The International Documentary Film Festival, Astra Film Festival, now in its fourth decade, starts this Sunday in Sibiu with a highly anticipated premiere. The documentary”Tata”, by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc, is already receiving rave reviews. An important cultural event of the autumn season, AFF2024 (October 20-27) brings eight days of premieres, meetings with filmmakers, Q&A sessions, masterclasses, debates, exhibitions, and cine-concerts. Starting Saturday, October 26, a significant selection of films from the festival will be available online across Romania.
The Astra Film Festival 2024 opening gala will take place at the Sala Thalia of the Sibiu Philharmonic on Sunday, October 20, at 6:00 p.m., in the presence of the Minister of Culture, Raluca Turcan. The event will be hosted by journalist Amalia Enache and will feature two discussions: one with film critic Victor Morozov on the role of documentary films in education and societal development, and another with the Rector of the University of Bucharest, Marian Preda, about migration, one of the central themes of the opening documentary. Another special moment will be a piano recital by Dora Gaitanovici.
Valuable films in the official selection. In addition to the 18 Romanian documentaries or those directed by Romanian filmmakers, most of which will have their premiere at AFF2024, the official selection will feature around 100 new productions from across all continents. The festival’s top awards will be decided by prestigious juries from the documentary film industry, which will select the best productions in the four competitions: Central and Eastern European, Romania, Emerging Voices in Documentary Filmmaking, and the Student Competition. The full screening schedule: https://www.astrafilm.ro/ro/2024/program-orar?day=20&view=list.
Six discussions in the DocTalk program. The organizers are offering a series of debates on topics covered by some of the festival’s most intriguing films. These discussions, moderated by renowned journalists and featuring high-profile guests, will take place at Thalia Hall every evening after the 6:00 p.m. screening, starting Monday, October 20, and continuing through Friday, October 26. The DocTalk program for Saturday, October 26, will begin at 2:00 p.m. The DocTalks program can be found here: https://www.astrafilm.ro/ro/2024/sectiune/programe-speciale-2024.
Cinema New Media Dome, in Sibiu’s Great Square, will once again be the epicenter of futuristic cinema, offering audiences the chance to immerse themselves in the action. Astra Film Festival remains the only festival in Romania that offers immersive full-dome film screenings, which seem like they’re straight out of the future. The music of Queen and Pink Floyd will be central to some of the most anticipated screenings in this program. More details: https://www.astrafilm.ro/astra-film-new-media-dome.
Opportunities for emerging filmmakers. This year, AFF2024 offers unique opportunities for young European filmmakers. Eight projects by European directors and producers with films in development will receive mentorship sessions from renowned professionals in the cinema industry. Students will also benefit from a special program, DocStudent Hub, where they will participate in workshops, masterclasses, and hands-on activities in documentary film art, production, and distribution. Participants will include students and professors from prestigious universities in Prague, Zagreb, Vilnius, Bratislava, Zlin, Cluj-Napoca, and Bucharest.
About Astra Film Festival
The Astra Film International Documentary Film Festival in Sibiu, launched in 1993 as an innovative project, is one of the most important non-fiction film festivals in Europe. It is included in the European Film Academy’s list of festivals authorized to make direct nominations for the European Film Awards. AFF is under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and is organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra, and the Astra Film Foundation.
Strategic Partner: Ministry of Culture
With the support of the Sibiu County Council, the National Film Center, the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sibiu, the Union of Filmmakers, the Romanian Cultural Institute, Dacin Sara Association, and AFCN. Co-financed by Sibiu City Council through Sibiu City Hall.
Main sponsor: ING Bank
Sponsors: Mecatronics, Groupama, URSUS, Martini, Cinelab, Reef Distribution Dome, Luthelo, TheRefresh, Algeco, Decathlon, Produced in Sibiu, Kulinarium, Cărturești, GLS, Cotnari, Agence K, Pepsi, Cartofiserie, Promenada Sibiu.
DocTank sponsors: ProTV, Voyo, Chainsaw Europe Studio, Raina Film Festival Distribution, Institute of Documentary Film
Recommended by Europa FM
Main media partner: PRO TV, VOYO
Cultural partner: TVR, TVR Cultural, TVR Info, TVR Cluj
Media partners: TV5 Monde, Euronews Romania, Radio România Cultural, News.ro, G4media, Hotnews, Spotmedia, Vorbitorincii.ro, Tribuna, Turnul Sfatului, Sibiu 100%, Mesagerul de Sibiu, Ora de Sibiu, Sibiu Independent, Sibiul Azi, Știri de Sibiu, Hermannstädter Zeitung, Nine O’Clock, Edupedu, Observator Cultural, MovieNews, Cinefan, Cinefilia, FILM Magazine, LiterNet, Zile și Nopți, Radio Color, Cineuropa, Film New Europe.
Monitoring partner: MediaTrust
Communication partner: PiArt Vision
This post was originally published on here
