Editor

The Romania International Film Festival today announced the complete line up of films to be screened in the official competition between September 26 and October 4 in the City of Arad. The CineBlackSea section focuses exclusively on films produced in the Black Sea region – this year’s program features a total of 22 feature long films from Azerbaidjan, Turkey, Armenia, Romania, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia.

Rada Šešic, Selector of the CineBlackSea competition, commented, “The Don Quixotes of contemporary Black Sea cinema, who struggle each time to make a new film in spite of being awarded and worldwide appreciated, are generously providing us this year with a fantastic harvest of fiction, documentary and short films that reflect in a very excited and refined manner the current socio-political situation in the region, and make us ponder about many important issues.”

Another competitive international section focuses on Women in Cinema – competing are feature films and documentaries directed by female filmmakers (the program was announced last week). This year’s Focus section is dedicated to the films of acclaimed Serbian director Emir Kusturica who will open the festival with his band Non-Smoking Orchestra on Saturday, September 26.

A complete list of the program CineBlackSea for the Romania International Film Festival 2009 can be found below. Please visit the festival website www.ro-iff.ro for the complete festival line up.

Features:
The 40th Door by Elchin Musaoglu, Azerbaidjan 2008, 82 mins, 35 mm
Autumn (Sonbahar) by Özcan Alper, Turkey/Germany 2008, 106 mins, 35 mm
Border (Sahman) by Harutyun Khachatryan, Armenia 2009, 82 mins
Katalin Varga by Peter Strickland, UK/Hungary/Romania 2009, 35 mm cu
Milk by Semih Kapanoglu, Turkey/France/Germany/Belgium 2008, 102 mins, 35 mm,
The Other Bank (Gagma Napiri) by George Ovashvili, Georgia/Kazakhstan 2009, 90 mins, 35 mm
Room and a half (Poltory komnaty ili sentimentalnoe puteshestvie na rodinu) by Andrej Khrzanovski, Russia 2009, 35 mm
The Return of the Prodigal Son (Anarak Vordu Veradardze) by Nariné Mkrtchyan and Arsen Azatyan, Armenia 2008, 88 mins, 35 mm

Documentary:
+156 by Ionel Simioana, Romania 2009, 19 mins, MiniDv
Bathers by Eva Stefani, Greece 2008, 47 min, BetaSp
Constantin şi Elena by Andrei Dăscălescu, Romania 2008, 102 min
Europolis by Kostadin Bonev, Bulgaria/Austria 2009, 80 mins, BetaSp
Goleshovo by Ilian Metev, Bulgaria/UK 2008, 34 mins, DvCam plus DVD
The Living by Sergei Bukovski, Ukraine 2008, 74 min, MiniDv
My Niece From Caucas by Levon Kalantar, Armenia 2009, 18 mins, Beta
On the Way to School by Orhan Eskikoy and Özgür Dogan, Netherlands/Turkey 2008, Beta
Quarters of Balchik by Artchil Khetagouri and Ileana Stanculescu, Armenia/Romania 2009, 62 mins, MiniDv
See You at the Eiffel Tower by Valentin Valchev, Bulgaria 2008, 96 mins, Digi Beta
Sisters of Lilith by Emel Celebi, Turkey 2008, 41 mins, DVCam
Sunrise/Sunset: Dalai Lama XIV by Vitaly Manski, Russia 2008, 72 mins, DvCam
Today I Was Young and Pretty (Azi Eram Frumoasă, Jună) by Alexandra Gulea, Romania 2007, 52 mins, DVD
Women From Georgia by Levan Koguashvili, Georgia 2008, 54 mins, miniDv

Short:
A Family... (O familie... ) by Emanuel Parvu, Romania
Altsnei by Nino Orjonikidze and Vano Arsenish¬vili, Georgia
Left Right by Stavros Raptis and Argiris Germanidis, Greece
My Mother Learns Cinema (Annem Sinema Ogreniyor) by Nesimi Yetik, Turkey
Oli's Wedding (Nunta Lui Oli) by Tudor Jurgiu, Romania
Omelette by Nadejda Koseva, Bulgaria
One Time Use Only (De Unică Folosinţă) by Alex Gherman
Renovation (Renovare) by Paul Negoescu, Romania
Speechless (Dadimebulebi) by Salome Jashi, Georgia

Please visit the festival website www.ro-iff.ro for further information. For accreditation requests or any questions please contact: