Highlights from NexT IFF 2014
The NexT IFF 2014 edition brought a new vibe in town, offering Romanian filmmakers great opportunities to bring their ideas to life such as The Pitch and NexT Short Film Market, engaging seminars including a Film Directing Master-class with British film director Peter Webber, and a diverse festival programme for the audience, with a national competition included for the first time and an impressive selection of films on and off competition, from the already classics Oscars Night, Short Matters! and Semaine de la Critique to the new Arthouse shorts, the NexT Look or NexT Love parallel sections.
We will present some of our favorites and finally announce the 2014 winners.
Arthouse Shorts gathered 5 short films directed by well known filmmakers.”Redemption” by Miguel Gomes ingeniously presents a series of stories by different authors, whose names are actually the big surprise at the end of the film.
“Swimmer” directed by Lynne Ramsay combined sound and images to reflect the thoughts and feelings of an endurance swimmer. Every frame is a visual delight.
Director Tsai Ming-liang’s “Walker” shows the striking contrast between the calmness of a monk and today’s hectic world.
Among the films from the Semaine de la Critique, the parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival, “Breath Me”, directed by Han Eun-young, is the story of a 17 year old woman who goes from abandoning her new born to desperately trying to save him.
“Come and play” by Daria Belova presents an unexpected turn from innocent child’s play to the cruel realities and consequences of war.
“Helium”, the Oscar winner in 2014, directed by Anders Walter, introduces us to a fantasy world of hope and calm for those who need it the most.
“That wasn’t me” by Esteban Crespo speaks about the impact of being a soldier on the self, the feelings, emotions and thoughts that build individual identity and the path to regaining who you are.
“Just Before Losing Everything” by Xavier Legrand tells the story of extreme fear of a wife and a mother in front of her violent husband and the rush to escape domestic reality.
With excellent humor, director Mark Gill places God in prison, inviting a skeptic psychologist to solve “The Voorman Problem”:
Back to the competition, the winners of NexT 2014 are…
The winner of the NexT Trophy 2014 and also of the Audience Award for a Foreign Film: Die Schaukel Des Sargmachers / The Swing of the Coffin Maker, directed by Elmar Imanov, “a story full of local detail that has a universal appeal. And a beautifully shot film full of warmth and humanity and intimacy”, according to the jury.
We really loved this film, as it shows how tragic events can change relationships and feelings.
The winner of the “Cristian Nemescu” Best Directing Award:Tin & Tina by Rubin Stein (Spain), for “a very assured control of the medium. A bravura use of a single take that follows in the footsteps of the best masters of classical filmmaking”.
The winner of the “Andrei Toncu” Best Soundtrack Award: El ruido de las estrellas me aturde / The Sound of Stars Dazes Me (Argentina) by Eduardo Williams, for the “evocation of atmosphere and groundbreaking and experimental use of sound”.
A Special Mention was offered to director Victor Lindgren and his film Ta av mig / Undress Me, “for the sensitive and realistic handling of a complex subject matter”.
The Best Romanian Short Film: The Flavors Collection by Igor Cobileanski. According to the jury the film, which tells the story of Victor and his father resorting to a tough solution to buy medication for the ill mother, represents “a breath of reality, a singular vision of a world that may not be well known outside of the region, but convincingly takes us there”.
via kinopavasaris.lt
Director Adrian Sitaru received a Special Mention for a film in the National Competition with his film Excursion, “for the freshness and humor and best writing”. We totally agree and might add the fact that the film is a great highlight of the relationship between children and parents, as well as the local education system and the mass media way of approaching and, better said, twisting a topic.
via the festival
The Audience Award for a Romanian Film: Mâine, Bach… / Tomorrow, Bach… directed by Mihnea Andrei Ciorică.
The winner of the Pitch contest was the 4 and ½ Senses project by Raluca Răcean-Gorgos and Ion Aramă: “A touching story that will entail a lot of challenges in its carrying out. A convincing, coherent presentation of the project, perfectly combining the emotional side with the technical and execution one”, stated the jury. The project also received a Special Mention at the NexT Short Film Market for the quality of the presentation.
One of the projects selected for The Pitch received the Best Live Pitch Award for the best presentation at NexT Short Film Market, an event organised by NexT and the Romanian Cultural Institute: Say My Name, by EuiJeong Hong.
This year, the Namur International Festival of French-Speaking Film will have Oana Ghera serving as a member of the Emile Cantillon youth jury, as she is the winner of the critics’ contest with the best review written in French for the the film Child’s Pose, winner of the Golden Bear at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
The four main trophies were molded by artist Titi Ciocan and painted by Kitră.
We really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, the high quality film selection and the whole NexT experience. Keep in touch on their website, Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube.