TIFF 2017 starts today

It’s happening: the 16th edition of Transylvania International Film Festival kicks off today, with the outdoor screening of King of the Belgians in Unirii Square, Cluj-Napoca, starting at 8:45pm.

The film’s picturesque characters will come up on the TIFF stage, including the Black Sea Sirens choir from the film, lead by Bulgarian pop star Nina Nikolina, who will perform in concert. The fictional group is made up of singers selected from very real famous choirs such as 1990 Grammy winner The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices, the Philip Koutev Ensemble, Slavey Quartet and Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria.

Special guests for the opening gala will include American director and writer Jessica Woodworth, the film’s protagonist, “king” Peter Van den Begin, actors Titus de Voogdt and Lucie Debay, as well as costume designer Eka Bichinashvili and set designer Sabina Christova.

Tickets for the opening gala screening cost 30 RON and are available from biletmaster.ro and the TIFF 2017 App.

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What’s on TIFF

Also, the competition of the 16th edition of the TIFF features directors on their first or second film and this year maps a veritable conflict zone: stories on the edge of a knife inspired by real events or personal experiences, challenging situations and daring approaches, moral fables that are either extreme or nuanced beyond clarity, all taken on by emerging directors taking the kinds of risks that will surely bring them recognition. Of the 12 titles competing for the Transilvania Trophy, 8 are feature debuts.

Read also: Interview. Tudor Giurgiu: What to expect from TIFF 2017?

This year’s Romanian Days section (June 8-10) presents 27 titles— 13 features and 14 shorts — selected out of over 120 submissions. Five of this year’s features are world premieres. And, like every year, Transilvania IFF’s Romanian Days will bring together hundreds of industry figures from Romania and around the world.

The enigmatic rebel of French cinema, a European film icon, and one of the world’s most beloved actors, the legendary Alain Delon comes to Romania for the first time as a special guest of the 16th edition of the TIFF. The French star, who is often cited as one of the most beautiful men of all time, conquered the hearts and minds of the audiences during the golden age of European cinema. TIFF will award Alain Delon the Lifetime Achievement Award for exceptional artistic contribution. In his honor, on June 9, the Unirii Square will host a special screening of  Pour la peau d’un flic / For a Cop’s Hide (1981), a thriller directed by the great French actor and which also features Delon in the starring role.

Business Review will report daily from TIFF 2017.