For this week’s column, we have picked three films that are now in cinemas and three go-to festivals. We have voyages of discovery, metaphorical or real, unsolvable crimes, but also the most acclaimed films of the moment, presented in festivals around the country.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (dir. James Gunn)

The Marvel epic continues unabated, periodically returning with a new story in this seemingly inexhaustible universe. May brings the Guardians of the Galaxy to the cinema, led by none other than Star-Lord, Peter Quill. He’s still grieving for Gamora, but the world needs his team’s help, so they have to regroup and go to battle.

Drax, Groot, Rocket, Mantis, and even Nebula may not be the most heroic characters in the MCU, but they’re certainly the funniest and the ones whose personalities have held up the best over time.

Marvel fans are in for a ride as they can expect mayhem, comedy, but also some tear-jerking moments, and of course, a new playlist of songs to search for immediately after leaving the theater.

The film premiered on May 5 and is playing in cinemas across the country.

The Night of the 12th / La nuit du 12 (dir. Dominik Moll)

Yohan, the captain of Grenoble Criminal Squad, is haunted by the case of Clara, a young woman who was murdered. His obsession grows as the investigation moves forward, with the number of suspects increasing and the case becoming more and more complex. Only one thing is sure, the crime occurred on the night of October 12.

Dominik Moll knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat and transport you into the action until you feel like you’re working side by side with Yohan to understand Clara’s complicated life with her circle of friends, love, fear, and problems. “Under its unassuming appearance as a police film, The Night of the 12th, this year’s top winner at the César Awards, is haunted by the mysterious presence of Evil itself,” writes Victor Morozov in his review for Films in Frame.

The film is now playing in theatres across the country.

Beau Is Afraid (dir. Ari Aster)

Joaquin Phoenix is Beau, a man facing his own conscience. Following the sudden death of his mother, he sets out on a journey of discovery, where his past, present and future intertwine.

Anyone who has seen Hereditary and Midsommar (is there anyone who hasn’t seen at least one of them?) already knows that an Ari Aster film is a true cinematic experience. The protagonist’s anxiety goes beyond the screen and you can’t help but follow him into his surrealist delirium, sometimes grotesque, always unpredictable, full of anguish and tension.

One thing is for sure: Beau is Afraid will not leave you indifferent, moreover, you may want to go see it more than once.

The film hits theatres on May 12. Tickets are already on sale.

BONUS: Upcoming festivals you should not miss

Cinefemina Festival

The audiences in Bucharest are invited between May 10-14 to Cinefemina Festival, an event dedicated to European films directed and produced by women. The program comprises 12 feature films from all over Europe and 5 Hungarian short films. Most screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the films’ directors.

Among the titles presented at the festival are: Snu (dir. Patrícia Sequeira, Portugal), The Silent Twins (dir. Agnieszka Smoczynska, Poland, Great Britain), Beatrix (dir. Milena Czernovsky, Lilith Kraxner, Austria), Ivie Wie Ivie (dir. Sarah Blaßkiewitz, Germany), Blue Moon (dir. Alina Grigore, Romania), Ramona (dir. Andrea Bagney, Spain).

The program is rounded off by a round table on the topic of Women directors in the contemporary film industry. Guest speakers include filmmakers Irene Dionisio, Edit Jakab, Alina Grigore, Lucia Chicoș, Teona Galgoțiu, Alma Buhagiar, and film critics Georgiana Mușat and Georgiana Vrajitoru. The talk will be moderated by Iulia Necșulescu.

ESTE FILM Festival

If you live or are traveling to Sibiu between May 10-14, you can stop by the 7th edition of the festival for a series of film screenings, Q&A sessions, interviews, and debates.

Films such as Les Enfants des Autres (dir. Rebecca Zlotowski), Saint Omer (dir. Alice Diop), L’innocent (dir. Louis Garrel), Close (dir. Lukas Dhont), Boss (dir. Bogdan Mirică), as well as classics like Nosferatu (dir. F.W. Murnau, 1922) and Oldboy (dir. Park Chan-wook, 2003), will be screened.

Another notable event is THE BEDROOM WITH MOVIES: Norwegian Film Night, which will take place on May 12, at 9 pm, in Sala Oglinzilor – FDGR (Democratic Forum of Germans). The program includes three titles: Out Stealing Horses (dir. Hans Petter Moland), Hope (dir. Maria Sødahl) and Beware of Children (dir. Dag Johan Haugerud).

European Film Festival in Timișoara

Timișoara, the European Capital of Culture in 2023, will host between the 9th and 12th of May the European Film Festival, which will also take place in other cities around the country: Oravița, Bucharest, Curtea de Argeș, Botoșani, Gura Humorului.

The film program is curated by Cătălin Olaru, the artistic director of this edition, and features seven titles: Bones and All (dir. Luca Guadagnino), The Man with the Answers (dir. Stelios Kammitsis), My Emptiness and I (dir. Adrián Silvestre), You Have to Come and See It (dir. Jonás Trueba), Dear Thomas (dir. Andreas Kleinert), The Grandson (dir. Kristóf Deák), Samsara (dir. Lois Patiño).

Bones and All will be screened at the opening gala, on Europe Day, at Victoria Cinema. “In his latest film, awarded with the Silver Lion at Venice, Luca Guadagnino revives the unique mood he depicted best in I Am Love, his third feature. With a notable difference: the longing and passion are lived here in shades of bright red,” says Cătălin Olaru about the film.

Melissa Antonescu

Writer, photographer and videographer. For Films in Frame she writes news about the latest happenings in the film world and brings to the readers' attention the productions that can be seen at the cinema. When she's not writing articles, she's photographing people in a small studio or searching for new cake recipes.