During the 78th edition of the Locarno International Festival, three Romanian feature films will premiere, each entering the competition to different categories. The list is complemented by a short film, directed by Radu Muntean.
Gabriel Spahiu, again in a movie under Radu Jude’s signature
After winning the silver bear in Berlinale, Radu Jude comes to Locarno, for the world premiere, with “Dracula”, competing for the big prize, in the Concorso Internazionale category. Starting from the legend of the famous vampire and from the figure of Vlad Țepeș, the film proposes a series of stories radically different in style and shape, from pulp to avant -garde, from literary to grotesque, from fantastic to hyperrealist.
The film has a duration of 170 minutes and brings together a wide distribution, including Adonis Tanţa, Gabriel Spahiu, Oana Maria Zaharia, Alexandru Dabija, Lukas Miko, Andrada Balea, Ilinca Manolache, Serban Pavlu, Eszter Tompa and Alina Serban and many others. The image is signed by Marius Panduru RSC, the scenography by Andreea Popa and the costumes of Cuciuc Cuciuc, the mounting of Cătălin Cristuiu, the animation of Vlaicu Golcea, Edit and Sound Design by Sebastian Zsemlye. In 2023, Jude won the Special Jury Prize in Locarno for the movie “Don’t wait too long from the end of the world”. The film will be distributed in Romania by the Independence Film.
Andrei Epure comes with his first feature film, “Don’t let me die”, competing in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente category (the section dedicated to the directors at the first or second feature). The film gradually turns into a meditation on loneliness and mourning, oscillating between semi-comedy and semi-horror. The distribution is led by Cosmina Stratan, along with Elina Löwensohn, Silviu Debu, Ozana Oancea, Mihaela Sîrbu, George Albert Costea, Elias Ferkin, Isabela Neamţu, Ioana Crăciunescu and the dogs Ricky and Anishka.
Andrei Epure, debut in feature films
The third feature film “Sorella di Clausura”, under the signature of the director Ivana Mladenović, will compete in the Concorso Internazional category. The film is based on a scenario inspired by a real story, to which Ivana Mladenović collaborated with Adrian Schiop and Momir Milosević, about a passion transformed into obsession. Stela, a young woman from a village on the outskirts of Timisoara with philology studies but does not find her place and purpose, dreams of meeting the Balkan artist she saw on TV and who fell in love with years ago, and hopes that Vera, a singer who will know her, will know her, and she will know her. Arriving in Bucharest, Stela discovers that Vera is in charge of a company that sells sexual oils and fortifications. The film is a co -production Romania, Serbia, Italy, Spain, and the distribution includes: Katia Pascariu, Cendana Trifan, Miodrag Mladenović, Arnold Kelsch, Cătălin Dordea, Adrian Radu.
“Sorella di Clausura”, a co -production Romania, Serbia, Italy, Spain
The fourth Romanian film is a short film, directed by Radu Muntean. “Index” is selected in the section dedicated to the consecrated filmmakers who experience the short form. The film has Adrian Văncică and Alexanxdru Bumbariuc in distribution.
