Third Edition of the Romanian Movie Festival of Toronto - A 3-a Ediţie a Festivalului de Film Românesc de la Toronto
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Cu ganduri bune,
Ioana Sendroiu
Secretar RSC
secr...@romanianstudentsclub.com
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RSC thought you might be interested in the following message.
Warm regards,
Ioana Sendroiu
Secretar RSC
secr...@romanianstudentsclub.com
A 3-a Ediţie a Festivalului de Film Românesc de la Toronto
Produsă de ToRo Arts Group, a 3-a Ediţie a Festivalului de Film
Românesc de la Toronto va avea loc între 4 şi 7 februarie, 2010.
Intitulat „Criza ’89 – şi adaptarea”, festivalul va debuta pe 4
februarie, la Royal Ontario Museum Theatre, cu proiectarea
documentarului „La Nouvelle Vague Roumaine”, urmată de o masă rotundă
moderată de Călin-Andrei Mihăilescu, profesor de literatură comparată
la University of Western Ontario, impreuna cu invitatii festivalului:
Tudor Girgiu, Jennie Punter si Adam Nayman. Admisia la acest
eveniment este gratuită.
Anul acesta, ToRo este onorat sa ii aiba prezenti la festival pe Tudor
Giurgiu (regizor "Legaturi Bolnavicioase", producator "Katalin Varga",
co-fondator Transylvania International Film Festival), Hanno Hoffer
(regizor "Amintiri din Epoca de Aur", fondator/muzician "Nightlosers")
si Andrei Dascalescu (regizor "Constantin si Elena").
Programul va fi urmatorul:
DAY 1 - Thursday, Feb. 4 (***FREE EVENT***) - Royal Ontario Museum
7:00 PM – The New Wave of Romanian Cinema / La nouvelle vague roumain
(2008) screening, followed byAdapt-a-script, a round-table discussion
moderated by Calin-Andrei Mihailescu (professor of Comparative
Literature at Western University) and conducted by the festival’s
guests of honour Tudor Giurgiu, Hanno Hoffer, Jennie Punter and Adam
Nayman, concerning questions of adaptation in contemporary Romanian
cinema.
DAY 2 - Friday, Feb. 5
7:00 PM – Tales From the Golden Age - Bloor Cinema
10:30 PM – Opening Party – TBA
DAY 3 - Saturday, Feb. 6
1:00 PM – Big Ocean – Innis Town Hall
3:00 PM – Videograms of a Revolution – Innis Town Hall
6:00 PM – Australia; Weddings, Musics and Videotapes – Innis Town Hall
9:30 PM – Constantin and Elena - Bloor Cinema
DAY 4 – Sunday, Feb. 7
2:00 PM – Shorts Program – Innis Town Hall
4:00 PM – The Paper Will Be Blue – Innis Town Hall
6:30 PM – Apocalypse on Wheels – Innis Town Hall
9:00 PM – Katalin Varga - Bloor Cinema
TICKETS
Student: $10
Adult: $15
Student Day Pass: $30 (Saturday and Sunday ONLY)
Adult Day Pass: $45 (Saturday and Sunday ONLY)
Student Festival Pass: $70
Adult Festival Pass: $105
* Biletele se pot cumpara prin UofT Tix
http://www.uofttix.ca/view.php?id=598
pentru mai multe detalii, va rugam sa vizitati:
http://www.toroartsgroup.com/?p=599
.................................................................
PROGRAMUL COMPLET
Day 1 - Thursday, Feb.4th
Panel Discussion & Screening, 7:00 PM
Royal Ontario Museum Theatre
So as to provide a focused introduction to the aforementioned, a Panel
Discussion, preceded by the screening of French-produced La Nouvelle
Vague Roumaine and moderated by Calin-Andrei Mihailescu, a Professor
of Comparative Literature at the University of Western Ontario, will
transpire on February 4th.
1. The New Wave of the Romanian Cinema / La Nouvelle Vague Roumaine
(2008)
Director: Marius Doicov & Vincent Guyottot
Running time: 60 min.
Following director Radu Mihaileanu during preparations for his new
movie, shot in Bucharest, the French documentary team investigates the
incumbent and imperative forces that stimulated, generated and
accelerated the most effervescent film movement in recent years: the
new wave of Romanian filmmakers.
2. Panel Discussion, ‘Adapt-a-Script:’
Moderator: Calin-Andrei Mihailescu
Panel: Tudor Giurgiu, Hanno Hoffer, Jennie Punter, Adam Nayman
Ceauşescu, the communist dictator of Romania, used to say that “life
incessantly demonstrated the justness of the one Party’s plans.”
Somehow, the revolution that toppled him in December, 1989, proved him
dead wrong.
The Romanian filmmakers who emerged in the past decade responded to
these dark times through powerful script to both make sense of and
dark fun of it. Caranfil, Mungiu, Muntean, Porumboiu, Nemescu,
Solomon, and Giurgiu, to name a few , have found new aesthetic ways of
addressing the messiness of Romanian life, its cruelty, bare-bones
richness and overwhelming humour. The participants at this round table
will discuss generic questions of adaptation concerning contemporary
Romanian cinema.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 2 - Friday, Feb.5th
Opening Night - 7:00 PM
Bloor Cinema
Tales From The Golden Age / Amintiri din epoca de aur (2009)
Director: Constantin Popescu Jr, Razvan Marculescu, Ioana Uricaru,
Hanno Hofer, Cristian Mungiu
Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu
Cast: Ion Sapdaru, Teodor Corban, Calin Chirila, Radu Iacoban, Diana
Cavallioti
Running time: 150 min.
Five short stories dealing with an unconventional personal history of
the late Communist period in Romania.
The Legend of the Official Visit
On the occasion of Ceausescu's working visits, countryside mayors
ended up hanging fruit in trees to make sure their villages would be
noticed, obeying even the strangest orders from the ferocious Party
activists.
The Legend of the Party Photographer
Communist Party secret regulations stated that in official pictures
President Ceausescu couldn't take his hat off in front of the
representatives of the rotten capitalistic world, President d'Estaing
included.
The Legend of the Chicken Driver
A professional driver decides to open his sealed truck for the first
time in his career and discovers the connection between eggs, Easter
and marital love.
The Legend of the Greedy Policeman
A policeman gets a live pig as gift before Christmas and decides that
gas poisoning would be the best way to kill the animal silently
amongst his hungry neighbors.
The Legend of the Air Sellers
In the 80s Romania, Bughi and Crina play Bonnie and Clyde, robbing
people of bottled air.
Awards / Selection / Nomination:
2009 - Official Selection, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival
** Q & A session with director Hanno Hoffer to follow screening
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 3 - Saturday, Feb.6th
Doc. Screening, 1:00 PM
Innis Town Hall
Big Ocean / Oceanul Mare (2009)
Director: Katharina Copony
Running time: 78 min.
"The way of the ocean is that big fish eat little fish. The ocean of
business means that it is very hard and difficult. If you don’t watch
out you’ll be gobbled up and drown in the ocean! If you’re successful
you are a sail that skims across the ocean like a triumphant
sailboat!"
At the centre of the film are three Chinese who emigrated to Bucharest
in the early 1990s. It follows their trails through the Romanian
metropolis and their various connections to the largest China market
in Europe, on the outskirts of Bucharest.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc. Screening, 3:00 PM
Innis Town Hall
Videograms of a Revolution / Videogramele unei revolutii (1992)
Director: Harun Farocki and Andrei Ujică
Running time: 106 min.
A film on the relationship between political power and the media in
Europe in the End of Cold War Europe. Videograms of a Revolution
chronicles the Romanian revolution of 1989 – including the fall,
attempted flight and Christmas-day execution of President Nicolae
Ceauşescu and his wife Elena. The documentary consists of
found-footage, assembled and intercut to gradually reveal the course
of history over the ten days of populist revolt. The film’s
protagonist is contemporary history itself.
Awards / Nominations:
2004 - Austrian Film Archive: “Die Utopie Film” program - selection in
“The Best 100 in Film History”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc. Screening, 6:00 PM
Innis Town Hall
1. Australia (2009)
Director: Claudiu Mitcu
Cast: Mihai Rosu, Florin Bătrînu, Vasile Bereghi, Beniamin Calancea,
Pavel Calancea, Daniel Podina, Claudiu Kostity, Radu Munteanu
Running time: 64 min.
In 2008, Romania for the first time participated in the Homeless World
Cup Finals, which took place in Melbourne. This story tracks the
seven players on the national team, all homeless from the city of
Timişoara, from the moment they come together as a team and until the
end of the tournament. Go Romania!
2. Weddings, Music and Videotapes / Nunti, muzici si casete video
(2008)
Director: Tudor Giurgiu
Screenwriter: Tudor Giurgiu
Cast: George Stirbat, Emilian Achim, Silviu Prigoana, Adriana
Bahmuteanu
Running time: 57 min.
Weddings, Musics and Videotapes is a behind the scenes journey into
Romanian weddings, events that operate as a platform for the
expression of the respective styles and techniques of invited
photographers, cameramen and singers. Two of the film's most prolific
characters, George Stirbat, a singer from Onesti that has just
returned home after a stint on Broadway, to the town photographer,
Petru Manici, a coal mine electrician from Petrosani, form but part of
the gamut of colourful characters that carry the burden of assisting
the recently married couple in successfully hosting 'the most
important function in their lives.'
** Q & A session with director Tudor Giurgiu to follow screening
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc. Feature, 9:00 PM
Bloor Cinema
Constantin and Elena / Constantin si Elena (2008)
Director: Andrei Dascalescu
Running time: 102 min.
In a Romanian village, an elderly couple has been happily married for
almost 55 years. Constantin and Elena know that life must end, but are
happy with everything that they've had. They fill their days with
chores in and around the house, going to church and receiving welcome
visitors, not to mention a catnap every now and then. Everything that
these two old lovebirds do, they do slowly: from helping each other
get dressed and climb ladders to weaving beautiful tapestries. Often
they sing old Romanian songs at the top of their voices, or
Constantin's old battle songs from his army days. Constantin and Elena
aren't afraid of death, and discuss it in a practical way. They're
proud of what they're leaving behind and happy with their love. But
they do think it's unfortunate that they have so little time left
together. As Constantin puts it, "With one eye I cry, with the other,
I laugh." Director Andrei Dascalescu spent a year following this
loving couple. His camera films each scene from a different position.
It never pans or zooms in, and there's no voice-over or interviews.
This love story tells itself in images, and the filmmaker, also the
couple's grandson, keeps himself invisible.
Awards / Nominations:
2009 - First Appearance Award at IDFA
2009 - Best Documentary Nomination at the Gopo Awards
** Q & A session with director Andrei Dascalescu to follow screening
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 4 - Sunday, Feb.7th
Shorts Program, 2:00 PM
Innis Town Hall
1. Stefan/Stefan (2007)
Director: Stanca Radu
Cast: David Alexandru, Mihai Constantin, Mihaela Teleoaca
Running time: 13 min.
Stefan, a ten year old boy, must accomplish his mission for the
school-play, as a patch of destiny. His school play is the perfect
opportunity for parents and teachers together to pride themselves with
their child's work, no matter how difficult and unnatural this seems
for the little one. The few minutes of glory become the purpose of it
all and fun or the actual learning goal are forgotten. Every child
goes through moments like these and and they contribute to who we
become later, but the road paved with good intentions doesn't always
make good results.
2. Oli’s Wedding/Nunta lui Oli (2009)
Director: Tudor Jurgiu
Cast: Adrian Titieni, Alexandru Gatstramb, George Costea, Ioan Cortea,
Alexandra Fasola
Running time: 22 min.
Bucharest, Dorel prepares for what seems to be a party. Actually, it’s
his son’s wedding which takes place in the USA. Dorel is going to
watch the wedding through a webcam toghether with two of his son’s
friends. On the small display they are going to meet the bride, her
father and will witness the ceremony. A bitter-sweet story about
scattered families and lonely parents.
3. Renovation/Renovare (2009)
Director: Paul Negoescu
Cast: Simona Bondoc, Clara Voda, Andrei Runcanu, Mircea Rusu, Diana
Cavaliotti
Running time: 25 min.
The events of Renovare revolve around three personal stories. Besides
her daily work, mother Doina tries to manage the renovation of the
family’s apartment. Her son Alex can hardly find any time for both the
renovation and his girlfriend as the deadline for his Master’s thesis
comes close.
4. Picnic/Picnic (2008)
Director: Raluca Mirescu
Cast: Serban Victor Gomoi
Running time: 14 min.
What should have been a successful transaction turns into a harsh
experience
5. The Amateur/ Amatorul (2006)
Director: Marian Crisan
Cast: Andreea Grămoşteanu, Iulia Marcov, Erwin Simsensohn
Running time: 22 min.
Damian works in a supermarket. Secretly though, he has a completely
different job.
6. The Fabulous Destiny of Toma Cuzin/Fabulosul Destin al lui Toma
Cuzin (2008)
Director: Paul Negoescu and Vlad Trandafir
Cast: Toma Cuzin, Sabina Posea
Running time: 11 min.
Toma Cuzin was a true adventurer. He liked: strawberry flavoured
cigars, old fashioned hats and his favourite parfume was "Caractère"
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Feature Film, 4:00 PM
Innis Town Hall
The Paper Will Be Blue / Hartia va fi albastra (2006)
Director: Radu Muntean
Cast: Dragos Bucur, Paul Ipate, Adi Carauleanu
Running time: 95 min.
On a December morning in 1989, a roadblock unit pulls over an AFV in
front of a military unit on the outskirts of the town. Two soldiers in
blue uniforms get out of the vehicle for a smoke. All the passengers
of the AFV, including the two who were out smoking quietly, are
killed... The revolution finds Costi Andronescu three months away from
his release from the army. He believes that the mission of any
Romanian, after so many years of dictatorship, is to fight the
terrorists with all their might, no matter what the higher officers
say. He runs away to fight at the national TV headquarters, and an
officer decides to try his luck and search for Costi over there...
Awards / Selection:
Official Selection of the Directors Fortnight, Cannes 2008;
Award For Best Screenwriter at the Hamptons IFF;
Special Jury Award, Palic IFF;
2008 - Best Director, Anonimul Film Festival 2008, Romania
2006 - Jury Prize at Marrakech Film Festival
________________________________________________________________
Doc. Screening, 6:30 PM
Innis Town Hall
Apocalypse on Wheels (2008)
Director: Alexandru Solomon
Running: 52 min.
The streets of Bucharest are busy with fast cars and no driver seems
to follow any rules - the result is complete chaos. Director Solomon
explores how the streets and the traffic in them could be seen as a
metaphor for contemporary Romanian society.
Awards / Selection:
2009 - Transylvania International Film Festival
2009 - Sofia International Film Festival
2010 - Wiesbaden Festival of Central and Eastern European Film
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Closing Night Screening, 9:00 PM
Bloor Cinema
Katalin Varga (2009)
Director: Peter Strickland
Screenwriter: Peter Strickland
Cast: Hilda Peter, Norbert Tankó, Tibor Pálfy, Melinda Kántor, László
Matray, Roberto Giacomello, Sebastian Marina
Running time: 90 min.
An avenging angel by the name of Katalin Varga scales the Carpathian
Mountains by horse and is in possession of the one thing that can
redefine her husaband's notion of redemption.
Awards:
2009 - Discovery Award at the European Film Awards
2009 - Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement at the Berlin
International Film Festival.
** Q & A session with producer Tudor Giurgiu to follow screening
ToRo Arts Group
Andrei TANASESCU
+1 647 893 6680
www.toroartsgroup.com