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ODESA 2017

The Odesa International Film Festival gears up for its 8th edition

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- The leading Ukrainian film event, one of the biggest in Eastern Europe, is presenting an extended line-up and a powerful industry section

The Odesa International Film Festival gears up for its 8th edition
Just To Be Sure by Carine Tardieu

The Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF), one of the biggest festivals in Eastern Europe, is getting ready to launch its eighth edition, which will take place from 14-22 July and will be opened by Carine Tardieu’s Just To Be Sure [+see also:
film review
trailer
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]
. The festival is evolving this year, boasting three competition programmes, an extended section of special screenings, including the open-air cinema at the Potemkin Stairs, and a powerful industry section.

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The OIFF saw over 900 films submitted for its competition programmes. Of those, 12 have been selected for the International Competition, in which they will duke it out for the Grand Prix Golden Duke, awarded by the audience. The other awards are handed out by an international jury chaired by acclaimed German director Christian Petzold, whose other members are actress of Turkish heritage Sibel Kekilli, Ukrainian actress Rimma Zyubina, president of the Transilvania IFF Tudor Giurgiu and film composer Evgeniy Galperin.

The selection includes two Ukrainian films, The Level of Black by Valentin Vasianovych, which will have its world premiere, and Ugly [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juri Rechinsky
film profile
]
 by Juri Rechinsky. There will also be Frost [+see also:
film review
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interview: Sharunas Bartas
film profile
]
 by Lithuanian director Šarūnas Bartas, which is a Ukrainian minority co-production. The rest of the selected films are My Happy Family [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon G…
film profile
]
 by Georgian-German directorial duo Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon GroßRequiem for Mrs. J. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bojan Vuletić
film profile
]
 by Bojan VuletićSummer 1993 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
film profile
]
 by Carla SimónOrphan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arnaud des Pallières
film profile
]
 by Arnaud des PallièresFree and Easy by Jun GengKing of the Belgians [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Woodworth, Peter Br…
film profile
]
 by Peter Brosens and Jessica WoodworthGabriel and the Mountain [+see also:
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]
 by Fellipe BarbosaPretenders [+see also:
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]
 by Vallo Toomla and In Between [+see also:
film review
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interview: Maysaloun Hamoud
film profile
]
 by Maysaloun Hamoud.

The two aforementioned Ukrainian films are participating in the National Competition, which also includes The Strayed by Arkadii Nepytaliuk, having its world premiere, Falling [+see also:
trailer
interview: Marina Stepanska
film profile
]
by Marina Stepanska, Dixie Land by Roman Bondarchuk and The Leading Role [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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 by Sergey Bukovsky. Also, the programme will present 17 short films. The jury includes the Artistic Director of the Cannes Critics’ Week, Charles Tesson, Irish actor Aidan Turner, Ukrainian playwright Natalia Vorozhbyt and Georgian director Zaza Urushadze.

Finally, two Ukrainian movies will be taking part in the European Documentary Competition: The Leading Role by Sergey Bukovsky and The War of Chimeras by Anastasia Starozhytska and Maria Starozhytska. They will be joined by six international films: Beuys [+see also:
film review
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film profile
]
 by Andres VeielA Young Girl in Her Nineties [+see also:
trailer
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 by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Yann CoridianThe Prince of Nothingwood [+see also:
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]
 by Sonia KronlundBeyond the Snowstorm by Levin PeterPrinces Among Men by Stefan Krasnianskiy and Secondo me [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Pavel Cuzuioc. The jury comprises Ukrainian director Roman Bondarchuk, Estonian producer-director Marianne Kaat and British director-screenwriter Tala Hadid.

The industry section of the OIFF includes a series of panel discussions with acclaimed international professionals, two pitching sessions – for Ukrainian feature-film projects and drama series from Eastern Europe – two work-in-progress sessions for Ukrainian fiction and documentary features, and an actors’ workshop. This year, the OIFF is also hosting the biennial (and only) Ukrainian Film Market for local professionals.

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