Europe’s up and coming directors in Bratislava
by Sakis Kontos
Some of Europe’s up and coming talent are among the nineteen directors who are competing with either their first or second feature for the Grand Prix at the 7th Bratislava International Film Festival that opens tonight in the Slovak capital.
Slovakia is not represented in official competition although Yvan Le Moine’s Friday or Another Day (Vendredi ou un autre jour) which premiered last August at Locarno, should be considered a Slovak co-production. Other films in competition include Romanian Cristi Puiu’s The Death of Mr Lazarescu [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Moartea domnului Lazarescu) nominated for a European Film Award, Slovenian director and actor Jan Cvitkovic’s Slovenian/Croatian co-production Gravehopping (Odgrobadogroba), honored at Cottbus earlier this year and San Sebastian Golden Shell winner Something Like Happiness [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bohdan Slama
interview: Pavel Strnad
film profile] (Stesti) by Czech Bohdan Slama (read the Focus).
In total the festival organizers have programmed 176 films in 11 sections. One of the innovations in this year’s programming is the section National Hits with a selection of European films that have ‘scored’ at the box office but also with the critics like the Finnish black comedy Frozen Land (Paha maa) by Aku Louhimies. Other program sections focus on films Made in Europe or the Slovak Films 2005. All screenings take place in the Palace Cinemas multiplex at Aupark shopping centre.
New-York based French-born Sylvain Despretz, Romanian producer Cristina Mihaela Oancea, Paris-based Czech actor Ivan Franek and Czech director Alice Nellis are among the international jury members.
The festival’s opening film is Fernando Meirelles’ successful UK thriller The Constant Gardener [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].
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