The 14th edition of Les Films de Cannes (LFDC), one of the most beloved film festivals in Romania, will take place in Bucharest between October 20 – 29 and in Timișoara between October 19 – 22, offering a rich selection of award-winning films and special screenings.

Below is a list of some of the must-see titles of this edition, with a heads up that tickets are selling very quickly, and some screenings have been sold out since the program was announced. But good news!, many of the films will have a theatrical release later this year and next year (Anatomy of a Fall, About Dry Grasses, On the Adamant – distributed by Voodoo Films; Perfect Days, Fallen Leaves – distributed by Bad Unicorn; The Taste of Things, The Old Oak, Jeanne du Barry – distributed by Independența Film, Poor Things – distributed by Forum Film, etc.).

• Anatomy of a Fall (dir. Justine Triet) – Palme d’Or, Cannes 2023
• Perfect Days (dir. Wim Wenders) – Best Actor, Cannes 2023
• Fallen Leaves (dir. Aki Kaurismäki) – Jury Prize at Cannes 2023, FIPRESCI Film of the Year at San Sebastián IFF 2023
• On the Adamant (dir. Nicolas Philibert) – Golden Bear, Berlinale 2023
• The Taste of Things (dir. Anh Hung Tran) – Best Director, Cannes 2023
• About Dry Grasses (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan) – Best Actress, Cannes 2023
• Four Daughters (dir. Kaouther Ben Hania) – L’Oeil d’Or, Cannes 2023
• Jeanne du Barry (dir. Maïwenn)
• Only The River Flows (dir. Wei Shujun)
• The Old Oak (dir. Ken Loach)
• Club Zero (dir. Jessica Hausner)
• Poor Things (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) – Golden Lion, Venice 2023 (screening at LFDC à Bucarest)
• The Book of Solutions (dir. Michel Gondry) – screening at LFDC à Bucarest
• Monster (dir. Yuji Sakamoto) – Best Screenplay, Cannes 2023 (screening at LFDC à Bucarest)
• Close Your Eyes (dir. Víctor Erice) – screening at LFDC à Bucarest

Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest: Killers of the Flower Moon & Retrospective Nicolas Philibert

Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated film, Killers of the Flower Moon, will have its first screening in Romania at the Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest. The plot centers on a series of Oklahoma murders in the Osage Nation during the 1920s, committed after oil was discovered on tribal land.

The festival dedicates a retrospective to French documentary filmmaker Nicolas Philibert, whose latest effort, On the Adamant, won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale. The program is rounded off by two of his earlier successes, In the Land of the Deaf (1992) and To Be and to Have (2002). Philibert’s oeuvre mainly explores themes revolving around marginalized communities and beings who experience the world differently than the majority. Sur l’Adamant steps into a floating asylum on the Seine River, introducing us to the world of psychiatry, beyond prejudice and appearances.

Local talent on the big screen

The Autumn Previews section brings outstanding Romanian productions every year. The public will have the opportunity to discover films such as Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (dir. Radu Jude), Horia (dir. Ana-Maria Comănescu), Between Revolutions (dir. Vlad Petri), MMXX (dir. Cristi Puiu), Waves on Dry Soil (dir. Raluca David), The Land You Belong (dir. Elena Rebeca Carini), and many more.

On October 24, 25, and 26, starting at 6:00 PM, at the Union Cinema, three sets of Romanian short films, curated by Andrei Tănăsescu, will be presented outside the competition. Each set will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by Anca Vancu (Films in Frame). Tickets are available on Eventbook, and some of the short films will be streamed for free on October 28 and 29 on Orange TV Go.

Les Films de Cannes à Timișoara: An edition dedicated to women in film

The festival edition taking place in Timișoara promises to be just as attractive. Between October 19 and 22, the public will have the opportunity to discover and enjoy films presented this year at Cannes, which captivated juries and audiences with their creativity and artistic approach. Moreover, LFDC is the first event hosted at the recently reopened Timiş Cinema.

Dedicated to Gender Equality in Cinema, LFDC à Timișoara brings female filmmakers from all over Europe to present their work and share their experiences as women working in film. Here are some of the special events featured in the program:

• Jeanne du Barry screening at the Opening Gala in the presence of director and actress Maïwenn – Thursday, October 19, 7:00 PM, Timiș Cinema;
• Q&A with actresses Alina Șerban and Anamaria Marinca following the screening of Housekeeping for Beginners (dir. Goran Stolevski) – Thursday, October 19, 8:30 PM, Victoria Cinema;
• Talk on the influence of feminist cinema moderated by Adina Baya, followed by the screening of Victoria (dir. Justine Triet) – Friday, October 20, 6:00 PM, Victoria Cinema;
• MANAGING TALENTS, with Ulrike Müller and Julia Patry – Saturday, October 21, 10:00 AM, Timiș Cinema;
• Conference Gender Equality in Cinema: Les Femmes de Cannes à Timișoara – Saturday, October 21, 4:00 PM, Victoria Cinema;
• Q&A with director Delphine Gleize after the screening of her 2002 film Carnages – Saturday, October 21, 6.30 PM, Victoria Cinema.

For more details and the full program, visit the LFDC website and the Facebook page. Part of the selection will be presented later in Cluj-Napoca, Iași, and Arad.

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.