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Alain Delon, 2017 TIFF's special gues
This year's edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival TIFF is going to screen 225 movies, including 188 features, from 53 countries, the special guest being the French actor Alain Delon, who's visiting Romania for the first time and will be granted the Award for his lifetime career, the organisers announced on Tuesday.
The president of the Transilvania IFF, film director Tudor Giurgiu told a news conference that this year is a first the festival at its XVIth edition will include a programme dedicated to the film professionals of the cinematography.
"There will be attending from all over the world almost thrice the number of the past years: producers, directors, in particular from Europe, people who wish to invest in new movie projects, people interested in the film business. I believe it is for the first time that Transilvania IFF gets an important fingerprint not only at the level of discovering young directors, it becomes a very active player in stimulating the cinema co-productions in Europe. It is the first time when the European Council through the Eurimage Fund of stimulating co-productions includes Transilvania IFF in ... I believe we are only ten festivals in Europe where significant prizes are granted for boosting co-productions," said Tudor Giurgiu.
He added that Transilvania IFF 2017 counts for an impressive figure of foreign guests who will be present especially for the Romanian Film Days and for the Transilvania Pitch Stop programme wherein the young directors at their first or second movie could find financial support for their projects.
Out of the Romanian actors, the Transilvania IFF team has chosen to award actress Tora Vasilescu with the Excellence Prize for special merits and contribution to the Romanian cinematography.
Sir Derek Jacobi, the British actor known from Little Dorrit (1983), The Gladiator (2000) or The King's Speech (2010) will participate within the Transilvania IFF in the opening of Povestea iubirii /The History of Love, next to Romanian film director Radu Mihaileanu. A 10-year after encounter will take place between actor Armand Assante and actor Razvan Vasilescu who both have played 10 years ago in California Dreamin', and who return to Transilvania IFF for the screening of The Wanderers, directed by Dragos Buliga, a movie in which they play together, again.
A cinema star from the East of the world, the Indian director S. S. Rajamouli will arrive to Cluj-Napoca to present his blockbuster's sequel Baahubali: The Conclusion, the Indian franchise with the highest box-office cashes of all times. Ildiko Enyedi, the film director recently awarded in Berlin with a Golden Bear for On Body and Soul will also come to Transilvania IFF.
So far, actress Clotilde Courau, Princess of Venice and Piemont, the film critic Geoff Andrew and film director Marian Crisan have confirmed their participation in the jury.
The great novelty of this edition, say the organisers, is InfiniTIFF, an innovation and experiments' dedicated programme to be inaugurated in the building of the former Fashion House in Cluj-Napoca. Here several movies will be VR screened, interactive cinema, film projections from Youtube era, chosen by noted vloggers, VR experiences creation workshops and a genuine installation, brought to the Transilvania IFF in a world preview - Doom Room, accessible to 18+ year old persons only.
As regards the special screenings this year, the first event will take place on 2 June, at the opening ceremony, as of 20:45 PM, in Unirii Square, with the screening of King of the Belgians, in the presence of the film director and the film's characters, followed by a concert of the Black Sea Mermaids, the women's choir in the movie.
In that square, too the audience will meet on 9 June with the legendary Alain Delon, in the Pour la peau d'un flic / Afacerea Pigot screening.
Among the special events prepared for this edition of Transilvania IFF are the screening of Destiny / The tired death / Der mude Tod, the masterpiece of Fritz Lang, in the Roman-Catholic Church the organ of which Thierry Escaich will concert at, during the movie, the Lotte, mon amour animation or the classic of Buster Keaton, The General, accompanied live by the original music of the Trio Diallele.
Weekend at the Castle returns to Bontida (ed. n. - a commune near Cluj-Napoca where the Banffy Castle lays, a. k. a. Transylvania's Versailles) on 3 and 4 June, with creative workshops, games and shows for children. In the castle's fantastic scenery will be projected Roar (directed by Noel Marshall, 1981), deemed to be "the most dangerous film ever made" and the famous Metropolis (1927), by German director Fritz Lang, accompanied by the Transylvania State Philharmonic orchestra.
This XVIth edition of Transilvania IFF will never miss exhibitions, concerts, competitions dedicated to filmmakers or screenings for children.
Transilvania IFF is going to take place 2 through 11 June, in several spaces and theatres in and outside the city.