The 10th Anonimul Film Festival
Sfantu Gheorghe, the Romanian village where the Danube meets the Black Sea, is these days playing host to the 10th Anonimul International Independent Film Festival.
Valentin Țigău, 09.08.2013, 13:00
The Anonimul International Film Festival, hosted until August 18th by the village of Sfantu Gheorghe has reached its 10th edition. Seven feature films and 40 short-reels are competing for the trophy that will be awarded to the best cinematographic production. In its nine years of existence, the festival has enjoyed the participation of personalities such as directors Peter Greenaway, Ken Loach, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Oscar winner producers. Director Istvan Szabo is the guest of honour this year and will receive the Anonimul Lifetime Achievement Trophy.
The audience will have the opportunity to watch films signed by Szabo, such as Mephisto, Oscar winner in 1982 and Colonel Redl, which won jury’s prize at the Cannes festival in 1985. His latest film, The Door, with Helen Mirren playing the leading part, was presented in the opening of the 2012 Anonimul Festival. This year’s edition was opened on Friday with a film that came as a surprise to the audience at the 2013 Berlinale The Grandmaster directed by Wong Kar Wai. Ending the festival will be Roxanne, by Romanian director Valentin Hotea. The director of the Anonimul Festival, Miruna Berescu, told us about this year’s festival:
“ The most exciting thing about this year’s edition is Isvan Szabo’s participation. Also important is the film that opens the festival, the one that also opened the festival in Berlin, this winter. Another film that we are looking forward to, which can only be seen at this festival, is Behind the Candelabra, by Steven Soderbergh.”
The only Romanian film participating in the Anonimul feature film contest is ‘Matei, a Miner’s child’, by Alexandra Gulea. The film will be screened on the same day as her father’s, director Stere Gulea. His film called ‘I’m an Old Communist Hag’ features Luminita Gheorghiu and Ana Ularu. The 10 edition of the festival was organized, just like before, by the Anonimul Foundation, with support from the National Cinematography Center, the Romanian Film Makers’ Union, the Tulcea County Council, the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Romanian Television. The films will be screened both indoors and outdoors, and admission is free of charge. For people to have easier access to Sfantu Gheorghe, NAVROM has provided additional ships that depart from Tulcea and Mahmudia.
