THE ROMANIAN FILM FESTIVAL, 10TH EDITION: One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying
WHEN: NOVEMBER 4-12, 2023
WHERE: Online Nov. 4-12
SIFF Uptown Cinema, Nov. 4-5
Northwest Film Forum, Nov. 11-12
BOSS (US Premiere), 4:20pm | Nov. 4 at SIFF Cinema Uptown
Playback (US Premiere with director Iulia Rugină in attendance), 7:00pm | Nov. 4 at SIFF Cinema Uptown
Between Revolutions, 5:20pm | Nov. 5 at SIFF Cinema Uptown
Taxi Drivers, 7:00pm | Nov. 5 at SIFF Cinema Uptown
Tickets & Pass for SIFF Cinema Uptown
E Pericoloso Sporgersi, 4:00pm | Nov. 11 at Northwest Film Forum
Men of Deeds (with lead actor Iulian Postelnicu in attendance), 6:30pm | Nov. 11 at Northwest Film Forum
Men of Deeds (with lead actor Iulian Postelnicu in attendance), 4:40pm | Nov. 12 at Northwest Film Forum
Tickets for Northwest Film Forum
Online Films
-Why Do They Write on Walls? (US Premiere)
-Boss
-Taxi Drivers
-Men of Deeds
-Phoenix. Har/Jar (US Premiere)
-The Chalice. Of Sons and Daughters
*Check out the film review for Men of Deeds (dir. Paul Negoescu) by ARCS Instructor Luciana Lallaizon. The film is one of the sources used in the ARCS language course "Romanian Culture and Civilization through Media". This course is for adults expanding on their Romanian language competency.
The Romanian Film Festival Seattle is excited to celebrate its 10th anniversary edition this year. Running Nov. 4-12, the festival will mark the return to SIFF Uptown Cinema Nov. 4-5 (its home until 2019), and will continue the following weekend at Northwest Film Forum. Not in Seattle? We'll have a great selection of films online as well!
Started in 2014 with the scope of bringing Romanian cinema to audiences in Seattle, the festival has adapted and blossomed over the years. It soldiered through the pandemic, thanks to a loyal audience that followed it as it transformed to a virtual program. This year it continues to enjoy a hybrid format, with an online selection available in the continental US and in-person screenings at SIFF Cinema Uptown and Northwest Film Forum.
Through the years, each edition has brought thought-provoking and award-winning productions from Romania and Eastern Europe, giving a platform to upcoming and established directors alike.
This year’s theme “One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying” is a nod to its first edition in 2014 – the duality of the Romanian spirit that propels it forward in spite of constant hardships. The first year saw an overwhelming success following a grassroots effort to mobilize the Romanian community in the greater Seattle area.
This year’s nuanced edition celebrates the rich cultural fabric of Romania, while exploring current topics with the unflinchingly honest perspectives that fans of the festival have come to expect from Romanian cinema. The program will comprise of critically-acclaimed films and newly released films, and featuring special guests from Romania.
Daniel Ursache, the graphic artist behind the festival posters over the years, has once again turned his creative eye to reflect the unstopping energy of the festival.
Mark your calendars and let’s keep the story going!
If you have a business or reprezent an organization, please check out our sponsorship package and let us know if you would like to benefit from our advertising opportunities.
Festival Official Partners and Co-organizers:
Festival Institutional Partners:
Please follow the Festival on social media!
Fundraising Campaign
Thank you for your generosity! Our goal is to raise $20,000 to cover costs associated with programming, publicity, technical support and film distribution rights. We will keep the fundraising campaign open on our website and Facebook.
Raised
$20,585
Goal
$20,000
How much would you want to donate?
Checks are welcome. Please address them to:
American Romanian Cultural Society1931 E Lynn St
Seattle, WA 98112
Past events
Phoenix. Har/Jar (US Premiere) by Cornel Mihalache
2022, Documentary, 107 minutes
When
Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM
Where
online
Synopsis
"Phoenix. Har/Jar" reunites the members of the legendary rock band from the period before they left communist Romania in 1977, and highlights the important moments in the band's tumultuous chronology, from the first appearances in 1962 under the name "Sfinții" (the Saints) to the present day. The documentary presents, for the first time, the events that the musicians went through in the country, the relationship with the Securitate, the communist political police, their departure from Romania and the band's activity before and after the 1989 Revolution.
Men of Deeds by Paul Negoescu
2022, Drama, 106 minutes
When
Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM
Synopsis
Ilie, a small-town police chief, wants to build a modest, comfortable life for himself, but ends up making the wrong choices. Middle-aged and alienated, he feels the need to a part of something - to build an orchard, even a home. Although dubious things happen in the village, Ilie only sees what suits him. The moment he gets involved in the village marks the beginning of his collapse. In a vacuum of solutions, he tries to be what he has never been before: the justice seeker who arrests everyone guilty.
Why Do They Write On Walls? (US Premiere) by Alin Boeru
2023, Documentary, 85 minutes
When
Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM
Where
online
Synopsis
"Why Do They Write on the Walls?" delves into the history and ideology of Romanian street art and graffiti, interwoven with interviews of the country's most renowned street artists. Started as an objective analysis of a counterculture, the film transforms into an intimate coming-of-age story of a young corporate employee who gets sucked into a world that is in total opposition to his own.
The Chalice. Of Sons and Daughters by Cătălina Tesăr and Dana Bunescu
2022, Documentary, 83 minutes
When
Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM
Where
online
Synopsis
The documentary follows Peli and Nina, a young Roma couple striving to conceive a son in order to comply with local custom. While they live under tremendous strain and keep taking fertility and ultrasound checks, their respective families are disputing their rights in the chalice pledged by Peli’s father to Nina’s family when they arranged the couple’s match. The intricacies of this marriage are teased out by Peli’s sister, Bara, who provides a gripping confession about the women's lives in this community.
BOSS (US Premiere) by Bogdan Mirică
2022, Thriller, 126 minutes
When
Nov. 4, 2023 at 04:20 PM - 04 Nov. 2023 at 06:26 PM
Where
Nov 4 @SIFF Uptown/ Nov 4-12 Online
Synopsis
Bogdan, an innocuous ambulance driver, becomes involved in an armed robbery to support his ailing mother's medical needs. While fleeing from the scene, he accidentally hits a witness, who ends up in a coma. As Bogdan's paranoia intensifies, he immerses himself further into the lives of his accomplices, while causing major problems in his own.
Playback (US Premiere) by Iulia Rugină
2023, Documentary, 77 minutes
When
Nov. 4, 2023 at 07:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2023 at 08:17 PM
Synopsis
Playback follow Sorin Lupașcu, a well-known DJ during Romania's communist years in his attempt to remain visible in the present. The film slides back and forth through archival footage and a music-laden soundtrack, subtly revealing the transformations of an Eastern European society over the past 50 years.
Between Revolutions by Vlad Petri
2023, Hybrid Documentary, 68 minutes
When
Nov. 5, 2023 at 05:00 PM - 05 Nov. 2023 at 06:08 PM
Where
SIFF Cinema Uptown
Synopsis
“Between Revolutions" illuminates the letters exchanged between Maria, a Romanian, and Zahra, an Iranian, who forge a deep connection while studying together at medical school in 1970s Bucharest. The letters poignantly illustrate the challenges faced by everyday people, especially women, during the Iranian Revolution and Ceaușescu's repressive rule in Romania, juxtaposed with documentary footage portraying daily life and the widespread propaganda in their respective societies.
Taxi Drivers by Bogdan Theodor Olteanu
2023, Dark comedy, 100 minutes
When
Nov. 5, 2023 at 07:00 PM - 05 Nov. 2023 at 08:40 PM
Where
Nov 5 @SIFF Uptown/ Nov 4-12 Online
Synopsis
One night. Ten stories. A single city. Lică – the ‘know-it-all’ taxi driver – and Liviu – the ‘radio silent’ taxi driver – are good friends, although completely different, and their views on the world and life only intersect at the shawarma place. However, both are frustrated with the job they hope would earn them a decent living and maybe some savings until they find something better. For Lică, money comes first. For Liviu, it’s a more spiritual kind of fulfilment. At least until each of them starts thinking more about what they have, who they are, and what they can do with their lives. For them, a night shift across Bucharest is a true adventure where they meet people of all kinds – from young party goers and white collars to celebrities, DJs and even some shady individuals.
E Pericoloso Sporgersi by Nae Caranfil
1993, Comedy, 104 minutes
When
Nov. 11, 2023 at 04:00 PM - 11 Nov. 2023 at 05:44 PM
Synopsis
Horațiu, an army recruit, is hot on the heels after Cristina, a senior in high school. She’s not necessarily against it, but only after a mandatory engagement, something he will soon give up on with the appearance in town of Dino, a second-rate actor, but reputed provincial Casanova.
Guests
Iulia Rugină
Iulia Rugină is a Bucharest based director and screenwriter. She has a BA and a MA degree in film and television directing at Bucharest’s National University of Theatre and Film (UNATC). In 2020 she completed a PhD on low budget cinema at the same university.
She has written and directed twelve shorts and three feature films, among which Stuck on Christmas (2010), Love Building (2013), Dying from a Wound of Love (2014), Breaking News (2016). In 2018 she made her theater debut with the multimedia show Neverland, which she wrote and directed. In 2020 she directed six of the eight episodes of the HBO Max series Ruxx.
Since 2099 she is also actively involved in cultural management (through Control N, the cultural NGO she has co-founded), and film education (through various projects she has participated in, as a film tutor), having worked with professional screenwriters, amateur filmmakers, children, ethnic minorities, inmates and drug addicts.
She taught screenwriting at the National University of Theater and Film in Bucharest for 10 years, before switching to script consultancy in national and international projects.
Iulian Postelnicu
Iulian Postelnicu graduated from the National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest with a Bachelor's Degree in acting.
He played several supporting characters in films such as Domestic (2012), A Decent Man (2018), and One Floor Below (2015) for which he received a Gopo nomination as Best Supporting Character. In 2019 he played the character of Vali in Arrest, for which he won the Gopo Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
His more recent characters include Costin in Otto the Barbarian (2020), nominated for the Gopo Award as Best Supporting Character, Daniel in the HBO TV show Ruxx (2022), Sorin in the HBO TV show Spy/Master (2023), and Ilie in Men of Deeds (2022), for which he won the Best Performance Award at FIFF Namur, the Outstanding Individual Performance Award at FilmFestival Cottbus, and the Gopo Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
In addition to his acting career, Iulian Postelnicu worked as a writer for several Romanian TV shows like Mondenii, SRC, and Las Fierbinti. He co-wrote, together with Bogdan George Apetri, the screenplay for Unidentified (2020), for which they won the Gopo Award for Best Screenplay.
Supporters
Private donors
Supporting sponsor · $1,000 and more
Mihai and Gabriela Aluas |
Ana and Radu Bacioiu |
Cosmin and Elena Catrinescu |
Festival ambassador · $500 and more
Dana and Catalin Cozmei |
Alexandrina Maicaneanu and Radu Simionescu |
Nick Voicu |
Gabriel and Raluca Hera |
Gabriel and Teodora Ghizila |
NW Family Dental - Daciana Buse, DDS, MSD |
Mary Sherhart |
Andreea Larhs |
Tracy Sharpe and Roxana Arama |
Festival benefactor · $250 and more
Ioana and Doru Nica |
Lavinia Serban |
Luana and Marian Stanescu |
Marius and Alina Popa |
James Augerot and Ileana Marin |
Ramona and Marian Pungan |
Claudiu and Dana Raileanu |
Cristi and Irina Salvan |
Nicoleta and Andrei Zlati |
Tudor and Otilia Baraboi |
Isabella Fu and Radu Palanca |
Roxana Teodorescu |
Festival supporter · $100 and more
Mihaela Giurca |
Camelia and Ciprian Clinciu |
Oana Stepan |
Laura Romanschi |
Cristina Houston |
Smaranda Lieuallen |
Vasi Rusu |
Corina Varlam |
Claudia Jensen |
Cristian and Ana Maria Ilac |
Catalin Alaci and Mirela Dinu |
Ligia Cicos |
Geanina Andreiu |
George Roth |
Monica Poinescu |
Carmen and Bogdan Rautu |
Elizabeta and Adrian Iliescu |
Helene Kaplan |
Catalina Khalaj |
Carl Winter |
Edward C. Blau |
Michele Anciaux Aoki |
Festival friend · $50 and more
Sheila Speirs |
Georgiana Lucache |
George Strajan |
Mihaela Armanasu |
Magda Nica |
Adriana and Claudiu Guiman |
Special thanks · $25 and more
Florina Gusu |
Many thanks · $10 and more
Cristina Amaral |
Tatiana Chihai |
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