Lively debates, special guests, fiery cinema
AIFF.6 starts Friday, April 15th
Opening: Q&A with Steven Spielberg
The 6th American Independent Film Festival starts on Friday, April 15th, at the Elvire Popesco Cinema and Peasant’s Museum Cinema (Horia Bernea Studio). At the opening, Romanian audiences have the unique opportunity to engage in a conversation with iconic American director Steven Spielberg after the screening of his latest film, West Side Story, moderated by Andrei Gorzo. The event will be streamed live on the festival’s Facebook page and you can still take the opportunity to ask this year’s special guest a question on www.filmedefestival.ro.
Also at the opening of the festival, the shortlist of projects that will move on to the next stage of the Write a Screenplay for… Ioana Bugarin. The actress will be present and will announce the jury’s selection from the more than 100 applications submitted.
Participants in the project development workshop and those with an interest in scriptwriting are invited to attend the Script Consulting masterclass with Răzvan Rădulescu (April 20th, 6:00pm) at Apollo111. At the same location, AIFF.6 will hold another masterclass for professionals and those interested in the industry: Advertising vs. Cinema presented by Sebastian Strasser (April 19th at 5pm).
Closing the festival will be a screening of Sergei Loznitsa’s documentary Maidan, which recounts the 2014 demonstrations in Ukraine that culminated in the overthrow of the regime and triggered events that resonate into today’s conflict.
AIFF stands for passion – passion for cinema, but also for the exchange of ideas and intellectual challenges. The films on the programme are thought-provoking and invite lively discussion. The much-debated Open Talks are also part of the festival tradition. This year we are tackling a hot and controversial topic: From the Woke Phenomenon to Cancel Culture – A Conversation on the Consequences of Political Correctness. The two concepts will be analysed through the prism of their history and evolution, but also how they are found in Romanian society. We will discuss whether or how they influence modern cinema and, in particular, local cinema.
The discussion will be attended by Liliana Popescu (SNSPA pro-rector and co-founder of the Romanian Journal of Society and Politics), Gojira (DJ, writer and actor for Divertis SRC, Happy Fish and host of the fastest growing podcast in Romanian online – Aproximativ Discuții) and Sebastian Jucan, journalist and editor at HotNews, author of the weekly column Nerd Alert, specializing in science, movies, series, gaming and other pop culture topics.
Access is free, subject to availability. The discussion will take place on Sunday, April 17th at 10:00pm at the Elvire Popesco Cinema, after the screening of Red Rocket.
The diversity of subjects, genres and points of view also defines this year’s selection, where the avid viewer of quality cinema will be able to see very new fiction that has toured international festivals, as well as complex and challenging documentaries or classics in superb restored versions. They will discover new talent, discover iconic American indie filmmakers and gain a better understanding of the aura of legendary filmmakers.
THE LATEST FICTION FILMS FROM FESTIVALS: Red Rocket (In competition – Cannes 2021), an atypical, irreverent “drama” about a porn star back in his hometown where no one missed him; The Outfit (Berlinale Special, 2022), a minimalist thriller, impeccably orchestrated and acted; The French Dispatch (in Competition – Cannes 2021), a new flamboyant Wes Anderson eccentricity, Blue Bayou (Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2021), a gripping drama about the problems of the American immigration system, Land (Directors to Watch Palm Springs 2021), a moving story of self-discovery that marks the directorial debut of actress Robin Wright, I Was a Simple Man (Grand Jury Prize Sundance 2021 nomination), the simple but poignant story, of an old man contemplating his own mortality, the intimate The Cathedral (Hollywood Foreign Press Association Award, Venice 2021) where we contemplate through the eyes of a child two decades of family history, mirroring recent American history, Down with the King (Deauville Grand Prix Special), an original fish-out-of-water fable about a gangsta rapper who discovers simple country life, West Side Story (Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), a spectacular and exhilarating Steven Spielberg remake, and C’mon C’mon (Film Independent Spirit Awards nominee), where Joaquin Phoenix continues his Oscar-winning run with a delicate and profound performance.
AIFF invites you to revisit three masterpieces, CLASSIC PERENNIALS, that few have had the opportunity to see on the big screen, let alone in gorgeous restored versions: the tragic, 10-time Oscar-winning musical West Side Story; Duel, the unbearably tense thriller from the young Steven Spielberg; and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a wonderful film for any age at any time.
With the help of PROVOCATIVE DOCUMENTARIES programmed at AIFF.6 such as Flee or Maidan, we better understand the present and the way history is made. Flee was triple nominated for the 2022 Academy Awards for Best Documentary and Best Animated Feature and tells a story that starts from the Afghan drama while from Maidan we can better understand the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the principles that inspire the heroic defence of Ukrainians.
For its 6th edition, the American Independent Film Festival shows its solidarity with Ukraine by partnering with AIFF Kyiv, whose last edition had to be cancelled due to the events in Ukraine, by dedicating one day of the program to it, and with the Ukrainians by donating all proceeds to support war refugees and their pets.
AIFF.6 will also have a preamble, a warm up in Cluj-Napoca, on 16 and 17 April, where the citizens of Cluj will have the opportunity to see some of the latest independent American films of the moment and will be able to support, like the spectators in Bucharest, the humanitarian approach of the festival with every ticket purchased.
The 2022 edition marks the festival’s partnership with Retromobil Club Romania, which will offer AIFF spectators the chance to see their favourite cars. Between April 15th – 17th in the yard of the French Institute in Romania, American cars from bygone eras will be on display.
Founded in 1998 Retromobil Club Romania has become a regular presence on the Romanian motoring scene. The club’s activity of more than two decades is a cultural approach, educating new generations about the history of vehicles, and encouraging their preservation, authenticity of historic vehicles on the national territory, as well as cultivating the passion for collecting and restoring them. Retromobil Club Romania is currently the keeper of a national motoring tradition that started more than 120 years ago, when Romania was among the first 10 countries in Europe to introduce the automobile and the sixth country in the world where motor races were organised (1904).
All proceeds from ticket sales for AIFF.6 will be donated to Save the Dogs and Other Animals run by Sara Turetta. The association is the first NGO of its kind in the animal protection sector in Romania and is actively involved in supporting Ukrainian refugee families crossing into Romania through the Isaccea border point. In addition to working closely with local NGOs to receive refugees and provide them with basic necessities, the association helps them find accommodation that allows them to be accompanied by their pets, providing pet food, supplies and transport logistics.
Funds from ticket sales obtained from the Warm up that AIFF is organising between 16-17 April at the Victoria Cinema in Cluj-Napoca will go to the Expert Forum Association led by Sorin Ioniță. The organisation is involved in helping the citizens of Odessa and Chernivtsi areas, organising the transport of aid collected through voluntary contributions to people in need in neighbouring Romania.
All the details about the two organisations, how you can donate directly, as well as the AIFF.6 program and tickets are available on filmedefestival.ro.
Organised by the Cinemascop Association, AIFF.6 is a cultural project co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration*, with the support of the Embassy of the United States of America in Romania** and the Union of Romanian Film and Audiovisual Producers – Romanian Association for the Management of Audiovisual Works.
Supported by: Banca Transilvania
Partners: Romanian Cultural Institute, Fortech, Europa Cinemas, French Institute in Romania, Elvire Popesco Cinema, Romanian Peasant Museum, Peasant Museum Cinema, Apollo 111, Eventbook, Retromobil Club Romania Voodoo Films.
Co-organised by Multi Media Est
Main Media Partners: Radio Guerrilla, AGERPRES.
Media Partners: Zile și Nopți, Cinemap, Film Menu, Ziarul Metropolis, LiterNet, Movie News, IQ Ads, Smark, Films in Frame, The Institute, 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 the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
**This project is funded in part by a grant from the US Department of State. The opinions, findings, and conclusions presented during the project are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State.
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