Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema, the most long-living and most important event dedicated to promoting Romanian cinema over the Ocean, returns to New York for its 12th Edition, between 30 November – 7 December.
Romanian Film Initiative, in partnership with BAMcinématek and Jacob Burns Film Center, Making Waves proposes a current panorama of the most “wave-making” Romanian cinema productions, among which
Câini / Dogs (directed by
Bogdan Mirică), winner of the FIPRESCI Award at Cannes and of Transilvania Trophy for Best Film at TIFF,
Ana, mon amour (directed by
Călin Peter Netzer), winner this year of the Silver Bear, and Romania's proposal to the Oscars, and the film
Fixeur (directed by
Adrian Sitaru).
The novelty of #12 Edition is represented by the premiere screenings from the prestigious BAMcinématek. For almost 20 years, BAM has been the home of independent, alternative, documentary or
arthouse films in Brooklyn. As Corina Șuteu, Chairperson of Making Waves Festival, stated: „Having already an excellent reputation and a serious platform in New York, Making Waves is reinventing itself in 2017. BAMcinématek is the ideal place to draw attention on new talents, but also to start an important conversation on the similarities and differences between the film industries of Romanian and of the United
States.”
The significance of such a partnership is also acknowledged by Gina M. Duncan (Associate Vice President, Cinema, Brooklyn Academy of Music), who is happy about the fact that “Romanian cinema is continuing to make waves internationally.” Dedicated especially to the new Romanian cinema voices, BAMcinématek's programme will unfold between 4-7 December and will include the Balkan thriller
Dogs, the independent comedy
Două lozuri / Two Lottery Tickets by
Paul Negoescu, which took by storm the Romanian movie theatres last year, and also the directing and feature film debut by actor
Emanuel Pârvu,
Meda sau Partea nu prea fericită a lucrurilor / Meda or the not too Bright Sides of Things, double award-winner this
year at the Sarajevo Festival for Best Director, and for Best Actor respectively (
Șerban Pavlu).
Since the BAMcinématek's programme could not miss a retrospective, the author invited this year to Making Waves is
Anca Damian, an unique voice in Romanian cinema, an author with a subtle and emblematic visual aesthetics. The two multiple award-winning animations that brought the director international recognition,
Crulic: Drumul spre dincolo / Crulic: The Path to Beyond and
Muntele Magic / Magic Mountain, will be screened at the Brooklynese movie theatre, together with her latest feature,
Perfect sănătos / In Perfect Health.
The 12th Edition of Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema is hosted this year by the same Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York, a traditional partner of the festival ever since 2013. At Jacob Burns Film Center the year's most recent films may be seen between 30 November and 7 December, including
Ana, mon amour and
Fixeur / The Fixer, but also
Breaking News by
Iuliei Rugină, the extravagant musical
6,9 pe Scara Richter / 6.9 on the Richter Scale by
Nae Caranfil (which will officially open the current Edition of Making Waves) and the dramatic comedy
La drum cu tata / That Trip 
We Took with Dad, directed by debutant
Anca Miruna Lăzărescu. Documentary film is also present at Making Waves, with
Ultimul căldărar / The Last Cauldron Maker (directed by Cosmin Bumbuț and Elena Stancu), winner of the Debut Award at TIFF, and
Varză, cartofi și alți demoni / Cabbage, Potatoes and Other Demons (directed by
Șerban Georgescu), the programme being completed by the year's winner of the most awards, the short
Scris/Nescris / Written/Unwritten (directed by
Adrian Silișteanu), distinguished with an award also at TIFF 2017.
Most of the films screened at the festival, as well as
the guests of this Edition are coming from an younger generation than that of the well-established voices of the New Wave, this being the reason why Making Waves is adding to the screening series a networking event entitled Film Industry Talks, designed to facilitate a professional meeting between the new talents of the Romanian cinema and important representatives of the American film industry: distributors, festival directors and producers.
Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema is initiated, set up and curated by Romanian Film Initiative (Corina Șuteu, Oana Radu,
Mihai Chirilov), produced by Film ETC. Association, in partnership with BAMcinématek and Jacob Burns Film Center. The Festival's 12th Edition is organised with the support of the Trust for Mutual Understanding, of the Romanian Filmmakers Union and of the Blue Heron Foundation, alongside numerous generous individual donations from the Making Waves community. Film Industry Talks is co-financed by the Cultural National Fund Administration and set up with the support of Lark Play Development Center.
Details at:
Making Waves
