The life of human beings, seen from birth to old age. Only that this generic life is not represented with humans, but with the artifacts that we the humans have created for our children (or should we say “cubs”?), in order to prepare them for life: the toys. So, the film is a collage of scenes in which the toys help us understand better a possible essence of our life.

Like a bird, the Ukrainian flag flies along perched on the car of two affable "sheriffs" deputized by the mayor of a village in southern Ukraine. There's a sly bum whose gift is not to work. There's a guy who puts an anaconda in his woman's shed. The advent of Euromaidan, and draft-dodgers abound. Town folks are dipping in icy water and laughing, but are they divided in their loyalty? These sheriffs are taking you along for the ride.

As an instrument of ideological domination, language, both verbal and visual, defines, describes, delimits and dissimulates the manner in which the social, political and economic reality of a society is perceived. In order to critique a dominant group's ideology, one must fragment and recontextualize its discourse. The Certainty of Probabilities seeks such a critique. Comprised entirely of archival footage produced during 1968, one of the most optimistic and prosperous years in the history of socialist Romania by the most important state-run documentary film studio, this essay film surveys the efforts undertaken by the state in order to ensure social stability in a society claiming to have quashed all exploitative and alienating labour relations.

Discover a musical fable on the Robinson Crusoe myth: The Little Prince meets Monty Python. Robinson is a doctor and his solitude is voluntary in an island invaded by migrants, NGOs and guards. He saves Friday, a castaway, the only survivor of his illegal refugee boat. During his journey on the island, Robinson encounters extraordinary beings and events. He will confront current affairs through visual poetry and symbolism in a world where everybody looks for its own paradise.

Online: November 11-27

In person: November 13 at 5pm PST at Northwest Film Forum

⚠️ Note to in-person attendees: NWFF patrons will be required to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. We are not currently checking vaccination cards. Read full Covid policies here.

When her junkie boyfriend ends up in prison, Daria is taken by her parents to rehab to quit heroin and become a good daughter again. Inside the clinic, Daria’s unwavering loyalty to her boyfriend makes her exceptional in the eyes of the male junkies and saves her from their sexual pressures. Being desired yet protected by everyone makes Daria feel special for the first time in her teenage life. She relishes her position until a new mysterious patient is committed. His arrival confronts Daria with her own desires, triggering wild competition among the men. Suddenly trapped between everyone’s clashing expectations, Daria must find her own path.

The film confronts two different views of the execution of General Ion Antonescu, Romania’s leader during the Second World War. On one side is silent black-and-white footage of the execution as recorded in 1946 by cameraman Ovidiu Gologanl; on the other are scenes from a biographical film shot in 1994 by director Sergiu Nicolaescu.

The director and her father take a camera in hand and film each other during interviews in which they discuss schizophrenia, their own pasts, and their personal conceptions of happiness. The film is a personal statement of two people affected by or marked by a mental disorder - a father forced to live with it and a daughter who had to grow up with a sick and often absent father. During filming, they try to find understanding for each other while revealing their inner traumas. One of the secondary topics is what it is like to undergo treatment for a mental disorder in Romania, as the father expresses frustration with the way he and his condition are viewed by the local healthcare system.

During the Covid-19 lockdown the director's grandmother passed away. As he sifted through personal archives, he found an audio recording of her and some old photo albums. Composed entirely from photographs, this is the story of her life against the backdrop of the historical changes Romania have been through in the 20th century.

Have you ever considered that talking to a complete stranger could open your eyes and make you abandon everything that gave meaning to your life? 

A wandering philosopher, a guru or just a charlatan? This is the story of Cezar Mititelu, a man who decided to find true freedom for himself and realised, along the way, that he needs to change the others. A group of young people tried to escape the conformism and the constraints of an authoritarian society and found themselves castaway in irrelevance at the edges of history.

After having received a mysterious text message, Doru (42) returns home from Sweden in the midst of the Corona outbreak due to the suspicion that his wife is having an affair. His family is a bit concerned about his unexpected visit, suspecting that he might have been fired from the job that they all rely on; at the same time, they are delighted to see him. As the days pass by, it becomes clear that Doru is pursuing an investigation. Alongside his mother’s rowdy dog, Amza, he is shadowing his wife around town, trying to uncover the possibilities of her betrayal.

Illegal logging is a global business worth billions. Alexander von Bismarck, descendant of the Iron Chancellor and head of the Environmental Investigation Agency in Washington D.C., successfully pursues the machinations of the timber mafia worldwide – with dyed hair, a concealed camera and sound recording equipment. His primary concern isn't to expose a scandalous situation, but rather to promote a change in the consciousness of politics and civil society and to bring about a new code of conduct for the global economy and consumers. WOOD is an environmental thriller that draws its tension from sad everyday reality.

After two years of clinking our glasses virtually, we are excited to celebrate the 9th edition of the festival in person! Please join us Nov. 11 at 6pm for the Opening Night Reception at Northwest Film Forum. We'll enjoy light refreshments and some catching up. 

After the reception, there will be a screening at 7:30pm for "Metronom" by Alexandru Belc.

Bucharest, 1972. Ana, 17, dreams of love and freedom. One night, while partying with her friends, they decide to send a letter to Metronom, the musical program which Radio Free Europe broadcasts clandestinely in Romania. It is then that the Securitate, Ceausescu’s secret police, arrives...

November 11 at 7:30pm (Northwest Film Forum)

November 19 at 6pm (Northwest Film Forum)

⚠️ Note to in-person attendees: NWFF patrons will be required to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. We are not currently checking vaccination cards. Read full Covid policies here.

MAJA’s life is finally coming together and her boyfriend couldn’t be more pleased. In the midst of moving out from their student flat, Maja’s evening takes a surprising turn when she stumbles upon an old relative who is without a doubt, dead. Nobody from the family is available to help, so Maja has to deal with it herself.

As she waits for the authorities, SARA, Maja’s childhood friend, joins. Maja tries to get rid of her, but Sara is more than keen on sharing her latest successes. Hours pass and they’re stuck with the dead body. Absurd situations arise. Are they allowed to eat next to a dead person? Did the woman just move her hand? And what is the proper way to say goodbye to someone you didn’tactually know?

⚠️ Note to in-person attendees: NWFF patrons will be required to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. We are not currently checking vaccination cards. Read full Covid policies here.

Join us for a live discussion with Things Worth Weeping For director Cristina Groșan. Register HERE.

Cristina Groșan is a Hungarian-Romanian filmmaker and visual artist working on fiction films screened at festivals worldwide. Her award-winning short “Holiday at the Seaside” exploring a mother-daughter relationship screened at more than 40 festivals.

Cristina is keen on connecting to the places she’s lived in, working in both her homecountries, Hungary and Romania. Her debut feature “Things Worth Weeping For” premiered at the Sarajevo International Film Festival's main competition and received several nominations for Best Film at film festivals. The film’s lead actress, Nóra Rainer-Micsinyei was awarded Best Actress at the Bosphorus International Film Festival in 2021. Her second feature, “Ordinary Failures”, was developed with Czech writer Klára Vlasákova. The film premiered at the Giornate degli Autori competitive section in September 2022, as part of the Venice Biennale where Cristina was awarded the  “Autrici under 40 - Valentina Pedicini award” for Best Director.

Join us for a live discussion with The Island director Anca Damian. Register HERE.

Moderated by Ileana Marin, Ph.D.

Anca Damian studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest where she majored in cinematography and later obtained a doctor’s degree in Arts, Cinema and Media. She worked as a director, screenwriter, and producer for several documentaries on art related
topics. She was director of photography of two long feature films and several shorts. Her second feature the animated documentary, “Crulic: The Path to Beyond” (2011, Cristal Award in Annecy), has been selected in more than 150 international festivals like Locarno IFF, Telluride, New Director new films, and received more than 35 international prizes. Her extensive filmography includes Crossing Dates (2008), A Very Unsettled Summer (2013), The Magic Mountain (2015), Moon Hotel Kabul (2018), and Marona′s Fantastic Tale (2019). Her films were distributed worldwide and she has been awarded with numerous international prizes, including Cristal for Best Feature Film Award at Annecy, Best Director Award at Warsaw, Mirada International Award at Madrid, and Audentia Award by Eurimages. The Island is her seventh feature.

Ileana Marin teaches interdisciplinary courses at the University of Washington in Seattle and at the Center of Excellence in Image Studies at the University of Bucharest. Her long-standing academic career on both sides of the ocean has given her the opportunity to establish contacts between Romanian and American scholars, artists, and institutions. She, thus, initiated the first UW Exploration Seminar to Romania, and to Eastern Europe, and opened the fund for Romanian Studies, hoping that Romanian language will be taught regularly in Seattle. With a BA in Romanian and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from the University of Bucharest (2000), and one in Textual Studies from the UW (2011), Ileana is a strong believer in the power of education and bilingualism. In ARCS, she advocates the expansion of the Romanian language programs in the US and for disseminating the most recent Romanian cultural achievements. On her agenda as president, Ileana Marin has two major tasks: board development and recruitment to ensure the successful implementation of ARCS mission through meaningful programs. 

Join us for a live discussion with Man and Dog director Ștefan Constantinescu and actress Ofelia Popii. Register HERE.

Ştefan Constantinescu (1968, Bucharest) is a Romanian filmmaker and artist. He works in multiple mediums, including film, photography, artist books and painting. He has studied classical painting, film and video at the Bucharest Academy of Art and Film and at the Royal Art Academy in Stockholm. In 2009 he represented Romania at the Venice Biennale with the film Troleibuzul 92. In 2012 his short film Family Dinner screened in Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, and in 2013 his short film Six Big Fish premiered in the competition of the Locarno Film Festival. His feature length documentary My Beautiful Dacia (2009) went on to numerous international festivals (IDFA, Jihlava, Montreal, among others) and received the Jury Prize in Documenta Madrid. "Noah’s Ark – An Improbable Space Survival Kit" is a book he created alongside Corina Ilea.

Ofelia Popii is a prolific Romanian film and theater actress. She graduated from The Faculty of Theater of the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca in 2001. She holds a PhD in Theater and Performance Arts. In 2001, she played first role in the movie Grand Hotel Victoria. In 2015 she won the Gopo Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the film Quod erat demonstrandum by Andrei Gruzsniczki. In 2019 she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Moon Hotel Kabul by Anca Damian.

Join us for a live discussion with Us Against Us director Andra Tarara. Register HERE.

Andra Tarara (b. 1994) is an artist working in cinema, video art, photography. She is a UNATC Bucharest graduate in Film (2016) and a master's degree graduate in Visual Anthropology from SNSPA Bucharest (2018).

Us Against Us (premiered at Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival 2020) is Tarara’s first feature film, a documentary made in collaboration with her father, which explores their relationship through an authentic dialogue about the illness that affected both their lives. It was selected in various Romanian and international film festivals, won Best Romanian Film Award at Astra Film Festival 2021, and it was also part of cultural initiatives that aim to fight against the stigmatization of mental illnesses.

Join us for a live discussion with The Certainty of Probabilities director Raluca Durbacă. Register HERE.

Raluca Durbacă (b. 1983) is a Romanian director and film critic. She is a graduate of the National  Film and Theatre School in Bucharest (2015) with a degree in Film Studies and of the National  School for Communication and Public Relations (2006) with a degree in Political Communication.  She has been a contributing editor for well-known Romanian film magazine Film Menu from 2012  to 2016 and has published film studies essays in two editions of the collective volume The Politics  of Film in 2014 and 2018. She has has over 10 years experience in film production and development  and is an alumni of Talents Sarajevo 2014 and Torino FilmLab's 2012 AdaptLab programe. The  Certainty of Probabilities is her first feature documentary.

The film follows a girl’s psychological journey to her dehumanizing process. While struggling to achieve higher education and escape the violence of her extended dysfunctional family, Irina metamorphoses from victim into abuser as a result of subtle violent contexts. An ambiguous sexual experience with an artist gives her the strength to fight the violent approach of the males in her family.

⚠️ Note to in-person attendees: NWFF patrons will be required to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. We are not currently checking vaccination cards. Read full Covid policies here.

Join us for a live discussion with Spiral director Cecília Felméri. Register HERE.

Moderated by Monica Filimon.

Cecília Felméri (b.1978) graduated from the Sapientia University of Cluj-Napoca and then at the Bucharest I. L. Caragiale National Film Academy finished masterclass of filmmaking. She is currently the Assistant Professor at the Sapientia University Film-Photography-Media School in Cluj-Napoca. She is a one of the founding member and vice-president of the Hungarian Film Association of Transylvania.

Filmography as a Director:
2012 The Pill of Happiness – short fiction film, 12 min
2011 Infinite Minutes – short fiction film, 19 min
2010 Matthias, Matthias – animated documentary, 13 min
2008 Cuckoo - short fiction film, 17 min

Monica Filimon was awarded a PhD in Comparative Literature by Rutgers University. She is Associate Professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. She has published articles on French, German, and Romanian films. Her research focuses on the New Romanian Cinema, its sources, evolution, and major representatives. Her first book Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World was published by the University of Illinois Press in February 2017. She is currently working on a second book tentatively titled Corneliu Porumboiu: Notes on the Absurd.

Join us for a live discussion with Wood directors Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan and Michaela Kirst. Register HERE.

Moderator: Mona Nicoară

Michaela Kirst worked for many years as a journalist in New York and has headed the Berlin office of Sagafilm since 2011. She creates documentaries for TV and cinema as director and/or producer. Her films like DISGUSTINGLY HEALTHY, BROWN BABIES – GERMANY'S LOST CHILDREN or CRIME SCENE RAIN FOREST have won many awards. 

Filmography  

Darwin on Times Square / 2020 / 52’ 

Himmel über Peking / 2013 / 43’ 

Tatort Regenwald: Undercover gegen die Holzmafia / 2012 / 53‘ 

Jesus Loves You / 2011 / 80’ 

Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan was the delegate producer of Adina Pintilie's Golden Bear Winner Touch Me Not. With her newly established company Manifest Film, she produced Acasă, My Home, recipient of the Special Jury Award for cinematography in the World Cinema Documentary at Sundance 2020. She also directed A Mere Breath (2016), which won Best Documentary at LET'S CEE Film Fest and in Sarajevo. 

Filmography  

Free Dacians / 2018 / 61’ 

A Mere Breath / 2016 / 67’ 

My Vote / 2011 / 42’   

Join us for a live discussion with The Man Who Would Be Free directors Mihai Mincan and George Chiper-Lillemark. Register HERE.

George Chiper-Lillemark is a director of photography and director living in Copenhagen. He has photographed numerous feature and short films, including Touch Me Not (2018) by Adina Pintilie. He also co-directed the short The Sandpit #186 (2009) with Adina Pintilie and The Man who would be free (2019) with Mihai Mincan. His short The Palm Lines (2009) was screened by Locarno and Rotterdam IFF. The drama Immaculate, which he co-directed with Monica Stan, was selected as Romania's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Oscars.

Mihai Mincan is a Philosophy graduate from the University of Bucharest. Between 2004 and 2016 he worked as a journalist, editing many articles and investigative materials for the most important newspapers in Romania. In 2008 we wrote the script for the short film "The Palm Lines", which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. Since then he wrote and directed the shorts The Comet (2017) and Idilă (2019) and the documentaries Bondoc (2015), Emigrant Blues (2019) and The Man who would be free (2019). In 2022 his feature film debut To the North had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the Orizzonti section, and received the Bisato d'Oro prize for best film.

Join us for a live discussion with Immaculate director George Chiper-Lillemark and actress Ana Dumitrașcu. Register HERE.

George Chiper-Lillemark is a director of photography and director living in Copenhagen. He has photographed numerous feature and short films, including Touch Me Not (2018) by Adina Pintilie. He also co-directed the short The Sandpit #186 (2009) with Adina Pintilie and The Man who would be free (2019) with Mihai Mincan. His short The Palm Lines (2009) was screened by Locarno and Rotterdam IFF. The drama Immaculate, which he co-directed with Monica Stan, was selected as Romania's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Oscars.

Ana Dumitrașcu was born on December 5 1997 in Dragasani, Romania. She studied Acting at the National University of Theatre and Film "I.L.Caragiale" in Bucharest, Romania. Before graduating, she played her first leading part in Immaculate (2021), awarded the Lion of the Future Award for Best Debut at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. Ana Dumitrașcu's performance was praised in Cineuropa, ICSfilm along with several Romanian publications. Immaculate is Romania's Oscar entry for 2023, and it won the Lion of the Future Award for Best Debut at the Venice Film Festival in 2021, GdA Directors' Award in Giornate degli Autori Section, and the FIPRESCI award at TIFF Romania and a few other prizes and nominations. Ana is also a member of the Berlinale Talents community as she participated in Sarajevo Talents Program this year, in the Acting Studio Section. She is also known for several theatre shows and several short films including the musical Crezi ca-i grav (2019), the queer drama Our home (2021), and the upcoming experimental,,Arcane/Anarhe’’. She started her career as a producer in 2021 by enrolling in the MA Program for film production at the same university, and she started producing several short films including Alin Duruian’s ,,Payday” and a feature, the upcoming ,,Loyal Customers’’ directed by Bogdan Balla. She is also a writer for the film publication ,,Film Menu’’ where she constantly challenges her vision upon cinema.

Ecaterina, a high school Religion teacher and wife of the town priest, gets involved with Iuliu, a 16-year-old student with a troubled past. Ecaterina tries to keep him under control, but she loses her own control in the process. As Ecaterina faces a genuine crisis of faith, Iuliu’s infatuation turns increasingly dangerous when he takes his sins to the priest, her husband.

⚠️ Note to in-person attendees: NWFF patrons will be required to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. We are not currently checking vaccination cards. Read full Covid policies here.

Join us for a live discussion with Blue Moon director Alina Grigore and actress Ioana Chițu. Register HERE.

Moderator: Luiza Pârvu

Alina Grigore has a bachelor degree at UNATC - Bucharest, Acting/Directing department, Adrian Titieni’s class. She is now a PhD student at the same university and an assistant researcher at CINETIC “International Research and Education Center for Innovative and Creative Technologies” in Bucharest.
While preparing the release of Blue Moon and its festival track for 2021, she is producing her second feature “Some Irrelevant Stories about Moms” (working title) having attached the Oscar winning actress Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Frozen River, 21 Grams, Prisoners) to star in it.

Alumni Berlinale Talents 2018

Best Actress, Subtitle Film Festival, Ireland 2016 for Illegitimate

Best Script, Subtitle Film Festival, Ireland 2016 for Illegitimate

Best Actress Europe, Autour De L’Europe Film Festival, France 2016 for Illegitimate

Ioana Chițu (b. 1991) is a Romanian film and theater actress. She graduated from National University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in 2013.In 2012, she plays first role in the movie Rebelion .Other notable roles in films : Closer to the Moon (2014), Berliner and Zavera (2019). Play on the stage of the theater ''Odeon'' in Bucuresti.

Join us for a live discussion with Metronom actress Mara Bugarin. Moderated by film critic Robert Horton. Register here.

Alexandru Belc was born in 1980 in Romania. He graduated from the Bucharest Film School in 2007 and obtained a master’s degree in political sciences in 2012. During his studies, he made several short films and documentaries. He then worked as an Assistant Director for Corneliu Porumboiu and Cristian Mungiu. He worked as script supervisor on Cristian Mungiu’s 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 1 DAY (Palme d’Or in 2007). His first feature documentary, MARCH 8th, about women in the workplace, screened in numerous international festivals in 2013. His second feature documentary, CINEMA MY LOVE, a portrait of a Romanian art-house exhibitor, was distributed by Outplay Films in France and released in theaters in May 2017. METRONOM, his first fiction film, won the Directing Prize at Un Certain Regard at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Mara Bugarin (b.2000) graduated from Nikolaus Lenau High School in Timisoara, Romania. In 2019 she participated at Ideo Ideis, a theater festival. She’s a student at the National University of Theatre and Film I.L. Caragiale. She collaborated with the theater troupe NIL.

Robert Horton is the film critic for Seattle Weekly and the Everett Herald, and a longtime contributor to Film Comment. He curated the Magic Lantern film-discussion program at the Frye Art Museum for ten years, teaches film at Seattle University, and is a guest speaker for Smithsonian Journeys. His books include Frankenstein (Columbia University Press) and Billy Wilder: Interviews (University Press of Mississippi) as well as the zombie-Western graphic novel Rotten (Moonstone Books), and he blogs on movies at The Crop Duster (roberthorton.wordpress.com). He is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. In 2012 he curated the Museum of History & Industry's "Celluloid Seattle: A City at the Movies" exhibit.

Join us for a live discussion with directors Roman Bondarchuk (Ukrainian Sheriffs) and Andrei Dăscălescu. Register HERE.

Moderated by Kateryna Ruban.

Roman Bondarchuk graduated from the Kyiv state University of Theatre, Cinema and TV. His teacher was Yuriy Illenko – one of the founders of Ukrainian Poetic Cinema school. Roman has created a number of short films, documentaries and music videos. He's an author of the book of novels, photography and contemporary art exhibitions. He's also been an award-winner at national and international film festivals. Roman works as art director and member of Selection Committee of International Human Rights documentary film festival Doucdays UA. As a documentary director he collaborated with MDR, ZDF, Arte and other TV channels. Among his famous films "The taxi-driver", "Radunytsia", "Cafe "Voyage", "Euromaidan. Rough cut". "Ukrainian Sheriffs" is his first feature-length documentary.

Andrei Dăscălescu is an established Romanian documentary film director, cinematographer and editor. His first two feature documentaries, Planet Petrila (2016) and Constantin and Elena (2008) have won prestigious awards (including awards at IDFA and Sarajevo Film Festival), have been selected in major international film festivals across the world (IDFA, San Francisco, Vancouver, Krakow, DocLisboa, Docaviv, Sarajevo, Montpellier etc.). Andrei was nominated 4 times and won "Best Documentary Award" in 2018 at the Gopo Awards (the Romanian equivalent to Academy Awards) with his documentary, Planet Petrila. His third documentary, Holy Father (2020) premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award. It also won the Audience Award at Astra Film Festival (Sibiu, Romania), the Best Director Award at Qara Film Festival (Almaty, Kazakhstan) and has been screened at festival such as Black Nights Tallinn, Magnificent 7 Belgrade, Go East Wiesbaden, Trieste Film Festival, Zagreb Dox and others). He is the founder and owner of FilmLab production company since 2007.

Kateryna Ruban is a Ukrainian historian. In September 2022 she received a PhD from New York University. In her dissertation, Dr. Ruban explores the role of abortion in Soviet life. Earlier, she earned masters degrees in Central European University in Hungary and in Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Before coming to the US, Kateryna was a part of the Visual Culture Research Center in Kyiv. Starting from December 2022, Dr. Ruban will be a Junior Visiting Fellow at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at the George Washington University and will focus on turning her dissertation into a book. She will also continue her research on how Russian academia presents the war in Ukraine and its role in this war for the Western audience.