In Radu Munean’s latest feature film, well-meaning urban professionals drive up muddy unpaved mountain roads on their annual humanitarian trip bringing aid to the remote village of Intregalde. As night falls and temperatures drop they take shelter in an abandoned sawmill with a jabbering senile old man. It tests their altruism in the face of having reached their own limits and questions the ethics of their motivations as benefactors. This film was recently selected in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs section at Cannes.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Radu Muntean will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 15 at 9am PT.

In this documentary essay, Radu Jude juxtaposes Romania’s fascist past via the experience of Legionnares, as well as the country’s increased anti-Semitism during the WWII. Using excerpts of Jewish doctor Emil Dorian’s diary written during the same period, Dead Nation highlights the disparity between the Jewish experience during the war as a victim, and the political propaganda of the war’s perpetrators.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

Join us for Romanian Jewish History and Collective Memory in Romanian Film, a Zoom discussion between director Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies) and historians Cristina A. Bejan and Adrian Cioflâncă. The panel will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 17 at 9am PT.

In this delightful short musical, Andrei and Roxana yearn for some spice in their romantic lives so invite another attractive couple over for dinner. A disgruntled neighbor returns throughout the evening to enforce the “no singing after 8” rule in their apartment block. 

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

Ștefan, the only surgeon available, takes on one final patient after working a 31-hour shift. In what should have been a simple procedure the 8-year old boy dies on the table. In this powerful short, the corrupt Romanian healthcare system is put under close scrutiny upon the backdrop of sorrow, payoffs and threats.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Claudiu Mitcu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 20 at 12:30pm PT, and will be held in Romanian.

This chilling drama set in a seminary explores the tortuous choice students must make in 1980 totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Will Michael and Juraj choose to capitulate to the Communist Party-approved program the seminary tutors try to shape them into or endure draconian surveillance by the secret police?

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with actor Vlad Ivanov and director Ivan Ostrochovský will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 13 at 10am PT.

In Radu Jude’s latest documentary film, he explores the history of the Iasi pogrom through written testimonials and images of the Iasi Jewish community. Given that this event has often been minimized or denied altogether, recollecting the horrific violent acts during the pogrom and the actions of both civilians and the Romanian military is no small feat. However, the film is not as straight-forward as it may seem- as the images are not necessarily of the victim or their family of the voice-over. In collaboration with historian Adrian Cioflâncă, Jude explores how collective memory is shaped and can also be distorted.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

Join us for Romanian Jewish History and Collective Memory in Romanian Film, a Zoom discussion between director Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies) and historians Cristina A. Bejan and Adrian Cioflâncă. The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 17 at 9am PT.

Occasional Spies follows newly recruited young Jews living in Palestine return to their home countries of Romania, Yugoslavia, Slovakia and Austria, helping the local resistance to fight the German invaders during World War Two. The film highlights the little known history of these heroic acts, not through grand gestures, but through the voices of genuine people. By using both genuine archival and recreated photos based on retellings,the film amplifies the fears and hopes of these young Jewish heroes navigating an increasingly hostile and violent Europe- one they used to call home.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

Join us for Romanian Jewish History and Collective Memory in Romanian Film, a Zoom discussion between director Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies) and historians Cristina A. Bejan and Adrian Cioflâncă. The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 17 at 9am PT.

This exquisitely filmed award-winning documentary, 10 years in the making, shares the abundance and beauty of Romania’s natural diversity above and below water, in forests and wetlands, through the seasons, in day and night. It focuses on the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta enhanced by a sweeping musical score. We are challenged to preserve and steward this treasure for future generations.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with directors Dan Dinu and Cosmin Dumitrache will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 19 at 9am PT.

Detective Florin Iespas, despite facing his own personal issues, decides to take on a seemingly dead-end case. While making progress and even finding a suspect, Florin faces more obstacles as his colleagues dismiss his work and persist that he give up. He is forced to take his own measures, and the case ends up putting up much more than just one suspect on trial.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Bogdan George Apetri and actor Bogdan Farcaș will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 20 at 10am PT.

Fragile, Oana Mischie’s creative documentary, gives voice through the amazing interpretation of actress Ioana Flora, to several Romanian women who suffered abuse and trauma. Written by Ioana Flora in collaboration with Rucsandra Pop, the script compiled real stories under one theme: “women are not made to be broken.” An accomplished actress and gifted creator, Ioana Flora impersonates different characters with kindness and respect, understanding and empathy. Conceived both as a mini-series and as a feature film in the form of an anthology, this ingeniously created gem won the Fulbright Alumni Grant and was co-financed by the US Embassy in Bucharest and 8 nonprofit associations in Romania.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

Join us for Romanian Women in Film, a Zoom discussion between actress Ioana Flora and directors Ioana Mischie (Fragile), Oana Tenter (The Pastor’s Women) and Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies). The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 13 at 12:30pm PT.

The vibrant world of Pentacostal Roma in Romania is seldom seen outside that community. This short documentary explores the life of a pastor’s wife as she works tirelessly for her family and to improve her Roma community. She supports them all as a pillar of courage, love and hope. We see, too, this life from her six daughters’ perspectives.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

Join us for Romanian Women in Film, a Zoom discussion between actress Ioana Flora and directors Ioana Mischie (Fragile), Oana Tenter (The Pastor’s Women) and Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies). The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 13 at 12:30pm PT.

Poppy Fields follows the life of gendarme Cristi as he tries to navigate his pluralistic identity as a gay man in a macho, hierarchal workplace and increasingly religious society. While his long-distance boyfriend visits Bucharest, Cristi is ordered to deescalate a homophobic protest at a local movie theater. In turn, Cristi struggles with his own inner demons and how his largely secretive double-life affects those he loves most.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Eugen Jebeleanu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 19 at 12:30pm PT.

The young director Paul Mureșan’s short animation Cradle touches people’s hearts as it  reveals how much damage long-lasting wounds can do if left unaddressed. The powerful, darkened graphic, accompanied by the suave, almost whispering music of a lullaby, depict the consequences of domestic abuse and alcoholism. Launched in 2020, Muresan’s animation has already won three major awards: in 2020 it was selected at Warsaw IFF and at Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, and in 2021 received the Special Mention and the Best Short Film award at Transylvania IFF.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A school age child is waiting anxiously outside the school in the cold weather. He is waiting for his mother to pick him up and he is waiting for his “verdict”. Inside, the staff and teachers, in a school council meeting, are discussing issues concerning operations and preparation for the winter holidays. Real issue of a poor small village school, low budget, mother struggling to pay for food, embarrassed by her son’s actions.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Valeriu Andriuță will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 16 at 9am PT.

Georgiana assumed a mother figure role for her six siblings, while their mother was in Italy as a migrant worker to provide financially for the family. Fifteen and the head of the household, that is one of the real stories of many others caught up in making life work, captured beautifully by Teodora Ana Mihai, who wished to tell “the story behind the story”.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

Join us for Social Barriers on the Way to Becoming, a Zoom discussion between actress and director Alina Șerban and UiPath Foundation Executive Director Raluca Negulescu-Balaci. The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The discussion takes place Nov. 14 at 10am PT.

Andrei and his girlfriend, soon to be parents, are both looking for role-models they have never had in their own lives. Holy Father presents a story of reconciliation, taking care of unfinished business, parenthood, healing wounds from growing up in a broken family to rewrite the history and break the pattern. The documentary is emotional, powerful, insightful and inspiring, capturing Andrei’s search for his long-lost father who became a monk on  Mount Athos in Greece.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Andrei Dăscălescu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 14 at 12:30pm PT.

Mia, a young actress, finds herself back at her parent’s home after her boyfriend slaps her on the face. She struggles with her own feelings and trauma surrounding the event, turning to friends and family to process her feelings, as well as developing her own plan for revenge. Mia Misses Her Revenge tackles the complicated intersection of personal turmoil and uncertainty in a world full of strong opinions and the inherent need to broadcast them.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Bogdan Theodor Olteanu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 18 at 11am PT.

Salix Caprea (“Goat Willow” tree) is the type of tree that was supposed to cover a large meadow area in a small village in the Republic of Moldova. As part of a donation from foreign investors, a couple of thousands of trees were planted by the Americans. After a couple of years, during a visit along with delegation from the state, they wanted to see the growth of the trees. In a comedic investigation, the mayor and the police officer discovered the area all empty and the “goat willow” trees were all gone, eaten by…the goats.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Valeriu Andriuță will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 16 at 9am PT.

Claudiu Mitcu’s documentary Blană Bombă (Kids Rock) follows four boys between 11 and 13 years old,  members of the rock band Blană Bombă for an entire year. In this coming-of-age film, the brave Nicholas Butacu (drums), Rareș Stănescu (guitar), Rareș Rădulescu (bass guitar), and Zoran Ion Stănescu (lead singer) are observed both on the path of artistic transformations and on the road from childhood to adolescence. Warmly received by adolescents as well as by the public at large, the documentary was invited to Transylvania IFF and to Alba Iulia Music and Film Festivals as well as to prominent concert halls in Romania.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Claudiu Mitcu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 20 at 12:30pm PT, and will be held in Romanian.

The Campaign, also known as Berliner, is Marian Crișan’s most recent feature, a political comedy, starring Ovidiu Crisan, Ion Sapdaru, and Ioana Chitu, among excellent young actors. Inspired by Gabriel Andronache’s novel Ich bin ein Berliner, the famous quote from President J.F. Kennedy, the film follows the mishaps of a Romanian politician (Ion  Sapdaru) running for the European Parliament in hopes to escape charges of corruption once elected and given immunity. His car breaks down near a farm. He immediately sees the opportunity to make the villagers into his voters by adopting the façade of a commoner, the “old friend” of the farmer. Compromise doesn’t pay very well, but well enough for Viorel (Ovidiu Crisan). Filmed in Crisan’s native Salonta, under the mater cinematographer Oleg Mutu, The Campaign / Berliner was nominated for several “Best Film” awards at international festivals and won the main competition at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2020. Crisan had previously won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film with Megatron at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, he won the Special Jury Prize at the 63rd Edition of the Locarno Film Festival with his first feature film Morgen, which was also the Romanian entry for the 84th Academy Awards. 

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Marian Crișan will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 19 at 11am PT. 

No Rest for the Old Lady is Andrei Gruzsniczki’s drama which was premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival earlier this year. Tackling fundamental issues of life—friendship, faith, respect for the dead, religious rituals, as well as the routine of everyday life— Gruzsniczki’s film tells the story of Emil (Mircea Andreescu), a nonbeliever, who is challenged by the faith of his best friend Titi (Valer Dellakeza) and his confession: Emil’s late wife has moved in with Titi and haunts him. This delicate, impeccably acted comedy-drama gives viewers an honest glimpse into the life of the elderly.  Nominated for the Tiatan Award at the Beijing International Film Festival, No Rest for the Old Lady adds to Gruzsniczki’s list of awards, among which is the 2008 Main Award, FIPRESCI Award at CinePecs Moveast IFF, and the 2009 Best Romanian Film at Transylvania IFF for The Other Irene; and the 2013 Special Jury Award at Rome IFF for Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Andrei Gruzsniczki will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 18 at 9am PT.

Morale battle, dilemmas in assuming someone else’s identity to take the final exam in earning a bachelor’s degree, this is Dorin’s ethical struggle. The night before the exam is filled with twists and turns, negotiations, losing sleep and getting into promiscuous situations as a preamble of the day of the exam.

Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

A Zoom Q&A with director Valeriu Andriuță will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 16 at 9am PT.

Join the American Romanian Cultural Society team from Seattle, along with our new chapter in Detroit, and our partners from the Arizona Romanian Film Festival for a virtual kick-off to the festival over Zoom! Bring your own cocktails and nibbles to the online party. 

Register Here.

For tickets and passes, visit our page on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive. 

Join us for live discussion with Servants director Ivan Ostrochovský and actor Vlad Ivanov on November 13, at 10 am PDT on zoom.  Register HERE.

Winner of the LA Critics Award for his brilliant portrayal of Dr. Bebe in 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (Cristi Mungiu), Vlad Ivanov’s versatility has established him as one of Europe’s great character actors. It’s his ability to portray both the kindly neighbour-next-door character and the deceptively evil one that marks him out as a special actor.  In 2005, Vlad was awarded a Medal For Cultural Merit, presented by the President of Romania.

Other notable films include Police, Adjective (Corneliu Porombiou), Tales From The Golden Age (Hanno Hofer); The Concert (Radu Mihaileanu); The Whistleblower (Larysa Kondracki) and Principles of Life (Emilian Velicanu). He featured in three films in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival: Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann, Graduation (Cristi Mungiu) and playing the role of Samir in Dogs (Bogdan Mirică). Vlad recently appeared as Cristi in Palme D’Or-nominated film The Whistlers. Vlad was also in the film One Step Behind the Seraphim by Daniel Sandu, which we featured at the 2018 film festival.

After several documentary shorts and series, Ivan directed his feature documentary debut Velvet Terrorists (2013), which premiered at Berlinale 2014, where it won the Taggespiegel Reader's Award. Ivan's feature debut, Koza (2015), celebrated its world premiere at Berlinale 2015. It was selected by the festival director to be a nominee for the Best First Feature Award. It was also shortlisted for the 2015 European Film Awards and was the Slovak Oscar Entry for 2016.

Ivan is also the co-writer of Censor, the latest project by Peter Kerekes, which was presented in the Works in Progress sections of Karlovy Vary IFF and Odessa IFF, winning awards for best project at both. 

Tickets for Servants: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021/play/616e407f2a7122008765f998

To see the other films in the 2021 Romanian Film Festival Seattle click here: 

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us for a live discussion with actress Ioana Flora (Fragile) and directors Oana Tenter (The Pastor's Women), Ioana Mischie (Fragile) and Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies) on November 13th at 12:30pm PDT.

Register HERE.

Oana Tenter (she/ her) is a documentary-maker and graduate student at UCSC, part of the Social Documentation MFA program. She is the recipient of a 2020-2022 Fulbright scholarship. Her work has been exhibited by Open City Docs, Scena9 and her writing can be found in The Guardian, The Evening Standard, Internazionale, Dispatch. She wishes to continue working on documentary projects that combine her interest in art and social issues.

Oana Giurgiu is a law and journalism graduate who directed television documentaries before working in film on Cristi Puiu’s 2005 Cannes Un certain regard winner, “The Death of Mr Lăzărescu” and then on Kornél Mundruczó’s 2008 Cannes FIPRESCI winner, “Delta”. She produced many notable films such as the 2012 Romanian box office hit “Of Snails and Men” (Warsaw IFF), Peter Strickland’s “Katalin Varga” (Berlinale 2009, Silver Bear, European Discovery of the year at European Film Academy Awards) and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada” (Cannes 2016), among many others. Oana also co-produced the Slovak film “The Servants”, dir. Ivan Ostrochovsky (Berlinale 2020, Encounters). She made her directorial debut with a feature-length historical documentary, “Aliyah DaDa”, screened worldwide, and recognized as Best Romanian Documentary at the Gopo Awards 2015.

Ioana Flora is one of the most appreciated Romanian actresses, appearing in films, television, on stage, also having been awarded for many roles. Being a mother of two, Ioana has been actively involved in children’s performances, personal development workshops for both children and adults and training programs in film and theatre. She received the Best Actress Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival for Hooked (2008), directed by Adrian Sitaru, Best Actress Award at the Aubagne International Film Festival for A long Story (2014), directed by Jorien van Nes, and was awarded the Best Actress Award by the Romanian Cinema Union for her part in Deja Vu (2014), among many other awards.

Ioana Mischie is a Romanian-born transmedia artist (screenwriter/director) and transmedia futurist, awarded for filmmaking, cinematic virtual reality, and innovative concepts. She has successfully collaborated as a writer/director with Channel 4 in the UK (for two doc webseries with a record of views in the UK) and with the Oscars-awarded Legende Films (for the short fiction 237 Years). Her short film, Cumulonimbus, was nominated at the Gopo Awards 2018 for Best Short Film and was selected by Gus Van Sant as a finalist of the Coppola Shorts. Co-founder and Head of Storyscapes, an NGO focusing transmedia storytelling and expanded narratives initiated in 2012. In between 2015 and 2020 collaborated as an arts-based research collaborator of CINETIc , an Eastern European center focusing on the interaction between neuroscience and groundbreaking audio-visual paths. Starting with 2020, the protagonist of this bio took a leap of faith to design a fresh transmedia initiative conceived as a transdisciplinary, trans-generational and trans-real hub.

Click Here to watch the films that will be part of the discussion: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join our special guests actress and director Alina Șerban and UiPath Foundation Executive Director Raluca Negulescu-Balaci for a discussion on the role of art and film in bringing awareness to the daily struggles of children and youth of various underprivileged backgrounds in Romania. Despite their strong desire to excel in school, the protagonists of "I Matter/Eu contez" (Alina Șerban) and "Waiting for August" (Teodora Ana Mihai) are facing discrimination, isolation and lack of the social network that normally should encourage academic success. The racial (Șerban) and social (Mihai) divides are deeply entrenched in the Romanian society itself, prompting us to question the vital role State institutions and their civic partners should play in the development of its citizens early on. 

The discussion will be moderated by Otilia Baraboi, Executive Director ARCS and festival manager. 

Register HERE.

Watch Waiting for August (Teodora Ana Mihai):
https://watch.eventive.org/.../play/616e410a09b0e6006ae43f74

Prior to the discussion, the registrants will be able to watch Alina Șerban's short "Eu contez/I Matter". The short has not had its premiere yet - we hope you will appreciate this private screening, for the guests and participants at the Romanian Film Festival only. 

The private screening will be followed by a discussion on Șerban's film and Mihai's documentary "Waiting for August".

Join us for a live discussion with director Andrei Dăscălescu on November 14th at 12:30pm PDT. Register HERE.

As they prepare to become parents, Andrei and his girlfriend are both looking for role models they never had in their own lives. (Andrei's father left long ago to become a monk on Mt. Athos, in Greece.) Holy Father presents a story of reconciliation, taking care of unfinished business, parenthood, and healing from wounds from growing up in a broken family. The pair are intent on rewriting their history and breaking the pattern to make sure their traumas aren't passed to their children.

Andrei Dăscălescu is an established Romanian documentary film director, cinematographer and editor. His previous two feature documentaries, “Planet Petrila“ (2016) and “Constantin and Elena“ (2007) have won prestigious awards and have been selected in major international film festivals across the world (IDFA, Sarajevo, San Francisco, Vancouver, Krakow, DocLisboa, Docaviv, Montpellier etc.). Andrei was nominated 4 times and won the "Best Documentary" prize in 2018 at the Gopo Awards (Romanian Film Industry Awards). He founded Filmlab, his film production company, in 2007.

Director's Filmography:

Constantin and Elena, feature documentary (97 min), 2007

Planet Petrila, feature documentary (80 min), 2016

Tickets for Holy Father: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021/play/616e413209b0e6006ae43f87

To see the other films in the 2021 Romanian Film Festival Seattle click here: 

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us on November 15th, at 9:00am PDT for a live discussion with Întregalde director Radu Muntean. Register HERE. The film was featured at the Director's Fortnight in Cannes this year, as well as at international film festivals in Toronto, New York and Busan.

In Radu Muntean’s latest feature film, well-meaning urban professionals drive up muddy unpaved mountain roads on their annual humanitarian trip bringing aid to the remote village of Întregalde. As night falls and temperatures drop, they take shelter in an abandoned sawmill with a jabbering, senile old man. It tests their altruism in the face of having reached their own limits and questions the ethics of their motivations as benefactors.

Get your ticket to Întregalde here: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021/play/616e41af2b5eba00acc138c3

Radu Muntean's other films include:
-Alice T. (2018) won the Best Actress award at the Locarno International Film Festival. 
-One Floor Below/ Un Etaj Mai Jos (2015) was selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes, as well as other distinguished film festivals including the Seville European Film Festival where it won awards for Best Actor and Best Screenplay.
-Visiting Room/ Vorbitor (2011), a documentary produced by HBO Romania and co-directed with Alexandru Baciu
-Tueday after Christmas/Marți după Crăciun (2010) was featured in Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, besides awards at various film festivals
-Boogie (2008) was selected for the Director's Fortnight in Cannes
-The Paper will be Blue/ Hârtia va fi Albastrã (2006) was featured at the Locarno Film Festival, among many others
-The Fury/ Furia (2001) won the Best Film Debut Award by The Romanian Cineastes Union and the award for the Best Cinematography at the Transilvania International Film Festival.

To see the other films in the 2021 Romanian Film Festival Seattle click here: 

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us on November 16th at 9:00am PDT for a live discussion with director Valeriu Andriuță. Register HERE.

He is a Romanian director, actor and script writer.
In 2016 Valeriu embarked on his directorial project, a trilogy of shorts inspired by Moldova, his birthplace.
His directorial debut was Chers Amis in 2017, a short film selected for a large number of festivals. It won numerous awards including ADAMI Media Prize for diversity and was Nominated for Best Short Film at GOPO Awards.
The second part of his trilogy, Salix Caprea, followed and won The Moldavian Film Union Award. I am Dorin, his latest project, brings his Moldavian trilogy to an end, this short was premiered at 42th International Moscow Film Festival in 2020.
Last but not least, Valeriu is best-known for his part as the priest in Cristian Mungiu's Beyond the Hills (2012). He appeared in most of Cristian Mungiu's films, whilst also being cast in projects for important directors such as Sergei Loznitsa, Florin Serban, Ercan Kesal, Pavel Lungin, Marian Crisan and Daniel Sandu (HBO Series - Tuff Money).

Filmography as director:
Chers amis | 20 MIN, short (2017) | Romania Salix Caprea | 30 MIN, short (2017) | Moldova Just one more | 15 MIN, short | Romania
I am Dorin | 23 MIN, short | Moldova/Romania

Selective filmography as actor:
Love 1, Dog - by Florin Serban, Sarajevo IFF 2018
Donbass - Sergei Loznitsa, Un certain regard, Cannes 2018
A Gentle Creature - by Sergei Loznitsa, Official Selection/ Cannes 2018 Graduation by Cristian Mungiu, Cannes 2018
Orizont by Marian Crisan, Locarno IFF 2015
Beyond the Hills by Cristian Mungiu, Cannes 2012
Occident by Cristian Mungiu, Cannes 2002

Tickets for I Am Dorin, Salix Caprea and Chers Amis:

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021/play/616e37ee12ed1b00b9cb775a

To see the other films in the 2021 Romanian Film Festival Seattle click here: 

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us for a talk on Jewish Romanian history and collective memory formation in Romanian film with director Oana Giurgiu and historians Cristina A. Bejan and Adrian Cioflâncă. The session will be moderated by Libby Langsner.

Register HERE.

Click Here to watch the films that will inform our discussion ( Radu Jude's Dead Nation and The Exist of the Trains, Oana Giurgiu's Occasional Spies) November 12-21st:
https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Event organized in partnership with ARCHER - Romanian American Coalition for Human and Equal Rights.

About the Event:
The issues of the Holocaust, the Romanian-Jewish experience and identity, still remain relevant, and often controversial, topics in contemporary Romanian culture. Film has become a vehicle for these taboo subjects to be explored and for the multi-faceted history of the Romanian Jewish experience, especially during World War Two, to come to light. 

Collective memory is defined as how groups remember their past, but the question of who is considered the “group,” and which memories are passed down and how, is more malleable than one might think. 

Directors Radu Jude and Oana Girgiu both seek to challenge and expand what we know about Romanian history, and, in essence, who gets to be Romanian. 

About Our Guests:

Oana Giurgiu: 
Oana Giurgiu is a law and journalism graduate, having directed television documentaries before working in film on Cristi Puiu’s 2005 Cannes Un certain regard winner, “The Death of Mr Lăzărescu” and then on Kornél Mundruczó’s 2008 Cannes FIPRESCI winner, “Delta”.

She produced three of Tudor Giurgiu’s films: “Love Sick” (Berlinale 2006, Panorama); the 2012 Romanian box office hit “Of Snails and Men” (Warsaw IFF); and “Why Me?” (Berlinale 2015, Panorama). She also produced Peter Strickland’s “Katalin Varga” (Berlinale 2009, Silver Bear, European Discovery of the year at European Film Academy Awards) and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada” (Cannes 2016). Oana co-produced Hungarian titles “Eden”, dir. Agnes Kocsis (Rotterdam IFF 2020) and “Spiral” (in post-production), dir. Cecilia Felmeri and the Slovak “The Servants”, dir. Ivan Ostrochovsky (Berlinale 2020, Encounters), and the Turkish “Before two Dawns” (in post-production), dir. Selman Nacar (working progress awards at Meetings on the bridge, Istanbul IFF 2020, and Antalia 2019), produced the greatest Romanian box office hit in recent years, “Moromete Family: On the Edge of Time”, which received ten Gopo Awards in 2019.

After working on several television documentary productions, she made her directorial debut with a feature-length historical documentary, “Aliyah DaDa”, screened in Astra Sibiu, Jerusalem Jewish IFF, alongside other Jewish festivals and screenings worldwide, and recognized as Best Romanian Documentary at the Gopo Awards 2015, now she just launched her new documentary “Occasional Spies”, Special mention of the Jury at Astra Film Festival 2021.

Adrian Cioflâncă:
Adrian Cioflâncă is co-director with Radu Jude of the documentary The Exit of the Trains (2020). He is a historian, director of the „Wilhelm Filderman” Center for the Study of Jewish History in Romania and a member of the Collegium of the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives. He is also a researcher with the "A. D. Xenopol” Institute of History (belonging to the Romanian Academy). He was a member of the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania (2003-2004) and expert in The Presidential Commission for the Analysis of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania (2006), and a co-author of the Final Reports of the two commissions. Since 2005, he is a member of the Romanian Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. A “Tziporah Wiesel” Fellow of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington (2009), between 2010-2012, he was a department director in The Institute for the Investigation of the Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile. Adrian Cioflâncă edited, in collaboration, eight volumes; the last one: “Discurs și violență antisemită în România modern” (Discourse and Antisemitic Violence in Modern Romania), Hasefer, București, 2020. He also authored studies in fields like the history of the Holocaust, history of communism, political violence, cultural history, the theory of history. Consultant for several movies and theatrical plays.

Cristina Bejan:
Cristina A. Bejan is an award-winning Romanian-American historian, theatre artist, and poet. A Rhodes and Fulbright scholar, she currently teaches history at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Bejan received her Masters and DPhil (PhD) in Modern History from the University of Oxford and her BA in Philosophy (Honors) from Northwestern. A playwright and spoken word poet (Lady Godiva), her creative work has appeared in the US, UK, Romania, and Vanuatu. Bejan runs the arts group Bucharest Inside the Beltway. She has published two books (history and poetry), a play in the anthology "Voices on the Move" (eds. Domnica Radulescu and Roxana Cazan), and 64 articles and the African continent introduction for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's "Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos Vol. 3."

About Our Moderator:
Libby Langsner was the 2020-2021 Jewish Heritage Program Fellow at World Monuments Fund, where she worked with global Jewish communities to help steward their built heritage. She completed her masters in the History of Art focusing on countercultural art from Eastern European and Latin America at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London in 2019. Her MA dissertation focused on the issues of gender and culpability in contemporary Eastern European Holocaust film. Before attending the Courtauld, Libby completed her undergraduate education in art history at Tufts University and worked at multiple art galleries throughout New York City.

Join us for a live discussion with No Rest for the Old Lady director Andrei Gruzsniczki on November 18th, at 9:00am PDT. Register HERE.

Graduate of the National Film University in Bucharest in 1994, he became first AD of Romania's most acclaimed director Lucian Pintilie, for his Next stop Paradise and Niki and Flo. Also, he wrote and directed feature films, short films, and TV productions. His debut "The Other Irene" won The Main Award and FIPRESCI Award at CinePecs Moveast IFF 2008; was The Best Romanian Feature at Transylvania IFF 2009; Best Actor at the Festival International du Film d'Amour de Mons 2010. The second feature film, "Quod Erat Demonstrandum" got the Special Jury Award at Rome IFF in 2013. Andrei's third feature film "Zavera" was released in competition at Cairo IFF (2019). "No Rest for the Old Lady" – was selected at Glocal in Progress (2019) and presented at MIA Film Co-production market (2018); world premiere at Moscow IFF (2021).

“După 40 de zile” / “No Rest for the Old Lady” (2021)
“Zavera" (2019)
short film “O faptă bună” / “A Random Act of Kindness" (2015) “Quod Erat Demonstrandum" (2013)
“Cealaltă Irina” / “The Other Irene" (2008)

Tickets for No Rest for the Old Lady: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021/play/616e415cc8d9fd0053db6d34

To see the other films in the 2021 Romanian Film Festival Seattle click here: 

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us for a live discussion with Mia Misses Her Revenge director Bogdan Theodor Olteanu on November 18th, at 11:00am PDT.

Register HERE.

Without any formal education, Bogdan Theodor Olteanu followed a convoluted path to filmmaking. He was a rugby player at a top club in Romania, an investigation journalist at a leading daily newspaper, a sports marketing consultant, a political communication consultant. Meanwhile, he wrote short stories and founded a cultural magazine – SUB25. His film and theatre work deals mainly with the ever-changing landscape of urban youth. He observes generations of young people in search of identity, caught between extreme libertarian values and a Balkan background. Born and raised in Bucharest, Bogdan places all of his stories in that city, the country capital and a melting pot of Russian, Oriental and Western European influences. His first feature, Several Conversations about a Very Tall Girl was nominated four times for GOPO – Romanian Film Industry Awards: Best Debut, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Silvana Mihai), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Florentina Năstase), Young Talent (Tudor D. Popescu, editor).

Tickets for the film: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us for talk with Wild Romania directors Dan Dinu and Cosmin Dumitrache on November 19th at 9:00am PDT. Register HERE.

Dan Dinu has been photographing nature for over 20 years, having dedicated half of this period on the project Wild Romania. He is the founding member and president of Forona (Nature Photographers’ Organization in Romania) and a collaborator with many nature conservation NGOs. In 2013 he started working on documentary films, being part in local productions as well as large projects for NatGeo Wild and BBC.

Cosmin Dumitrache, videographer with over 15 years of experience, joined the project in 2014 and along with Dan Dinu founded NTD Film, under whose direction he produced several films, some of which were selected or won at film festivals around the world. Over time he also filmed for large productions which aired on NatGeo Wild. He is a frequent collaborator of environmental NGOs that he worked alongside with on various conservation and education projects.

Ticket for Wild Romania: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us for a live discussion with The Campaign (Berliner) director Marian Crișan on November 19th at 11am PDT. Register HERE.

Born on the 8th of September, 1976, in Salonta, West Romania, he received his bachelor degree in Film and TV directing at UNATC Bucharest in 1999.
He directed the short films “Family Portrait” - 2006, “Amateur” - 2007 and “Megatron” - 2008. The latter, “Megatron”, won the Palme d’OR for Best Short Film at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, 61st edition. In 2010, his first feature film “Morgen” won the Special Jury Prize at the 63rd Edition of the Locarno Film Festival, Best Director and FIPRESCI award at the 51st Thessaloniki Film Festival and was the Romanian entry for the 84th Academy Awards®. 
In 2012, his second feature film “Rocker” was premiered at the 60th edition of San Sebastian IFF. "Orizont", was screened in competition at Tallin Black Nights IFF, 2015. In 2016, he directed the TV miniseries "Valea Muta/ The Valley of Silence" for HBO Europe. His last feature The Campaign (2020), premiered in Competition at Moscow IFF, the 42nd edition and received the KeenEye Prize for Best film.

Tickets for The Campaign: 

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021/play/616e4172908ec900d05c9a6b

To see the other films in the 2021 Romanian Film Festival Seattle click here: 

https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us for a Q&A with director Eugen Jebeleanu about his debut film "Poppy Field" (2020), one of the rare Romanian LGBTQ+ films. The session will be moderated by Mariangela Mihai. Regiser HERE.

Tickets for the film: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021/play/616e40fb47d70500626fec41

About the film: 
Jebeleanu's film is inspired by a real incident that happened a few years ago at the Peasant Museum Cinema, presenting a day in the life of Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer), a young gendarme from Bucharest. During a short visit from Hadi (Radouan Leflahi), his long-distance boyfriend, Cristi and his colleagues are called to intervene at a movie theater where a group of ultra-nationalist, homophobic protesters has sabotaged the screening of an LGBT film. In the midst of the scene, an old affair with another man resurfaces, threatening his professional and personal stability.

About the Director: 
Eugen Sergiu Jebeleanu is a Romanian film and theatre actor, director. He was born in 1989 in Timisoara, Romania. He graduated from National University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography. In 2007, he plays first role in the movie Cu un pas inainte. Known for films Poppy Field (2020), Florida (2015) and Cu un pas inainte (2007).

About the moderator: 
Mariangela Mihai is a Romanian Anthropology and Film Post Doctoral Fellow at Georgetown University. She has worked on issues of refugee political resettlement at the Emory Center for Ethics and the International Rescue Committee. Her research looks at overlapping nationalisms, identity and ethnicity on the India-Burma border. Select film projects include: To Uphold the Law (2014), a film exploring ideologies of nationalism and anti-drone activism in Upstate N.Y.; and For My Art (2016), a two-channel video installation exploring the sensorial landscape of transition-era Burma/Myanmar through the figure of the performance artist.
Find out more about her work here: 
https://www.mariangelamihai.com

Join us for a live discussion with Unidentified director Bogdan George Apetri and actor Bogdan Farcaș on November 20th at 10:00am PDT. Register HERE.

Bogdan George Apetri
A former lawyer in Romania, Bogdan George Apetri moved to New York where he graduated from Columbia University's Film Program with an MFA degree in Film Directing. In 2010, he directed and wrote the feature film Periferic (Outbound). The film was shown at some of the best festivals across the world (Locarno, Toronto, Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films) and won numerous international awards (Thessaloniki, Warsaw, Viennale) including the FIPRESCI Award. His second feature, Unidentified was awarded a special Jury Prize in Warsaw, it went on to gather a FIPRESCI Award at the TIFF Transylvania International Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Anonimul Film Festival in Romania.
In 2021 he released his third feature film, Miracol (Miracle). It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and was picked up by the prestigious Memento International Sales film company.

Bogdan Farcaș
Bogdan Farcaș is a film and theater actor. He starred in the film Malmkrog by renowned director Cristi Puiu, which won many awards at various film festivals. You can also see him in international productions such as Walking with the enemy, Backdraft 2, The Hard way. Bogdan received the Special Jury Award for Best Actor (which he shares with co-star Dragoș Dumitru) when Unidentified premiered at the Warsaw International Film Festival. 

Tickets for the film: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021

Join us for a Q&A with Claudiu Mitcu, the director behind the documentary Kids Rock and the short film 31 Hours on November 20th at 12:30pm PDT. 

Register HERE.

Claudiu Mitcu, born 1976 in Romania, graduated The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. He worked as a editor for the public television station in Romania for 8 years, and in 2004 started with friends a production and post-production company, We are basca. He directed several documentaries, The Merry Circus and Australia produced by HBO Romania, The Network co-produced by Parada Film and HBO Romania, The Village called Sands, Two of us, Maria, Easter Memorial and produced documentary films Party and Contest in Ciupelnita, Dream Images, short films, Tie, Bad Penny, My Name is Costin, and co-produced the short film Kowalski and Ramona by Andrei Cretulescu awarded in Cannes 2015 at Semain de la Critique with the Canal + Award.

Tickets for the films: https://watch.eventive.org/rffs2021