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The Transylvania International Film Festival - TIFF running between July 31 and August 9 will feature new films screened for the first time in Romania under the banner of its traditional sections, such as HBO Day, Hungarian Days, as well as old, restored movies that will be shown in special sessions, the organizers said in a release.
With TIFF reconfigured to 13 outdoor venues in Cluj city and its surroundings, the Hungarian Day section becomes the Hungarian Days, featuring between August 4 and 6 eight of the most popular films recently produced in Hungary.
Director Attila Szasz will be back with "Apro mesek/Tall Tales", an emotional rollercoaster about the extremely dangerous romantic adventure of a fugitive at the end of the Second World War. Abel Visky, winner of the Local Competition in 2013, will be present with "Mesek a zarkabol/Tales from the Prison Cell", a creative documentary about the relationships of fathers in prison with their children at home. Looking at family bonds from a different angle, "Akik maradtak/Those Who Remained", directed by Barnabas Toth, tells an emotional story inspired by the healing power of love. The movie is shortlisted as a potential Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
In "FOMO: Megosztod, es Uralkodsz/FOMO: Fear of Missing Out", by Attila Hartung, a bunch of sensation-seeking teens end up being investigated after a party that leads to the disappearance of a girl. Director Mark Bodzsar returns to TIFF with "Drakulics elvtars/Comrade Drakulich", a delicious vampire comedy the authorities get involved into seeking to unravel the mystery of a character who seems to never grow old. An impressive documentary, "A letezes euforiaja/The Euphoria of Being", is the debut of director Reka Szabo; the movie follows the life of a woman who lost her entire family during the war, transposed into a performance that marks her first appearance on stage, at the age of 90.
Unsettling and extremely topical is the world of the main character of "Eden", a film co-produced in Romania and directed by Agnes Kocsis, one of the jurors of the TIFF 2018 edition. Also produced with Romanian participation is the thriller "Valan - Az utolso hivas/Valan - Valley of Angels", the debut of Bela Bagota, about a young policeman investigating the disappearance of his sister 30 years ago.
The TIFF Hungarian Days are presented by the National Film Institute Hungary, the Balassi Institute - the Hungarian Institute in Bucharest, and Filmtett.
HBO, a traditional partner of TIFF, will offer this year's audience the chance to watch on August 7, starting at 21:30 at Club Transilvania, the first two episodes of the original production "Tuff Money". The screening shortly precedes the official premiere of the series on TV. Written and directed by Daniel Sandu, the series stars Alexandru Papadopol, Cristian Bota and Medeea Marinescu in a humorous story about an unusual robbery. Special screenings will include the documentaries "Acasa/My Home" by Radu Ciorniciuc, a Sundance award recipient, and "Colectiv", directed by Alexander Nanau, which follows a mind-boggling investigation into medical system frauds.
TIFF will also host a special section for restored films. Produced during the May 1970 catastrophic floods, the documentary "Apa ca un Bivol Negru/Black Buffalo Water" is considered the manifesto of an entire generation of Romanian directors: Andrei Catalin Baleanu, Petre Bokor, Iosif Demian, Stere Gulea, Roxana Pana, Dan Pita, Dinu Tanase, Nicolae Margineanu and Mircea Veroiu. 50 years after its making, the film can be viewed in a restored version on August 7, at midnight, in a hall of the Babes-Bolyai University. "Balanta/The Oak", the remarkable 1992 film by Lucian Pintilie, restored by Fundatia9 and BRD - Groupe Societe Generale and successfully relaunched in 4K digital format at the beginning of this year, can also be seen at TIFF on August 7, from 21:30, at the Unitarian Episcopate.
"Crash", the shock thriller by David Cronenberg based on the controversial eponymous novel by J. G. Ballard, which explores the connection between danger, sex and death, will make a spectacular return to the big screen in a digitally restored version.
The Active Archive, a project of the "I.L. Caragiale" National University of Theater and Cinematography, now in its 70th year, reveals nine valuable short films from the school archive, signed by Radu Gabrea, Felicia Cernaianu, Ada Pistiner, Dorin Moldovan, Stefan Traian Roman, Andrei Vidrascu, Nicolae Opritescu, Tudor Eliad and Timotei Ursu. The collection, curated by Andrei Rus, will be projected on August 7 as of 21.30, at the 'George Cosbuc' National College.
The Transylvania International Film Festival is organized by the Association for the Promotion of the Romanian Film and the Transylvania Film Festival Association.
