Synopsis

”Black Thursday” is a reconstruction of the tragic events that took place on Thursday 17 December 1970 in north Poland. The film presents the true story of a family of a one shipyard worker  who is shot by the militia on his way to work. The film shows the street demonstrations of workers and the procession which was headed by people who carried the body of the murdered young man on the door. The film also illustrates the brutal pacification of the demonstrators made by the army divisions and militia, in result of which a total of 18 people were killed andhundreds were injured.

Biography

Born in 1940 in Warsaw. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, co-operated with the Student Theatre of Satirists. Graduate of the Film School in Łódź. Director and screenwriter of a number of feature films and several dozen documentaries. He has been co-operated with TOR Films Studio since 1968. Winner of the Andrzej Munk Award for the best debut. He has been awarded on numerous film festivals in Poland and abroad. Winner of the Special Award of Jury for the lifetime achievement on the San Remo Film Festival.

Synopsis

On the island Texel, Marie dreams about mountains; she collects postcards of mountains all over the world. She would love to do something else with her life, but as the only girls in a big poor family in wartime, Marie has no choice: she must marry Paul. The arrival of a group of Georgian soldiers brings color, life en love in Marie's life at the colorless Nordseaisland. With their music and film, but especially with their inventive and unusual surviving strategies and their radically different vision on life, this isolated group foreigners help Marie to find herself. For the first time in her life, Marie falls in love. Unfortunately, her love for soldier Goga from Kazbek and the friendship with the other soldiers, is not accepted by her family and the other people on the island.

Biography

Ineke Smits was born in 1960, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She studied Fine Arts at the Rotterdam Art Academy, then specialized in directing at the National Film and Television School in England. Granted a scholarship by the Dutch Cultural Broadcasting Promotion Fund and the British Council, she completed her directing degree in 1993. Besides making films, she has been teaching at Arnhem School of Fine Arts, Breda post-graduate Photographers and Designers Course and Masters Course at the Eindhoven School of Design. In 2004 she founded production company Volya Films with Denis Vaslin. She initiated exchange projects and guest lectures at the Filmschool in Tbilisi, Georgia. Aside from directing and writing fiction and documentary films, she is a script advisor.

Synopsis

"Stop dreaming!" says the mother to her twenty-five-year-old daughter Umay when she and her young son Cem appear at the door of her parents’ Berlin apartment. Umay has run away from an unhappy marriage in Istanbul and has returned to Berlin because she wants to lead her own life again. She knows that she’s expecting a lot from her parents and siblings but she hopes that their loving relationship will mean more to them than the pressure of social conventions. But before long she realizes that her family cannot simply ignore their deep-seated traditions and the situation could well break them. When the family decides to restore the family’s reputation by returning Cem to his father, Umay once again begs for their help – but ends up breaking with them for good.

Biography

Born in Vienna in 1972. Besides training as an actor she studied communications and psychology in Vienna and London, graduating with a PhD in the year 2000. A journalist, she has written screenplays for TV films and attended post-graduate seminars in directing at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin (dffb). She and ZüliAladag founded Independent Artists Filmproduktion in 2004.

Biography

Robin Hessman graduated from Brown University with a dual degree in Russian and Film. She received her graduate degree in film directing from the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow (with a “red diploma” of honors). In the US, Robin co-produced the documentary Tupperware!, which received the Peabody Award in 2005. Robin also co-produced the PBS biography of Julia Child, Julia! America’s Favorite Chef. In 2004, she founded Red Square Productions and was granted the position of Filmmaker in Residence at Boston’s PBS affiliate, WGBH.Her feature-length documentary directing debut, My Perestroika, premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival as part of the US Documentary competition

Since 2006, Robin has served as the Director of documentary programming for Amfest, the American Film Festival in Moscow.

Synopsis

My Perestroika follows five ordinary Russians living in extraordinary times — from their sheltered Soviet childhood, to the collapse of the Soviet Union during their teenage years, to the constantly shifting political landscape of post-Soviet Russia. Together, these childhood classmates paint a complex picture of the dreams and disillusionment of those raised behind the Iron Curtain.

Biography

Konstantin Esadze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1972, and graduated in film directing from Tbilisi State University and in cinematography from the Munich Film School. He was director of photography on numerous Georgian films, most recently IlgarSafat's THE PRECINCT (2010), Zaza Kolelishvili's THE WAR AND THE WEDDING (2010) and Aleko Tsabadze's RENE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD(2010)

Synopsis

 
The protagonist of the film is a man trying to get a German visa. First he goes to Europe with a rather
complicated mission: he has to obtain a car and bring it safely to his homeland. He is a bit scared, but he finds other, more experienced, drivers, and makes friends with them. It is the first time for him to travel by plane and the first time he sets foot on a foreign land. There are many interesting things there, but he has no time to look around. He has one specific c route and goal.

Biography

Kim Longinotto was born in 1952, London, England. She  is a British documentary maker, most famous for making films which highlight the plight of female victims of oppression or discrimination. She is romantically connected to Tony Graham, director of the Unicorn Theatre for children in London. Longinotto studied camera and directing at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, England, where she now tutors.

 SYNOPSIS

 “A girl’s life is cruel...A woman’s life is very cruel,” notes Sampat Pal – like many others she was married as a young girl into a family which beat her often. But unusually, she fought back, leaving her in-laws and eventually becoming famous as a champion for beleaguered women throughout Uttar Pradesh, many of whom find their way to her door. In extraordinary scenes, we watch her launch herself into the centre of family dramas, convinced her mediation is the best path for these vulnerable girls.  Her partner Babuji, who has watched Sampat Pal change over the years, is less certain...’

Biography

Cyril Tuschi was born in 1969 in Frankfurt. After studies in Philosophy in the United States in the late 1980s, he opened a nightclub and worked at the state theatre Stuttgart. In 1992, his first short film, Frankfurt at the Seaside (Frankfurt am Meer) was invited to several festivals in Germany. He then enrolled at the Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg. His other films include: Nightland (Nachtland, 1995) a Kafkaadaptation which was screened in Berlin and won the New York Academy Camera Prize in 1996, Turn (1997) and after several Music promos, he debuted with the road movie feature "Slight Changes in Temperature and Mind".NowTuschi focuses with his company LALA FILMS on script development and international co-productions.

Synopsis

A documentary on the transformation of Mikhail Khodorkovsky - from a perfect socialist to a perfect capitalist and finally, in a Siberian prison, becoming a perfect martyr. Khodorkovky - the richest Russian, challenges President Putin. A fight of the titans begins. Putin warns him. But Khodorkovsky comes back to Russia – knowing that he will be imprisoned, once he returns. Why didn't Khodorkovsky stay in Exile with a couple of billions? Why did he come back? Why did he do that? A personaljourneytoKhodorkovsky. 

Biography

Leon Gast is known for making such seminal documentaries as Hell's Angels Forever and the Oscar-winning chronicle of the 1974 landmark fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, When We Were Kings (1996). He is especially noted for presenting his subjects with rare compassion and insight. Gast studied dramatic arts at Columbia University, but dropped out shortly before graduation to work on the television series High Adventure with Lowell Thomas. It provided Gast the opportunity to travel extensively. While attending these away shoots, he observed carefully and began learning how to make non-fiction films. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gast became famous for his still photography and his work appeared in such magazines as Vogue, Esquire, and Harper's Bazaar

Synopsis

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sued him, Marlon Brando broke his jaw and Steve McQueen gave him a look that would have killed, if looks could kill. To the celebrities he pursued, photographer Ron Galella was the beast who threatened beauty. As it turned out, he gave them a strange and lasting beauty they might never have known without him. Inherent in the story of this notorious paparazzo are the complex issues of the right to privacy, freedom of the press and the ever-growing vortex of celebrity worship. He sneaked around and invaded and bribed and held up his camera and shot till he dropped (or someone dropped him). His was the artistry of the sniper. Yet Galella found something essential in his real-life subjects, and he gave it permanence.

Biography

Scrip­tw­riter and documen­tary film direc­tor born in 1956 in Łódź. After graduation from the Film Direc­ting Depart­ment at Moscow’sVGIK in 1981 he wor­ked with Krzysz­tof Zanussi and Krzysz­tof Kieślow­ski as a director’s assistant. His documen­taries inc­lude False Start (1981), Psychotherapy (1984), Hear My Cry (1991), State of Weigh­tles­sness (1994), Głos nadziei (2002), One Day in People’s Poland (2005). He has won a num­ber of festival awards in, among others, Mum­bai, Huston, Tai Pei, Monte Carlo, San Fran­cisco, Nyon and Kraków. Cur­ren­tly he teaches at the Film School in Łódź and the Laboratory of Repor­tage at War­saw University.

At the present, he is the head of the Radio Documentary Department in Laboratory of Reportage at Warsaw University and a lecturer at the Academy of Visual Arts and New Media.

Synopsis

After WWII Poland fell to communist block against the will of majority of the society. Film is an attempt to show the soul of Polish society through private letters. Letters which were censored and often used to persecute a sender and a receiver of the letter although Constitution Act guaranteed secrecy of correspondence in People’s Republic of Poland.

Black and white film is a mosaic of never shown archive footage, letters which are red by careful chosen voices and Secret Service internal messages which shows Orwell’s size organization in action in the years 1945-1989.

Biography

Vladimer Kozlov was born in 1956 in Minsk. He studied history at the Belarus Stade university. Worked at Belarusfilm as an assistant director ( 1978 – 1992 ). He finished courses for assistant and second unit directors at VGIK (Moscow). In 1992 he started to play and stage performances at French groups. In 2002 he debuted In documentary cinema. Made films for French TV. Since 1992 works in France and Russia, produces documentaires.

Synopsis

In the hometown of Yuri Gagarin everyone hero worships humanity’s first cosmonaut; but within demolished Russian society the devotion that is displayed to past glory perhaps hides personal ambitions that are more or less respectable… 

Biography

Banksy is the pseudonym of the world’s best-known guerilla artist. His weapons are spray paint and templates, he never shows his face and remains anonymous, though speculation as to his identity abounds. Banksy has become synonymous with engaged graffiti art. He is famous for putting up Early Man Goes to Market, a rock with a drawing of a stick figure pushing a shopping cart, at the British Museum, which the staff discovered only three days later. Banksy has smuggled and displayed his work in the world’s biggest museums, e.g. Tate London and New York’s MoMA. In one of his most acclaimed pieces, he painted nine murals on the West Bank barrier between Israel and Palestinian West Bank.

Synopsis

Banksy, the pope of street-art, exchanges his spray paint can for a camera, but keeps doing what he does best – provoking, amazing and rattling our cages. In Exit Through the Gift shop, he tells a story of the eccentric Thierry Guetta who breaks into street art’s hermetic world. The dubiously talented Thierry achieves huge success by accident, becoming a symbol of commercialization of alternative art. But this is far more than a story of an outsider’s meteoric rise within the art world and Exit offers a reflection on the elusive and furtive nature of art, skillfully balances on the edge of honesty and deception, fiction and documentary, seriousness and irony.

Biogprahy

Agnes Sos studied at what is today called Corvinus University of Budapest (previously called the Karl Marx University of Economic Sciences in Budapest, Hungary) from 1984 to 1989.After graduating, she worked for the Hungarian Television as a freelance editor for 11 years, starting from 1990. She started filming in the documentary genre in 1991, first for the Hungarian National Television, and then also acted as producer for her own films. She has completed some 15 longer and a similar number of shorter-form documentaries in the last almost 20 years.

Synopsis

The powerful story of two talented Hungarian violinist sisters, Julia and Agnes Pusker. Their unnaturally strong sisterly bondage, a looming family secret and its inevitable effects on their lives unfolds as we travel through time. All these are accompanied with wonderfully gripping performances of classical music adding an ethereal dimension to the documentary. 

Biography

Jørgen Leth was born in 1937, Aarhus, Denmark. He is a journalist, poet, movie director, and television commentator. He studied literature and anthropology in Aarhus and Copenhagen. As a journalist he wrote film, music, and theater criticism, and he also worked in the diplomatic service in Haiti (1999-2005). He has made forty-five films, many distributed worldwide. He published his first book in 1962 and shot his first film a year later. He is one of the founding members of the avant-garde Danish film group Abcinema. Leth has written ten collections of poetry as well as nonfiction. Over the course of his life he has received numerous awards for literature, film, and journalism, and in 2009 he took the World Cinema Contribution Award from the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival.

Synopsis

The elder gentleman, the anthropologist, has an entire life’s collection of eroticmoments. He has written many poems where he steps back into the observer’sdistance of the erotic. It has been his gift to master a double grasp on the eroticsituation: To live it fully and to observe it at the same time. He studied eroticism framing sexual desire and has caught its circling dramaturgy. He has experimented with watching a burning hot material with the coolness of distance. Now late in his life he feels he doesn’t have the energy to maintain the double grasp, but he continues tosee eroticism for his inner eye as an unbroken stream of moods and emotions.He feels a need to finish the work, organize his collection of moments.

Biography

Urszula Antoniak has graduated from both Polish (Film/TV Production) and Dutch (Film Directing) Film Academies. Her film Bijlmer Odyssee (2004) was one of the few TV Dutch productions that sold in many territories in and outside of Europe. Her comedy about integration in Holland Dutch for non Advanced (2007) has drawn attention of both the audiences and the critics. Nothing Personal is Antoniak’s feature film debut and brought her a number of awards at the festival in Locarno in 2009.  Like her other pictures Nothing Personal is a combination of poetic images with light irony. Code Blue is her last film  shoot in 2011.

Synopsis

Marian, a middle-aged nurse, devotes herself to her patients like a saint. Sometimes she even sees herself in the role of redeemer, shortening the patient’s suffering herself. For Marian, these moments which allow her to be within a hair’s breadth of death bring her an irresistible sense of absolute intimacy. Outside the “safety” of the hospital Marian leads a secluded, solitary life, violently suppressing all emotion. Until she accidentally becomes involved in an act of mutual voyeurism and finds that she is strongly attracted to a strange man.

Biography

Turkish director, born in Borçka in 1961. He is an electrical engineer and a photographer since 1989. He took part in many solo and mixed exhibitions. White as Snow is his feature film debut as a director.

 Synopsis

Adapted from a short story by Sabahattin Ali, White As Snow observes a day in the life of Hasan, who has found the way to take care of his starving siblings by selling ayran (stirred yoghurt drink), no matter what the weather is like. Hasan is just a 12-year-old boy who lives in a small mountain village. Poverty strikes his family when the father is sent to prison. To scrape by, the mother begins babysitting. Early in the morning during winter, Hasan carries his pitcher full of ayran and goes to the teahouse. Through a day in the life of a small struggling child, Selim Güneş in his directorial debut, recounts separations, yearning, anticipation, longing, regrets, and hope despite everything.

Biography

Birgitte Stærmose  born in 1963, Denmark) graduated in film and media arts from Temple University in Philadelphia. She has shot several short films which have won prizes at foreign festivals (Sundance, Berlin, Rotterdam), including Now, Look at Me (2001), Small Avalanches (2003), Letters from Denmark (2006), Principles of Attraction (2006), and Sophie (2006, ARTE prize). Her first documentary, Out of Love (2009), received a Special Mention at the Berlin film festival. Room 304marks her debut in features as a director. At present she is cooperating with well-known dramatist Peter Asmussen on the script for her next movie Julie’s Face, inspired by August Strindberg’s theater play Miss Julie.

Synopsis

Director Birgitte Stærmose’s multi-layered drama takes place over the course of three days in a Copenhagen hotel and revolves around a mysterious gunshot. The protagonists are several characters whose diametrically opposed life stories gradually intertwine, both accidentally and intentionally – a lonely flight attendant comes to the hotel looking for love; a couple of immigrant hotel employees are seeking revenge; a desperate hotel manager; a woman whose husband has left her; a reception clerk who keeps trying (in vain) to smile more when welcoming guests; and many others. The leitmotifs of this multicultural movie include intimacy, forgiveness, and human frailty. Stærmose succeeds in skillfully articulating the movie’s visual style in concord with the individual stories of the protagonists, who feel constricted not only by their own lives but also within the closed walls of the hotel. Of making her debut, the director said: “I have always been fascinated by hotels as a secret place outside of time and space. What happens behind all those closed doors?” Her picture provides one possible answer.

Biography

Mark Romanek  born September 18, 1959 is an award-winning American music video director who has also moved into directing theatrical films. He released his first film, Static, in 1985. It was co-written with and starred Keith Gordon.  After a few years writing screenplays, Romanek decided to focus on music videos. His subsequent work has come to be regarded as among the best of the medium. He has worked with many top-selling recording artists (ex: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Johnny Cash, Nine Inch Nails etc.) from different genres of popular music.

In 2002, Romanek wrote and directed his second full-length feature film, One Hour Photo, with Robin Williams in the lead role. Romanek has also directed television commercials for Apple Computer, Acura, Nike, Calvin Klein, American Express, ESPN, Saturn, Honda, and Cirque du Soleil. Never let me go is his third feature film.

Synopsis

Director Mark Romanek and writer Alex Garland team up to adapt Remains of the Day author Kazuo Ishiguro's introspective sci-fi novel about a group of unsuspecting boarding-school students who make a horrifying discovery about themselves. Sheltered teens Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley), and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) all grew up at a remote English boarding school, and now they're hungry to explore the real world. Their dreams of freedom are soon stifled, however, upon learning that they are nothing more than clones created specifically for organ harvesting. Now, in addition to confronting their own mortality, all three must come to terms with a lifetime of emotions and unfulfilled longings while pondering their true purpose for being.

Biography

Born 1953, Katowice, Poland. Lech Majevski is a film and stage director, screenwriter and author, and is regarded as a leading filmmaker of our time. In 2006 the Museum of Modern Art in New York organized a major retrospective of his work; Majewski was the first Polish artist to be honored in this way. He began as a film director at the end of the 1970s. After martial law was declared in the early 80s, he left his native Poland and emigrated to England and subsequently to the USA. He became celebrated not only as a filmmaker but also as an important opera director. He received considerable critical acclaim for The Garden of Earthly Delights (2004), which took away the Grand Prix from the Roma Independent Film Festival. Other more recent films include Wojaczek (1999), Angelus (2000) andGlass Lips (2007)

Synopsis

1564 was the year Pieter Bruegel completed one of his most famous epic paintings, The Procession to Calvary. Christ’s story depicted here is transferred to the period in Bruegel’s life when his nation was suffering under Spanish domination. The painting depicts more than five hundred people, each of whom conceals a unique story. The film by Polish director Lech Majewski is a stunning visual attempt to look into the lives of some of the characters who appear on the canvas. The viewer is transported to Bruegel’s artistic world, to the time of the late Middle Ages. The film traces the process of the creation of Bruegel’s masterpiece and allows us to penetrate the depth of its testimony. It captures the Passion of Christ and the suffering of others, innocent and unknown figures, and thus becomes a remarkable meditation not only on a work of art, but also on religious and philosophical issues.

Biography

Alexander Mindadze was born in 1949 in Moscow and is considered one of the most acclaimed writers and directors in Russia. Since 1975, more than 20 of his screenplays have been adapted. Early in his career he teamed up with acclaimed Russian director Vadim Abdrashitov, with whom he collaborated on eleven films over several decades. The film “Plum bum” was awarded the golden medal at the Venice Film Festival in 1986, the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1995 was awarded for the film “A Play for a Passenger”. In 2007 his first directed feature film "SOAR" at the International Film Festival in Venice obtained the film critics’ award for best debut film in Russia. He is the only Russian writer who was awarded for "The literature review in the movie" the "Ennio Flaiano Prize“, with the „Silver Pegasus" from the Italian Cultural Academy. “Innocent Saturday” is the second feature film written and directed by Alexander Mindadze.

Synopsis

Saturday, 26 April 1986. A reactor tower has exploded in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The Communist Party leadership remains silent. But Valery Kabysh, a one-time percussionist and now a young, loyal Party official, observes the panic of those in charge and realizes that every second counts.  

Valery tries to leave the city with his girlfriend and his musician friends. But life simply won’t let go of him. It’s Saturday, people are out strolling, shopping, celebrating weddings. Children are playing outdoors. The catastrophe is an omnipresent but invisible character in the story. A lost passport, a broken heel, a missed train… A wedding that calls for music till the very end. Vera has to sing, the musicians have to play, and Valery has to take over for the drunken drummer. Even when Valery’s band knows what is really going on, they continue to celebrate.

It’s Saturday, the sun is shining and the grass is green. Still green… It’s a Saturday of innocence and everyone is abandoned to their fate.

Biography

Pascal Rabate was born in1961, Angers, France.Hegraduated in engraving from art school in Angers, where he still lives. He is the author of several comic books, one of which became the basis for his first film, Les petitsruisseaux (2010), an exceptional success with French critics and viewers alike. For his next film, Holidays by the Sea, he also used another of his comics as its starting point. In another professional venture, Rabaté took up acting duties in the 2008 film Louise-Michel (dirs. Gustave de Kervern, BenoîtDélepine).

Synopsis

The weekend is coming and the various inhabitants of France, from punkers to retirees, are heading to a place of relaxation: an old married couple spend it in a trailer, neighbors with their teenage daughters occupy a small house, and a stern father instructs his family how to put up their tent.... The characters of this original comedy are many; But they all have one thing in common: we don’t hear their voices because they don’t communicate with words, but through expressions and gestures. Pascal Rabaté has shot a film without dialogue based on a comic book which he himself wrote.  The colorful incidents of these ordinary characters correspond in many ways to the mentality of the people of France – and perhaps even elsewhere.

Biography

Martin Šulík was born 1962, Žilina, Slovakia.  He graduated in film and television direction from VŠMU (1986). In 1986-91 he worked as assistant director on short films, occasionally directed for the theater, acted in movies, and shot documentaries. Since the early 1990s he has mainly focused on features, distinguishing himself for his poetic-symbolic tone, nostalgic atmosphere, existential dimension, and episodic structure.

Synopsis

For 14-year-old Adam, the world of his poor Romany village has only two joys: boxing and Julka, a friend his same age. But after the violent death of his father, the boy experiences life’s harsher side: his mother remarries and his stepfather demands obedience without seeking to deserve Adam’s respect. Gradually everything the boy was attached to starts to fall apart around him, and if his dead father hadn’t visited him he wouldn’t even know which path to take. The inexperience of youth, loneliness, and impulsiveness prevent him from using reason and cool consideration to face the obstacles in his way, and he even sometimes provokes those who stand by him. And thus he finds himself in a situation for which there is only one solution.

Biography

Vahid Mousaian was born in Khorramabad, Iran in 1969. He graduated from Azad University with a degree in theatre. He subsequently made a number of short films, winning several prizes at both national and international film festivals. Mr. Mousaian's debut feature, Wishes of the Land, was the recipient of the Special Jury Prize at the 24th Moscow International Film Festival (2002), 19th Love International Film Festival in Mons, Belgium. It was also given the best film award by the Kodak International Jury. His second feature film, Silence of the Sea, received the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the 52nd Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival, the Best Music Award at the 48th Asia Pacific Film Festival, the Best Feature Film and the Best Screenplay at the Dubrovnik Film Festival (Croatia), and competed in the 2004 Sundance International Film Festival. The Solitude of Wind and The Bright House were his third and fourth features, and his latest films are The Earring and The Lost Land, the latter a documentary. Mousaian is a member of the Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia).

Synopsis

Ashraf Khan, owner of a defunct movie house in Kabul, becomes determined to rebuild and reopen after the fall of the communist Najibullah government and the victory of the Mujahidin in Afghanistan. But civil war soon threatens the new Mujahidin government, spreading from Kabul to the rest of the country, and neither Ashraf’s theater nor the National Film House of Afghanistan, keeper the nation’s pictorial history, is immune to the war and its devastation.

Biography

Keti Machavariani  was born in 1972. She graduated from the faculty of art of Tbilisi State University in 1995 before graduating in film direction (2002). Thanks to a scholarship from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2005-06 she became acquainted with the workof Italy’s state-run RAI TV station. Back in Georgia she shot several successful short films and directed and produced television programs. She also cooperated on the features of her colleagues. She was involved as an executive producer on Street Days (Quchisdgeebi, 2010, dir. LevanKoguashvili) and took a part in OtarIoseliani’s latest film Chantrapas (2010). Salt White, based on several supranational projects, is her feature debut.

Synopsis

Post-Soviet Georgia in the beginning of the 21st century. Nana, 35, a single woman works as a seasonal worker on summer resort of Black Sea coast. Nana saves her income dreaming to purchase a small café in her hometown. She occasionally meets patrol officer Niko, a refugee from Abkhazia..Niko takes care of old parents, living at a hotel with others refugees. The father is looking after the amnesic mother, who isn’t able to recognize even her own son. Nana and Niko’s closed world is disrupted by the homeless child Sopo. She points them to a new path – path of hope. Only Nana is able to follow it.

Biography

Born in Diyarbakır in 1969. Completed his primary and secondary education there. He attended Çukurova University - Adana.  While he was a university student, he also worked as a journalist. After completing his education he worked in the field of photography.

He was a lecturer of cinema and photography at the Faculty of  Fine  Arts at Çukurova University- Adana. He directed  the short films “Pantor”, “Le Vallah” and “Lüks Otel”. He was the Director of Photography for the short  films “Kafe”, “Güvah” and “Vicdanın İki Yüzü”. He produced a documentary called “Beyaz Anadol”. He also produced the documentary “Satır Arası” for TRT. Recently he wrote the scenario of “Lüks Otel”. He was also Director  and the Director of Photography for the same film. He is the founder of Mediterranean Cinema Amateurs Association.

Synopsis

Luxury Hotel, brings together four “no way-out stories” in the same hotel. Mehdi, who leaves the terrorist organisation and hopes to catch a new break, an Afghan family escaping the Taliban regime, a young gay couple whose only wish is to live their relationship free in istanbul, and an almost trapped young junkie girl... At first, Luxury Hotel represents a temporary station on their way out.

However, in time, the hotel becomes limbo where they are stuck in. It seems, whatever they do, they will never get rid of being “the other”. They keep their silence. We rarely hear them speak or actually respond to anything. It looks like they are exhausted in this journey, but obviously they are crying for help.

Biography

Georgian multimedia artist Levan Tsulukidze was born in 1969 in Batumi. He is founder and leader of experimental rock group NIJARA. Levan started his activity in various sphere of Art from 90’s. He worked in radio/TV, participated in exhibitions, video installations etc.

Levan has arranged various performances combining poetry, music and visual art. He is author of several music animation and short films which were presented in media and participated on festivals.

Synopsis

I AM JUNKIE LVEIN is another animation of fantastic couple – Junkie and Deo. It is kind of continuation of Levan’s previous animations’ themes. Junkie and Deo transform in wolves in mystic Batumi. Junkie is saving Deo from struggle which is happening between wolves and rabbits. After this they escape from police by intergalactic express car. Junkie and Deo are flying in cosmos are ready for new adventures.

Biography

Born in 1971.Graduated Tbilisi State University and ShotaRustaveli State University of Theatre and Film. She made several short films and documentaries.   Her project ,,I am at home, you are on the way,, was  selected for the Cannes International Film Festival (2009) and she is working now on this project. High above the clouds is her last film shoot in 2011.

Synopsis

The film is about a love of life.This feeling is especially intensified for foreign women who happened to arrive in Svaneti (high mountainous region of Georgia) after their marriage. Svaneti is a very different cultural space for them to live. Half isolated, half archaic, but sharply different from what they were used to.The film is a very interesting story about people of different traditions and customs living under one roof for ages. The film is about living and leaving which is quite a hard dilemma for the main characters of the documentary film. Let’s trace what they will decide?

Synopsis

Do Not Forget Me Istanbul, produced by SevilDemirci and Hüseyin Karabey, who attained international recognition especially with My Marlon and Brando (2008), The film consists of six short films by six directors that have been successful in the international arena. They come together to remind viewers that Istanbul's history does not belong only to the people of Turkey. Each of these short films is 15 minutes long, and the stories are from the directors own lives or about the lives of others. Bosnian player Alma, middle-aged couple Dragan and Ana, Vangelis, Martha and Armenak... They all have different reasons for being in Istanbul. The city's cosmopolitan history brings these people together.

Biography

Tamar Shavgulidze was born in 1980. In 2002 graduated Shota Rustaveli Theater and Cinema State University, Faculty – Film Director (Dato Janelidze class ). “Born in Georgia” is her first feature film.

I do not come blanket-covered from the dust of paper, or wallpaper, less from the variety show, I have always been in the warehouse close to the box of explosives”

Biography 

Ruben Gevorkyants was born in 1945, in Yerevan (Armenia).  He graduated from the Directing Department of Yerevan Theatre Institute. He is is the author of 18 documentary and fiction films. Ruben Gevorkyants  is the director of the documentary short film studio Hayk/Haik in Armenia and President of the National Union of Filmmakers for the Republic Of Armenia.  He is also a Professor at Yeveran State University.

Synopsis

Tonino is a poet, script writer, painter, sculptor, dramatist, journalist, constructor, furrier, writer, metallurgist, scientist, social doer, agronomist, gardener, chemist, and simply a good man. Toninno should have been born in the epoch of Renaissance. He could compared with Leonardo da Vinchi in the scale and many-sideness. Perhaps, Tonino Guerra is the last leaf  of the tree of the Italian Renaissance

Biography

NosirSaidov was born in 1966 in Tajikistan. He graduated  Faculty of film directing atTajik State Institute of Art named after M. Tursun-Zaden.  He was involved in several films as second director. True Noon was his first feature film. It has won awards at film festivals in India, Iran, Japan and Russia. Saidov was assistant director on Luna Papa 1999 andThe Suit 2003.

Synopsis

Nilufar, a girl living downtown, is about to marry a man living uptown. But one day, soldiers come and plant barbed wire to separate the two towns. The life of the people, who have thus far enjoyed peace, now falls into severe chaos. Students must take classes with barbed wire in the middle of the classroom, and it becomes difficult to go to the hospital. However, the biggest problem is Nilufar's wedding. Kirill, the chief of the climate observatory, tries his best to help her wedding, but then a terrible tragedy occurs.

Biography

Levan Adamia was born in 1972, Tbilisi. He graduated Edinburgh University’s Art college - faculty of TV and cinema. Mainly he works on Documentary films. He got Emmy for his film “Children behind the. Currently works at Doc film studio of Georgia Public Broadcaster.

Synopsis

In 1936 in one of Khevsureti village Barisakho, one foreigner arrived. He introduced himself as Robert Mcgregory- American journalist. Gradually he made a friendship with locals and promised to help in their fight against communist.

Robert offered to the leaders of khevsureti who had great authority in local community, to write the letter to president of USA and ask for support of weapons. Soon, based on this letter a lot of Khevsurians were arrested. Arrested persons were amazed when it turned out that Robert in fact was secret agent of KGB - Alexander Kvlividze. The arrested Khevsurians didn’t return in homes. And the copy of letter, after 70 years, was personally handed to president of USA by Mikheil Saakashvili (president of Georgia).

Synopsis

Successful actor Goga Nijaradze during entr'acte, in front of the mirror, remembers his past life.

Biography

Tsicko was born in 1982 in Ashkelon, Israel. Tsicko studied theatre and moved to Tel Aviv at 18 And since then she has traveled around the world. Upon his return she began studying film at Tel Aviv University.  Her  film “Daswarilli” (Stained) has been screened in festivals in Israel and over the world.

Synopsis

A female director (played by the director herself) wants to shoot a film of an encounter between a jewish woman and an arab man. She calls an Arab actor for an audition. What are the boundaries of an audition? Where does "reality" start, and the "movie" ends? Where does the barriers cross between fiction and life itself, And the difference that exists between a character to an identity?

Biography 

Pravylo Iryna is the young Ukrainian film-director. In 2010  Iryna was graduated from KYIV NATIONAL I. K. KARPENKO-KARY THEATRE, CINEMA AND TELEVISION UNIVERSITY (speciality "direction of television") in Ukraine.  First feature film is "Blood" is based on the novel by famous Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze “Blood”.

Synopsis

This story is about incomprehensible force of blood, about its call. The protagonist - 11 years old boy Nodar, who lost his parents. And now he has to choose – to live with his grandmother (mum of his mother) or grandfather (dad of his father). The conflict of sincere, true, loving hearts is solved by a natur’s  way. By the way of the respect and protection of the right of the person - the child who matures before our eyes.

Biography

KuzmaVostrikov was born in 1977. At his 17 he entered Bauman's technical university,from 1996 published in newspapers and magazines, graduated literature studio in Bauman's university. While studying in Bauman’s University he attended seminars in University of Literature.

In 2001 he graduated from Bauman's University. At the present time he occupies with directing and producing films.

Synopsis

Incurable disease of Sergey marks out real characters of all members of his family, His son Pavel doesn’t know how to get closer to his father and tell about his feelings.

BIOGRAPHY

Since graduating in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art Samuel has written and directed both drama and documentary. His Channel 4 comedy HUNG OUT aired earlier in the year and he’s just finished directing his short film CONNECT.  Samuel is represented by Tally Garner at Curtis Brown.

SYNOPSIS

Fed up with the hostility of the city and its people, a young woman's view of the world changes when she makes a surprise connection with a stranger on a bus.

Biography

Born in 1979.A graduate of the Jagiellonian University with a degree in Theatre Studies. She finished the Documentary Programme in Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing. For more than five years she cooperated with Polish television where she made dozens of social reportages. For Discovery History she scripted and directed the documentary film, THE ANGEL OF DEATH (2008) that tells about the Nazi doctor Mengele’s pseudo-medical experiments

Synopsis 

Music played by young therapist leads us in to the world of old people's home. Closeness and fellowship of the young men makes them feel necessary and noticed. While he is looking after them, he feels inescapability of death and tries to find the meaning of his own life. Musical term decrescendo mounts up here to the existential overtone.

The film was produced within the frame of Documentary Programme held by Andrzej Wajda Film School.

Biography

Nargiza Mamatkulova  was born in 1984.   Education:  2002-2007 Kyrgyz-Turkish University «Manas», Communication department, branch – Radio, television and Cinematography 2007- 2010  Kyrgyz-Turkish University «Manas», Masters degree.  In 2009 participated in Cinema school of Berlin film festival. Special prize of organizing committee in the festival-competition «AikolManas – The man of a year» in nomination «Literature and Art».

Synopsis

A poetical film from southern Kyrgyzstan where two mothers let their son and daughter meet for the first time, with thoughts of marriage.   In Kyrgyz courting tradition, men give women a pair of earrings as a token of their love. In this film there is a meeting between an adolescent boy and girl and their mothers, who are friends. The director uses metaphors from national poetry to reflect on the meeting instead of words.

Biography

Manana was born in 1985. She graduated secondary school in Brill. After it Manana graduated Batumi Art Institute – specialization of Tele/film director. She shoot several short films – One day of Mullah (2009), My village (2010), Ghost (2011). 

Synopsis

Film tells the life of highland Adjara in 50’s. Giorgi goes to war and soon his family receives the notice of his death. They want to marry his wife Fatima to Giorgi’s brother. Fatima makes suicide. Giorgi returns from war and finds himself in unclear situation.

Biography

Born in 1976. Graduated Film and TV director course at University of Drama and Film in 1997, and Animation and multi-media course during 1999-2000.  Produced several short films and animation including - Grand Café, Big step, Anima, Beyond the star, Neolithic recollection, Experiment 1994 etc. 

Synopsis

A true story? Maybe so happened at the beginning of last century in a world in black and white sometimes paid to sepia, when the art brought the color.

Synopsis

 
Gulo is a film that explores the line between death and life, visualizing the theatrical happenings and settings surrounding burial rituals. Often death is presented as the ending of life, something feared by people. Contrary to this, Gulo shows the diverse approaches to death and reveals the thoughts of people who are directly connected to the passageway between life and death: "death no longer interests me. I wish I had a different life, I want to be on stage.”Gulo is shot in Kutaisi, Georgia.

Biography

AhmedovFarizAsif - was born in December 15, 1983 in Baku. 2001-2005 year – Azerbaijan State University of Art and Culture, faculty of screenwriter. 2007-2010 - RustamIbragimbekov’s International Cinema School, faculty of producer. 2010– till now - The Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. Gerasimov (VGIK), faculty of film director. Participant of BerlinaleTalant Campus 2009.

Synopsis

Ali is a ninth grader (Secondary school) from his childhood works on a salty lake. Formerly he only watched as his father works, but now he does almost the entire work by himself. Ali is one of the many other people of Masazir village, who don’t think about whom they’ll be when they grow up, how they’ll make one’s living. And the reason is this Salty Lake – a heritage, which passes from generation to generation for a long time since.

Biography

Giorgi Varsimashvili was born in 1986 inTbilisi. In 2011 he graduated Film directing faculty in Paris. Since 2004 he started shooting films and  has shoot 4 short, 2 medium lengh and 1 full length films. His films participated in several film festivals. Currently he studies at Paris Film school. 

Synopsis

Film tells soty of a person who lives with Love and despite the tragedy continues to live for Love.

Biography

Born September. 1978. Graduated MA in theatre study from Tehran university of fine Arts. He  translated into Persian language and published some of well-known plays by Woody Allen, Tony Kushner, David Ives, Nilo Cruz,.. As world theatre editor of Simia theatre Periodical, translated and published dozens of theatre papers and book chapters.

Synopsis

A short documentary film about the bloody massacre of innocent Iranian people in birth month of the director, September 8 of 1979.it concentrates on a less than minute horrifying footage of the bloody killing of people who were unaware of official curfew, to find out more of the identity of the victims. Into Thin Air is moving and pathetic image-reading of any political massacre of innocent victims.

Biography

David Kopaleishvili was born in 1987, Tbilisi. In 2004 he graduated from I.Nikoladsze art institute. In 2008 he finished bachelor program at Tbilisi Art Academy specializing in Architectural modeling. In 2010 he got Master degree from same Academy in computer graphics and animation

Synopsis

“There is Sun in each person, just give it the opportunity to shine” (Socrates).

The film shows the attitude of society to persons who have natural talent. Sometimes due to indifference of society, in such “lights” (talent) it is destroyed the source of  light (talent) and opportunities which come from them.

Synopsis

Clochard Gabriel’s happiest moment of life is when he makes the Swan dance – with the magic white feather that plays wonderful music. But the wind takes the feather away – and brings it to Sabina, a clumsy girl who would love to dance like a ballerina. When she finds the feather, its music takes her over, and she dances freely and discovers, that she can even fly!

But when Gabriel finds the Girl, he wants the feather back – at any price – and they both end up being in life danger. 

Biography

Ramon & Pedro was born in 2004. They were featured in Shots Magazine in the New Directors section, which lead them to sign with Partizan Worldwide. Since then, R&P has directed commercials for clients such as Diesel, AOL, Panasonic, Citroën, Milky Way, Lenovo… and shot music videos for various artists like Feist, Hocus Pocus, MatchBox 20, Calogero…

Synopsis

The Mirror is about a man going from childhood to old age in the time it takes to freshen up. This film is a strong exercise about making-up and special effects. Using invisible transitions technics, the spectator has the illusion to see only one plan from the beginning until the end

Biography

ArthutStepanyan studied atTel Aviv University of Film and Television and received his  Master of Fine Arts in 2009. Before he got Bachelor degree in Business Management & Marketing, Champlain College, USA.Currently freelance cinematographer and Advertising Art Director.

Synopsis

Mother and son are enslaved by themselves within their lives and the flat where they live. The day to day routine is broken by the invasion of a woman that will change their world.

Biography

TornikeBziava is a Georgian director and actor born in 1980.  In 2003 he graduatesUniversity Theatre and Film of Georgia in directing and achieves three experimental films (Listen to Chopin, Delirium and Secret Man). The year after he goes to the Tisch School of the Arts in New York..In 2005, he receives the Fulbright Scholarship which allows him to spend one year formation in Warsaw at the world renowned Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing. In 2010 he directed the short film April Chill, which receives an International Jury Special Mention at the 2010 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival.

Synopsis

TornikeBziava dedicated his latest work to his old father, who is playing himself in the film. Once a great chemist, author of many inventions has now grown weak and lost his ability of speech. The only valuable thing for him is his son, who realizes that he cannot devote much time to him and decides to give him some happiness.

Biography

Ivaskevicius was born in 1973 in Moletai Marius is a prose writer and dramturge. He graduated from Vilnius University with a degree in Lithuanian philology. He was awarded the prize for best Lithuanian dramaturgical performance in Lithuanian theatres by the Ministry of Culture in 2002 for his play Malysh. His play Madagascar (Madagaskaras), published in 2004, received the prize for most artistic book in Lithuania for 2004. He also directs films and writes screenplays.

Synopsis 

At first it seems that Liza and her children do their daily routine in their ordinary poorly set flat. The boys-Tomas and Edgaras - are watching TV, the teenager daughter Kristina is cooking, the mother is writting a letter. The family is waiting for the father to come back. Soon he comes and brings food and leaves shortly after, since this is not an ordinary flat. It is a basement, from which Liza and her children will never be able to escape.

Biography

Born in 1973.Phographer, photo reporter, director of photography, director. For 5 years he has worked as a war photojournalist for GazetaWyborcza. He finished the Documentary Programme in Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing in 2010.

Synopsis

The film by PiotrBernaś presents a behind-the-scenes look at a much derided profession. Bernaś looks at some of the most significant media incidents in Poland in 2010 from the point of view of the paparazzi - from the hunt for Roman Polanski to the Smoleńsk Disaster. "Paparazzi" is a film about a world in which values are confused and rules are flexible - but it shows that there is always a second chance, where we can make our minds up about what kind of people we will be tomorrow.

Biography

Born 1986 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Since 2006 studies film directing at Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theatre, Film and Television. She shoot several films in past years - “The shadow of butterfly” (2007),  “Jeanna” (2008), “The Lovers” (2009), “Pretty Mouth and Green Eyes” (2010).

Synopsis

This is the story of three people: Oksana, Andrey and Ian, who «lose themselves» and the main family values in today’s world. The whole film is riddled with the woman’s loneliness.

What’s more fate brings the three people in one place, while Andrey is looking for his wife. For each of the people there remains the choice of how to get out of the situation to tell a lie or the truth, despite the risk of losing the relationship.

Biography

He was born in 1982 in Samsun. He graduated from the department of Cinema and TV, Fine Arts Faculty.

Synopsis

Everything those experienced in between the birth and the death and Life! Every creature which has the chance to live does accept it rules. But for human being it's all the same as his previous model. Its known, it's being taught, it's being learned and being repeated.

Biography

Ramaz Melashvili was born on 27 February 1980 in Tiblisi, Georgia. From 2003 till 2009 he was student in the audio visual class of art Academy (Willem de Kooning).  During his studies Ramaz worked on several film projects as cameraman and directed several short fiction/experimental films, he graduated with the short fiction: "The Lake".

Synopsis

Two men have a daily meeting place on the roof of their house, a neutral place between their hope and misery.

Biography

Malakias is based in Helsinki, Finland. He`s fan of Heavy Metal and Horror Films. Studied animation in two schools, but dropped out from both of them. Got graduation diplomas from professional school as "printmaker for industry" and art school main subject as "metal graphic". Done four music videos to finnish rock band Sweatmaster. 

Synopsis

Lust for money, power and sex.

BIOGRAPHY

Shota Gamisonia was born in 1980 in Sukhumi. Since 1993 he lives in Moscow, graduated from the Postgraduate Theatre College named after Shchukin. He was an actor in “The Theatre on Taganka”. Currently studing at the PostgraduateSchool of Scriptwriters and Film directors, Moscow, Russia.

Synopsis

A day in the life of two lazy Muscovites. Their city is by the sea, the sun is shining and wine is home-made.A team of Ukrainian synchronized swimmers is training on an imaginary Moscow beach - two friends should really go and watch. Or will they stay in the shade after all or go for a picnic in the mountains? Too many choices.

Biography

Iván Ruiz Flores graduated in Information Science at the Complutense University of Madrid and extended his studies with various courses of script, direction and film production at several schools in Madrid.

In 2008 he created the company AniuR Creativos Audiovisuales SLU, which he combines with his teaching in the area of scriptwriting and directing, script analysis and individual projects.

Synopsis

Sweet is a fable about falling in love. Eighty-year-old grandparents Lily and William suffer from this temporary sickness, as do Adrian and Laura, who barely are ten-year-old grandparents. The elderly’s memories and the youngsters’ imagination are revived during dinner and with a game. In film, each Word obtains imperious meaning and the greatest feelings are transformed into little gestures.

 Biography

Graduated in 2003 Latvian Culture Academy – Art bachelor’s degree in cinema directors speciality.

Animation: Island of Doctor D 2005 / The Prickly 2004

Documentaries: Ice–Breaker and His Children 2009 / Manur’s War Dance 2009 / Chechnya with My Own Eyes 2007 / People of the Reindeer 2005/ Talking on the Way 2006  

Synopsis

She is young and beautiful. Her mischievous green eyes are looking for an opportunity to break out of the dull routine of daily life. She is going on a journey and her experiences there with pull her into a whirlwind of passion! 

Synopsis

Reza and Leila, an attractive and affluent young couple deeply in love and recently married, discover that Leila is unable to conceive. Invoking tradition, Reza's mother convinces her daughter-in-law that Reza must, out of necessity, take a second wife to produce an heir.

This provocative and eloquent story, from "Iran's longest running cinematic master" is a stunning portrayal of the clash between tradition and modern marriage; between manipulation and the power of love.

Synopsis

In this Iranian psychodrama from Dariush Mehrjui, a middle-aged author Mahmoud reflects on his youth. In flashbacks, we return to the bright and colorful Tehran of his childhood in the late 1940s, when a shy 11-year-old boy was completely in awe of his 14-year-old cousin. She was a tomboy, but also a ravishing beauty--and now she's his muse. With The Pear Tree, Mehrjui offers a haunting, autobiographical account of childhood and a testament to the power of memory. The film is winner of the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival.  

Biography

Tom DiCillo is an American director, cinematographer, writer and (sometimes) actor born in Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina, and who studied film at New York University. During his early career he began working with director Jim Jarmusch as a cinematographer on films that include Stranger Than Paradise (1984) and Coffee and Cigarettes (1986). He also worked with Howard Brookner on the documentary Burroughs (1983), which featured the William S. Burroughs. His experience as cinematographer proved invaluable and he was soon writing and directing his own films.

Notable directorial projects from Tom include Johnny Suede (1991), Living in Oblivion (1995), The Real Blonde (1997), and When You're Strange (2009).

 Synopsis

When You re Strange, written and directed by the award-winning Tom DiCillo, is the first feature documentary released on The Doors. This 90-minute presentation features never-before-seen rare archival film.  When You're Strange is far from a nostalgic journey and much more than a biopic. Using only original footage shot between 1966 and 1971, DiCillo's film attempts to disentangle truth from myth, depict the artist and the alcoholic/addict that was Morrison, and showcase the other members of the band: Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore, who together channeled the group's magic. It manages to preserve the mystique but never ceases to unearth new revelations and augment our understanding of who The Doors were and what they became. The film is a rare tribute to music, individuality, and a generation and resonates with an authenticity that speaks to anyone who wants to understand that era and what it means today

Biography

Born in 1956, he belongs to the greatest provocateurs and experimentalists of cinema. He began with visually sophisticated films, full of expressionism and symbolism. Later, he shocked his viewers with the metaphysical melodrama Breaking the Waves, and Idiots exercising the postulates of Dogma 95. Then, he broke the vows of celibacy in the anti-musical Dancing in the Dark, and in the cult television series The Kingdom. Finally, he began the ‘American trilogy’ with conventional scenery. He presented his credo in Five Obstructions, proposed an anti-horror in Antichrist, and ინ 2011, he returned to Cannes with the catastrophicMelancholy. He is a winner of the Golden Palm, and more than 60 other prizes, enfant terrible of festivals, the grey eminence of Danish cinematography, and owner of the company Zentropa.

Synopsis

Earth is evil. No one is going to miss it – says the melancholic Justine to Claire, who surrenders to a different Melancholy – a planet that is closing on to Earth. The ambiguous title in both casus defines a catastrophe. For Justine, melancholy is the tragedy of living among people – the woman can’t adjust to professional or family environment. The latter is the meaning of life for Claire. However, her happy life is also to be ended prematurely by Melancholy. Lars von Trier looks at the catastrophe from a micro and macro perspective. Comparing them, he draws conclusion that the melancholic people are better prepared for the unavoidable end. The defence of this thesis is bolstered by the phenomenal performance of Kirsten Dunst – her depressive Justine is the only person not to go crazy over the impending end of the world.

Biography

Jerzy YurekSkolimowski (born May 5, 1938) in Poland is a Polish film director, screenwriter, dramatist and actor. A graduate of the prestigious Polish Film School in Łódź, Skolimowski has directed more than twenty films in and outside of Poland since his 1960 début The Menacing Eye. He now lives in Los Angeles where he paints in a figurative, expressionist mode and acts occasionally in films.

Synopsis

Captured by the US military in Afghanistan, Mohammed (Vincent Gallo) is transported to a secret detention centre in Europe. When the vehicle is riding in crashes, he finds himself suddenly free and on the run in a snow-blanketed forest, a world away from the desert home he knew. Relentlessly pursued by an army that does not officially exist, Mohammed must confront the necessity to kill in order to survive.Essential Killing won a Special Jury award at the Venice film festival in 2010, and lead actor Vincent Gallo took the Best Actor award.

Biography

Born 20 February 1943, British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s his career moved between work for the theatre and making films for BBC Television, many of which were characterized by a gritty „kitchen sink realism” style. His well-known films include Life is Sweet (1990), the comedy-drama Career Girls (1997), the Gilbert and Sullivan biopic TopsyTurvy (1999), and the bleak working-class drama All or Nothing (2002). His most notable works are arguably Naked (1993) for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes, the BAFTA-winning (and Oscar-nominated) Palme d'Or winner Secret & Lies (1996) and Golden Lion winner Vera Drake(2004).

Synopsis

A happily married English couple provide continuity and emotional support for their circle of relatives and friends. Over the course of a year, Gerri and Tom offer a warm gathering place for Tom's brother, Robbie, the unhappily single Mary, and the overweight, hard-drinking Ken.

Biography

The director and scriptwriter, Piotr subbotko is a graduate of the Andrzej Wajda School of Film Directing and of the Theatre Studies at the State Theatre Academy. The film 'Glasgow' is his directing debut. 

Synopsis

„Glasgow” is the story of a 12-year-old boy Damian, who is convinced that his father is a well-known football player in the club Celtic Glasgow. During the holidays, the boy tries to earn enough money to afford a trip to Scotland He falls in love with a 15-year-old pregnant girl Monika, wants to take care of her child and take both of them to a better world.

Biography

Lesław Dobrucki was born in 1969 in Warsaw. A graduate of the Faculty of Graphic Arts of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 1998 and of a documentary film course in the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing. An Author of   Murderous Fangy vs. GigaKitten (1998),   The Crew (2007), Booth of Fortune (2008), and Little Bride (2010)

Synopsis

Estimates indicate that in Germany each year dozens of Turkish girls and women are beaten to death by their husbands or family members. The protagonist of Polish director Lesław Dobrucki’s  documentary barely escaped the same fate. At her family’s bidding, she was forced to marry in Germany at age 13. She managed to escape from her husband her family.

Biography

Marcin Sauter was born in 1971 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. A graduate of the documentary course at the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing, together with his friends from Wajda’s School he established in 2006 the Paladino Film Team.   In 2006 the team  received a City of Torun Grzegorz Ciechowski Award. Sauter works now for the biggest journals in Poland as a photographer. In 2007, together with the PaladinoTeam, Sauter made a film devoted to Andrzej Wajda Katyń.

Synopsis

'North from Calabria' is about a dream place to live, where living is easy and people know each other, tolerate their faults, like to meet to talk and just be together. For one summer,  Sauter’s  film crew mingles with the inhabitants of a small town  to enact an almost Italian comedy. It appears that all they needed was a few classes of Italian cuisine and the art of carpe diem to turn this Polish province into Calabria alike. .

Synopsis

Five minutes. €1000. Everybody's happy. In a city where young, rich people will spend whatever it takes to get what they want, Thomas provides them with a service no one else will.

Biography:

Thomas Wangsmo is a Norwegian writer and director, currently working with Vidvinkel Film in Norway. He holds a BA (Hons) and an MFA in Film Production, and his short films have been screened in film festivals around the world. In October 2009 he won his first award, the EFA Best European Short Award, at the International Film Festival in Ghent.

Synopsis

Recent history with a personal angle. A relationship and a string of events seen through one person's eyes.

 Biography

Jonas Odell was born in Stockholm 10 November 1962. Since forming the FilmTecknarna studio in Stockholm 1981 Jonas Odell has directed and co-directed a number of short films, mostly working in mixed media techniques. His latest highly acclaimed shorts are ”Never like the first time!” ”Lies” and ” Coltsfoot”. He has also directed a number of music videos for such artists as The Rolling Stones, Goldfrapp, U2 and Franz Ferdinand. 

Synopsis

Five fragments describing the relational problems between three family members, in particular the struggle of the mother, split between her partner and her daughter.

Biography

Paloma Aguilera Valdebenito (Amsterdam, 1982). In Paris he studied theatre at the drama school ' Acting International', led by Robert Cordier. After a few years of study and several different jobs in Paris she applied for the Directing course at the Dutch Film and Television Academy in Amsterdam. She got accepted and in 2009 she graduated with the short film 'Stay, away' (Blijf bij me, weg), to which she also wrote the script. Besides directing and writing she's also working as an actress.

Synopsis

Giano and Luc hardly know each other. They are driving through a wood going to take shelter from the rain in Luc’s immense villa.  Suddenly an accident happens. Panic-stricken, Giano doesn’t know whether Luc is dead or unconscious.

Biography

Born and raised in Milan, he lived several years in Boston (USA) and London; he later graduated in Film History at the University of Bologna. After working as an assistant director on Richard Eyre’s The Other Man and Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love, he made several short videos. Diarchy is his first short film.

Synopsis Joseph is a shy, introverted little boy who collects snails. One day he gets swallowed up by his own tummy-button and discovers the disturbing world of the “navel-gazers”, people who, by only communicating with their navel, curl in on themselves and turn into snails ...  

Biography

Sophie Roze was born in 1979. After studying History and Art History, she decided to get into animation and in 2004 entered the La Poudrière Animation School in Valence France. Since then she has worked on institutional films and co-directed the pilot of the series "Ariol” in 2006. "Joseph’s Snails," which won the Arte award in the Annecy Festival projects competition in 2007, is her first film.

Synopsis

LIGHTS is a comedy. The story of a small – town police officer who dreams of being a hero. As his peaceful village offers no opportunity for heroism, he decides to take matters in his own hands.

Biography

Giulio Ricciarelli was born 1965 in Milan, Italy and grew up in Munich, Germany. In 2000 he founded naked eye Filmproduction with Sabine Lamby. He works as Director, Scriptwriter, Actor and Producer

Synopsis

María's Way is an observational documentary which allows a glimpse into the ways of the modern pilgrim and a woman who awaits their arrival at her small slice of the Camino de Santiago.

Biography

Anne Milne is an award-winning Scottish filmmaker whose career has spanned several decades and continents. In addition to being a Director and Editor, Anne has produced web based content and video games, and taught New Media for a number of years in California. Her current passion is meeting people in obscure places doing interesting things. In 2010 she completed a two-year MFA in Film Directing at the Edinburgh College of Art.   

Synopsis

Fusing documentary and fiction, OUT OF LOVE, depicts the lives of children trying to survive the aftermath of war in Kosovo by selling cigarettes on the street. Through monologues performed by the children against the eerie backdrops of Pristina, the film tells their gripping and sad story of memory, loss and fear.

Biography

Birgitte Steermose was born in 1963, Denmark. M.F.A. in Film and Media Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia. Her previous work includes the award-winning short films Now, Look at Me (2001), Small Avalanches (2003), Letters from Denmark (2006), Principles of Attraction (2006) and Sophie (2006). Small Avalanches was nominated for the UIP Prize for Best European Short at the EFA Awards in 2004. Out of Love has in 2010 been awarded at Berlin IFF, Rotterdam IFF, Melbourne IFF, Cinema de Brive and Odense Film Festival.

Synopsis

Volunteers hold funerals for unknown or forgotten deceased. Stella-Plage. On the beach, a phone booth is ringing. A young couple strolling by picks up the receiver. At the other end of the line, a mother is trying to reach her daughter.

Biography

Shalimar Preuss lives and works in Paris, France. She has studied art and film in the US as well as in France, notably at Le Fresnoy, National Studio for Contemporary Arts (2004-2006). Rendez-vous à Stella-Plage is her third short (L'escale/Fade far away - 2007, Seul à seul/Self to self - 2005). At present, she is writing her first feature film: Un Médianoche.

Synopsis

A boy learns to play the piano.

Biography

David OReilly (21 June 1985, Kilkenny) is an Irish animator based in Berlin. At 15 he began working as an assistant at local animation studios, teaching himself 3d software in his spare time. He discovered cinema in 2005 when he was given the keys to an unused private theatre with an enormous film library. Since then he has created a wide variety of independent short films. Noted for his disregard of conventions his work is regarded as a groundbreaking force in contemporary 3d animation.

Synopsis

It's not wrong to want love - you just need to look for it in the right place 

Biography

Miia Tervo (dob 18.02.1980) grew up in Lapland, and has studied film in the Turku Arts Academy as well as majoring in documentary in School of Art and Design in Helsinki. Her previous short films “Seal” and “Little Snow Animal” have both been extremely successful and awarded in internationally. She is now working on her first feature documentary. Also, her poetry has been published in several collections and anthologies.

Synopsis

Entangled in a realm of thought, 12-year-old Mare has trouble growing up. When her young mother brings home a new boyfriend, questions remain unanswered and communication seems impossible. Frenetic, Marie tries to win back her mother while she silently finds solace in a world of memories.

Biography

Nathalie Teirlinck (Brussels, 1985) graduated with great distinction from the Belgian Film School KASK in 2007. One year earlier, her first short film “Anémone" won several awards and  was also internationally acclaimed at film festivals in Locarno, Cuenca, London, Bucharest, …  "Venus vs Me" was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival and rewarded with the nomination of the European Film Academy.