08/06/2007

For the fifth year running, the Belgian capital will be hosting the Brussels European Film Festival (June 29-July 7). The festival is devoted to debut features by young European directors, while its Cinédécouvertes section, organised by the Cinémathèque Royale, is open to the most distinguished international films. Audiences can also enjoy open-air screenings and concerts as part of the event.

The festival’s rich and attractive programme, unveiled yesterday, for once does not favour any particular region in its official competition section.

The programme features 14 debut films, a diverse choice of European titles, including some Cannes gems, such as the Un Certain Regard Grand Prize winner California Dreamin' [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Romania’s Cristian Nemescu (see article) and Garage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ed Guiney
interview: Jean-François Deveau
interview: Lenny Abrahamson
film profile] (see article), the second film by Irish filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson, which was one of the unexpected surprises in Directors’ Fortnight.

Critics’ Week’s entries on the programme are Belgian film Horse Thieves [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Micha Wald (see article, out soon through BFD) and French helmer David Oelhoffen’s debut feature, In Your Wake [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], starring new talent Nicolas Giraud alongside Jacques Gamblin.

German films at the festival will include Hans Steinbichler’s Winter Journey [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Maria Speth’s second feature, Madonnas, co-produced by Germany’s Pandora and Belgian outfit Films du Fleuve and starring compelling Requiem [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hans-Christian Schmid
interview: Hans-Christian Schmid
interview: Sandra Hueller
film profile] actress Sandra Hueller (see interview).

Another very feminine film, from Switzerland this time and carried by the grace and energy of French actress Isild Le Besco, Parting Shot [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jeanne Waltz
interview: Pierre-Alain Meier
film profile] by Jeanne Waltz (see Focus) tells of the “resurrection” of a young nurse.

Shelter [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Italy’s Marco Simon Puccioni, and the extraordinary second film by Jaime Rosales, Solitary Fragments [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes (see article), will be representing the Mediterranean.

Completing the selection are Finnish helmer Aleksi Salmenperä’s second feature A Man's Job [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Hungarian director Csaba Bollók’s Iska’s Journey [+see also:
film review
film profile], The Art Of Crying [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Denmark’s Peter Schønau Fog, joint Macedonian/Dutch production Death of a President [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by British director Gabriel Range (FIPRESCI Prize at the Toronto Film Festival) and Does It Hurt ? The First Balkan Dogma by Aneta Lesnikovska.

In short, the official competition programme is jam-packed with surprising titles.

Preview screenings include Joachim Trier’s Reprise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Trier
interview: Karin Julsrud
film profile], Laurent Herbiet’s Mon Colonel [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Paul Andrew Williams’ London To Brighton [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

In the Révélations section audiences are invited to discover unseen titles, such as Body Rice [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Portugal’s Hugo Vieira da Silva (see interview), What I Know About Lola [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Spain’s Javier Rebollo and Fred Poulet’s documentary Substitute [+see also:
trailer
film profile] on Vikash Dhorasoo, which won awards at the Belfort Film Festival and screened in the Berlinale Forum.

In its Cinédécouvertes section, the Cinémathèque Royale is offering a programme packed with remarkable films by seasoned filmmakers such as Naomi Kawase and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and emerging talents such as Lucia Puenzo (XXY [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Serge Bozon (France [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]).

(Translated from French)