The 33^rd edition of Cinema Jove – Valencia International Film Festival, organised by the Valencian Institute of Culture (IVAC) and headed up by Carlos Madrid, will unspool between 22 and 29 June. Once again, it will be presenting a programme of features, web series and short films all directed by filmmakers under the age of 40.

In the Official Section for feature films, which, according to the gathering’s organisers, “rummages around in the open wounds of modern-day society” (as exemplified by online fake news, cyber-bullying, suicide among young people, the blaming of rape victims and the surge in extremism among teens), the strong presence of European films is immediately noticeable. One particular highlight is the world premiere of an independent movie shot in Valencia: #Seguidores [+leggi anche:
recensione
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scheda film], the second film by Iván Fernández de Córdoba (Cruzando el sentido), who this time addresses the paradox of the widespread lack of communication in today’s era of hypercommunication.

Other European titles that will expose the worries of young people and that are also taking part in the Official Section of the event include the Danish film Denmark [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Kasper Rune Larsen, which examines teenagers living in the countryside and their dilemma when it comes to abortion; Austria’s L’Animale [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Katharina Mückstein
scheda film], in which Katharina Mückstein ponders the gender roles imposed by society; and Iceland’s The Swan [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir
intervista: Thorvaldur Kristjánsson
scheda film] by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir, which nudges us into the dreamlike and awestruck mind of its main character, a little girl.

A child’s perspective is also to be found in the Hungarian movie Genesis [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Árpád Bogdán, Andrea Tasch…
scheda film] by Bogdán Árpád, which is set against the backdrop of anti-Romanyism, Poland’s Silent Night [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Dawid Ogrodnik
intervista: Piotr Domalewski
scheda film] by Piotr Domalewski depicts a family drama during a Christmas Eve dinner, while the Swiss film Vacuum [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Christine Repond
scheda film] by Christine Repond picks apart the doubts festering between a married couple, and Germany’s Jibril [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Henrika Kull
scheda film], written and directed by first-timer Henrika Kull, delves into the fragile romantic relationship between a mother of three and a prisoner. 

A total of 52 works, hailing from 24 countries, have been selected in Cinema Jove 2018’s well-stocked short-film sidebar. Standing out among them are the winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, the Chinese production A Gentle Night by Qiu Yang, and the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2018: Spain’s Matria by Galician director Álvaro Gago.

A retrospective of the early works by the USA’s Brian de Palma, the ever-surprising web series section, a well-deserved tribute to producer Fernando Bovaira (who won an Oscar for The Sea Inside [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ramón Salazar
scheda film]) and Pablo Molinero (The Plague [+leggi anche:
intervista: Alberto Rodríguez e Rafael…
scheda series]) round off the events at the 33^rd Cinema Jove, which kicks off in a few days’ time.