International Film Festival Rotterdam

34th International Film Festival Rotterdam
26 januari - 6 februari 2005


Hubert Bals Fonds films geselecteerd voor IFFR 2005

Het 34ste International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) presenteert een oogst van 23 producties die met steun van het Hubert Bals Fonds zijn gerealiseerd in 2004 en 2005. Van deze films beleven er acht hun wereldpremières in Rotterdam. Drie films, allemaal debuten, zijn geselecteerd voor de VPRO Tiger Awards Competition. 4 van Ilya Khrzhanovski uit Rusland, O AMIGO DUNOR van José Eduardo Alcazar uit Paraguay en KEPT AND DREAMLESS van Martin Desalvo & Vera Fogwill uit Argentina.

Onder de wereldpremières BIPEDALISM, de laatste film van de voorman van de Russische alternatieve cinema Jevgeni Joefit, die dit jaar als Filmmaker in Focus geëerd wordt met een retrospectief. RONDA NOCTURNA (NIGHT WATCH) is het zwoele en hypnotiserende verhaal van veteraan schrijver en filmmaker Edgardo Cozarinsky over de wederwaardigheden van een schandknaap op Allerheiligen, de eerste film die Cozarinsky sinds lange tijd in zijn vaderland draaide.

Als klein vervolg op het speciale programma dat het IFFR aan de Romani-cinema wijdde in 2004, is er nu Aleksandar Manic' THE SHUTKA BOOK OF RECORDS, een vaak komische documentaire over het leven in het Macedonische Shutka, de zelfverklaarde wereldhoofdstad der zigeuners. UNDEREXPOSURE, het speelfilmdebuut van Oday Rasheed, is de eerste die uit Irak komt na de val van Saddam Hoessein; de film zal te zien zijn als een work in progress.

Andere films in de oogst van dit jaar zijn onder meer Cannes favorieten als LA NIÑA SANTA (Lucrecia Martel), WHISKY (Rebella & Stoll), LOS MUERTOS (Lisandro Alonso) and THIRST (Abu Wael); andere films hadden hun première op de filmfestivals van Locarno, Venice en San Sebastian.

De films tot stand gekomen met een bijdrage van het Hubert Bals Fonds, voorheen bijeengebracht in 'Hubert Bals Fonds Harvest' zijn te vinden in meerdere IFFR 2005-programmasecties.

Onderstaand vindt u een volledige lijst van voor het IFFR 2005 geselecteerde films die met steun van het Hubert Bals Fonds zijn gerealiseerd alsmede een fact sheet met de (Engelstalige) biografische gegevens van de makers.

4 - Ilya Khrzhanovsky, Russia, 2004
VPRO Tiger Awards Competition
(Premiered at Venice, Giornata dei Autori)

O AMIGO DUNOR (DUNOR MY FRIEND) - José Eduardo Alcazar, Paraguay, 2005 VPRO Tiger Awards Competitie
(world premiere)

ARAFAT, MY BROTHER - Rashid Masharawi, Palestine, 2005 Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(world premiere)

BIPEDALISM - Yevgeni Yufit, Russia, 2005
IFFR 2005 Filmmaker in Focus
(world premiere)

CRÓNICAS (CHRONICLES) - Sebastián Cordero - Equador, 2004 Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(Premiered at Un certain regard Cannes)

KOD AMIDZE IDRIZA (DAYS AND HOURS) - Pjer Zalica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2004 Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(premiered as opening film of Sarajevo Film Festival)

O DIABO A QUATRO (FOUR AGAINST NONE) - Alice de Andrade, Brazil, 2004 Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
(international premiere, premiered in Mostra de Rio de Janeiro)

FAMILIA RODANTE (ROLLING FAMILY) - Pablo Trapero, Argentina, 2004 Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
(premiered at Venice, Giornata dei Autori)

THE FAMILY THAT EATS SOIL - Khavn de la Cruz, Philippines, 2005 S.E.A Eyes
(world premiere)

FORGIVENESS - Ian Gabriel, South Africa, 2004
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(premiered at Locarno, Competition)

ANSHI (HUNTER) - Serik Aprymov, Kazakhstan, 2004
Maestros: Kings & Aces
(Premiered in Locarno, Competition)

LAS MANTENIDAS SIN SUEÑOS (KEPT AND DREAMLESS) - Martin Desalvo & Vera Fogwill, Argentina, 2005 VPRO Tiger Awards Competitie
(world premiere in Rotterdam)

LOS MUERTOS - Lisandro Alonso, Argentina, 2004
Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
(premiered in Quinzaine de réalisateurs, Cannes)

LA NINA SANTA (THE HOLY GIRL) - Lucrecia Martel, Argentina, 2004 Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
(premiered at Competition Cannes)

PARAPALOS (PIN BOY) - Ana Poliak, Argentina, 2004
Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
(premiered at BAFICI and Venice, Cinema Digitale)

THE RAINMAKER - Ravi L. Bharwani, Indonesia, 2004
S.E.A. Eyes
(European premiere, premiered in Pusan, New Currents)

RONDA NOCTURNA (NIGHT WATCH) - Edgardo Cozarinsky, Argentina, 2005 Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(world premiere in Rotterdam)

THE SHUTKA BOOK OF RECORDS - Aleksandar Manic, Serbia / Czech Republic, 2005 Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(world premiere in Rotterdam)

DASTANEH NATAMAN (STORY UNDONE) - Hassan Yektapanah, Iran, 2004 Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(premiered in Locarno, competition)

TARFAYA - Daoud Aoulad Syad, Morocco, 2004
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(premiered in San Sebastian, competition)

ATASH (THIRST) - Tawfik Abu Wael, Palestine, 2004
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(premiered in Semaine de la critique, Cannes)

UNDEREXPOSURE - Oday Rasheed, Iraq, 2005
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
(world premiere in Rotterdam)

WHISKY - Juan Pablo Rebello & Pablo Stoll, Uruguay, 2004 Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
(premiered in Un certain regard, Cannes)

(einde nieuwsbrief)

International Film Festival Rotterdam
26 januari - 6 februari 2005

FACTSHEET

Hubert Bals Fonds films geselecteerd voor IFFR 2005, incl. biografische gegevens

4 - Ilya Khrjanovsky, Russia
VPRO Tiger Awards Competitie
Ilya KHRZHANOVSKY (1975, Moscow) spent a year at the Bonn Academy of Fine Arts and graduated in film directing at the famous Russian film school VGIK in 1998. Since, he has directed theatre productions and made a short film together with Artem Mikhalkov. 4 is his first feature film.

O AMIGO DUNOR (DUNOR MY FRIEND) - Jose Eduardo Alcazar, Paraguay VPRO Tiger Awards Competitie
José Eduardo ALCAZAR (Rio de Janeiro) is a journalist and writer currently living and working in Asuncion, Paraguay. While he was living in Brazil he directed a large number of documentaries and commercials and worked as cameraman on films by other directors. O AMIGO DUNOR is his first feature, and he is preparing two more features to be made on digital video.

ARAFAT, MY BROTHER - Rashid Masharawi, Palestine
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Rashid MASHARAWI (1962, Gaza) grew up in a Shati refugee camp on the Gaza Strip. He is a self-taught film maker who made his first films at the age of 18 an directed his first, real short, TRAVEL DOCUMENT, in 1987. In 1996 he founded the Cinema Production and Distribution Center (CPC) in Ramallah to support the Palestinian film in general.

BIPEDALISM - Yevgeni Yufit, Russia
IFFR 2005 Filmmaker in Focus
Yevgeni YUFIT (1961, St. Petersburg) was mechanical engineer, painter and photographer when he became part of the New Artists in St. Petersburg in the beginning of the eighties. He was schooled in filming by Aleksandr Sokurov and founded the independent film studio Mzhalala Film in 1984. Since then, being the founding father of the necrorealism, Yufit has made several films about the theme death. His IFFR 2005 Filmmaker in Focus tribute programme includes the majority of his feature and short films.

CRÓNICAS (CHRONICLES) - Sebastián Cordero - Equador Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Sebastián CORDERO (1972, Quito, Ecuador) graduated in film and scriptwriting at the UCLA in Los Angeles. Then he returned to Ecuador with the intention of making films in a country where cinema barely exists. His first feature RATAS, RATONES, RATEROS (shown in Rotterdam in 2000) won several international awards. He also directed short films and music videos. CRÓNICAS is his second feature film.

KOD AMIDZE IDRIZA (DAYS AND HOURS) - Pjer Zalica, Bosnia Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Pjer Zalica (1964, Sarajevo) studied directing at the art school in Sarajevo and also taught there. At the Groznjan International Film School, he attended classes in scriptwriting and production. His documentaries about the war in Bosnia have received many prizes. Last year his first feature films Fuse was shown in Rotterdam.

O DIABO A QUATRO (FOUR AGAINST NONE) - Alice de Andrade, Brazil Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
Alice de ANDRADE (Rio de Janeiro, 1964) studied script writing at the Film Instute in Cuba and had internships with Jean-Claude Carriere and the FEMIS. O DIABO A QUATRO is her feature début.

FAMILIA RODANTE (ROLLING FAMILY) - Pablo Trapero, Argentina Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
Pablo TRAPERO (1971, Ramos Mejía, Argentina) studied architecture and film at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires. He attended several seminars with e.g. Fernando Birri, María Luisa Bemberg and Miguel Perez and worked as editor and assistant director. His first feature MUNDO GRUÁ (CRANE WORLD) won a VPRO Tiger Award and the FIPRESCI Award at the IFFR 2000.

THE FAMILY THAT EATS SOIL - Khavn de la Cruz, Philippines SEA Eyes
Khavn DE LA CRUZ (1973, Manilla) is a prolific Philippine poet, fictionist, composer, and film maker living in Quezon City. Since 2002, he is also the festival director of the .MOV International Digital Film Festival. With his digital film company Filmless Films, he has made nine digital features and more than thirty short films, several of which have won prizes at Asian film festivals.

FORGIVENESS - Ian Gabriel, South Africa
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Ian GABRIEL is one of South Africa's most prolific directors of commercials with more than four hundred projects to his credit. Acclaimed worldwide for his music videos, Gabriel has worked as a teacher, writer, art director, dialogue coach and producer for Both theatre and film. FORGIVENESS is his feature debut.

ANSHI (HUNTER) - Serik Aprymov, Kazakhstan
Maestros: Kings & Aces
Serik APRYMOV (1960, Aul-Aksuat, East-Kazakhstan) studied engineering from 1975 to 1979, fulfilled his military duty and in 1983 started a study in film directing at the film school of Moscow (VGIK). He passed for Sergie Solovjev's masterclass in 1989 en had his international breakthrough with AKSUAT and TRI BRATA (THREE BROTHERS). Aprymov was Filmmaker in Focus at the IFFR 2000.

LAS MANTENIDAS SIN SUEÑOS (KEPT AND DREAMLESS) - Martin Desalvo & Vera Fogwill, Argentina VPRO Tiger Awards Competition
Vera FOGWILL (1972, Buenos Aires) is a distinguished actress on stage and in films (e.g. by Alejandro Agresti) and also writes poetry, short stories and film scripts. KEPT AND DREAMLESS is her first film as director, with Martin DESALVO (1973, Buenos Aires) studied Image and Sound Design at Buenos Aires University and Cinematographic Production at the Universidad del Cine. He produced, wrote and/or directed several shorts, music videos and commercials during and after his studies. From 1998 onwards, he has also been active as a scriptwriter and theatre producer.

LOS MUERTOS - Lisandro Alonso, Argentina
Cinema of the World: Sturm und Drang
Lisandro ALONSO (1975) was born and raised in Buenos Aires and studied for three years at the local Universidad del Ciné. In 1995 he wrote and co-directed the short film DOS EN LA VEREDA TOGETHER with Catriel Vildosola. Then Alonso worked on a few features as assistant director. His own feature debut LA LIBERTAD received two honorary mentions from the international filmcritics at the 2002 IFFR. LOS MUERTOS is Alonso's second feature.

LA NINA SANTA (THE HOLY GIRL) - Lucrecia Martel, Argentina Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
Lucrecia MARTEL (1966, Salta) studied communications in Buenos Aires and made several short films, a children's television programs and two documentaries. Her first full-length feature LA CIÉNAGA (THE SWAMP) won the Alfred Bauer Prize at the 2001 Berlinale. The film was also presented in Rotterdam.

PARAPALOS (PIN BOY) - Ana Poliak, Argentina
Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
Ana POLIAK (1962, Buenos Aires) studied drawing, painting, photography and stage design and graduated as a film director at the Instituto Nacional de Cinematografia. After contributing to educational television programs she worked as assistant director and founded her own production company Viadas Producciones. She co-produced and edited, among others, Santiago Loza's Extraño (STRANGE, winner of a Tiger Award in 2004). PARAPALOS is her third feature film.

RAINMAKER - Ravi L. Bharwani, Indonesia
SEA Eyes
Ravi BHARWANI graduated from the Jakarta Institute of Arts (IKJ) in 1990. He was later involved in a number of commercials, documentaries, short films and television productions, some of them in cooperation with the well known Indonesian filmmaker and producer Garin Nugroho. THE RAINMAKER is his first feature film.

RONDA NOCTURNA (NIGHT WATCH) - Edgardo Cozarinsky, Argentina Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Edgardo COZARINSKY (1939, Buenes Aires) is a writer and filmmaker. He moved to France in the seventies, and since 1988 commutes between Paris and Buenos Aires. Several of his films have been screened in Rotterdam.

THE SHUTKA BOOK OF RECORDS - Alexander Manic, Czech Republic/Serbia and Montenegro Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Aleksandar MANIC (1966, Senta, Vojvodina, Serbia and Montenegro) moved with his parents to Germany at young age. He studied two years at the Philosophy Faculty from the University of Cologne, later film directing at the FAMU in Prague. His films are about his country of birth, former Yugoslavia.

DASTANEH NATAMAN (STORY UNDONE) - Hassan Yektapanah, Iran Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Hassan YEKTAPANAH (Tehran, 1963) started his film career in 1983 as an assistant director to acclaimed film makers such as Jafar Panahi and Abbas Kiarostami. His feature film debut DJOMEH was presented at Un Certain Regard at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, and won the Camera d'Or.

TARFAYA - Daoud Alouad Syad, Morocco
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Daoud AOULAD-SYAD (Marrakech, 1953) studied physics and attended the French film school FEMIS. He is a photographer as well as a film maker. Prior to his feature debut ADIEU FORAIN (in 1999 competing for a Tiger Award) he made shorts and documentaries. TARFAYA is his third feature.

ATASH (THIRST) - Tawfik Abu Wael, Israel/Palestine Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Tawfik ABU WAEL (1976, Um El-Fahem, Israel) graduated from Tel Aviv university where he studied film directing. From 1996 to 1999 he worked in the film archive of Tel Aviv university and taught drama at the Hassan Arafe school in Jaffa. Since 1997, he has been working as free-lance production manager and director. ATASH is his first feature.

UNDEREXPOSURE - Oday Rasheed, Irak
Cinema of the World: Time & Tide
Filmmaker Oday Rasheed made this film under extremely dangerous circumstances during the first days after the end of the Saddam regime in Baghdad. First Hubert Bals Fund supported film made in Iraq and first fiction feature after Saddam.

WHISKY - Juan Pablo Rebello & Pablo Stoll, Uruguay Cinema of the Future: Sturm und Drang
Juan Pablo REBELLA and Pablo STOLL (both born in 1974, Montevideo) got to know each other at the University of Montevideo, where they did Media Studies. They wrote and made an animation series together, El service, before they acquired a Tiger Award and international fame with their debut 25 WATTS. WHISKY is their second feature.

(einde factsheet)

Informatie/stills: IFFR Press Office, Bert-Jan Zoet/Gert-Jan Bleeker, tel +31.10.890.90.90 or email press@filmfestivalrotterdam.com


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International Film Festival Rotterdam
Press Department:
Bert-Jan Zoet, Press Officer
Gert-Jan Bleeker, Assistent Press Officer
Willemijn Steentjes, Press Accreditations
Jeppe Kleyngeld, Press Office Intern

P.O. Box 21696
3001 AR ROTTERDAM
The Netherlands

tel + 31 10 890 90 90
fax + 31 10 890 90 91
email press@filmfestivalrotterdam.com
http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com

IFFR 2005: Wed, Jan. 26 - Sun, Febr. 6, 2005


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