival.ro/wsf. 

Organised by the Cinemascop Association, AIFF.6 is a cultural project co-financed by National Cultural Fund Administration, with the support of the Embassy of the United States in Romania.
Supported by: Banca Transilvania

Partners: Fortech, Europa Cinemas, French Institute in Romania, Elvire Popesco Cinema, Romanian Peasant’s Museum, Peasant’s Museum Cinema, Eventbook.

Principal Media Partners: Radio Guerrilla, AGERPRES.

Media Partners: Zile și Nopți, Film Menu, Ziarul Metropolis, LiterNet, Movie News, IQ Ads, Smark, Films in Frame, CineGhid, Munteanu Recomandă, AARC – All About Romanian Cinema, Radio România Cultural

The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way in which the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.

This project was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.

For more information on AIFF.6 please visit: