The International Film Festival Rotterdam, marking its 40th year with a special XL edition, has lined up fourteen first or second features for its Tiger Awards Competition 2011. Three of them are world premieres and two have been supported by the Hubert Bals Fund. 28 shorts, five of them world premieres, will compete in a separate Tiger Awards Competition. Let's go straight to the press release...
Tiger Awards Competition 2011
Chitra sutram / The Image Threads, Vipin Vijay, India, 2010, 104', European premiere
A tale about a computer teacher, a black magician and a cyber creature who are predestined for online and offline encounters. The story oscillates between Indian mythology, surrealist personal symbolism and the cyber world. First feature film of Vipin Vijay.
Vete más lejos, Alicia / Alicia, Go Yonder, Elisa Miller, Mexico, 2010, 67', International premiere
A moving and visual portrayal of the excitement, alienation, and loneliness 19-year-old Alicia experiences when she leaves her parental home in Mexico for Buenos Aires with the ambition to become an acrobat. First feature film of Elisa Miller. An interview in Spanish.
Pasuggun / Bleak Night, Yoon Sung-Hyun, South Korea, 2010, 116', International premiere
Yoon's New Current Award winning film focuses on the subdued aggression and explosive relationships among friends in Korea's often repressive school system. First feature film of Yoon Sung-Hyun. "Debutant helmer-writer Yoon Sung-hyun's script flirts with a murder-mystery structure, but is essentially a bro-mantic melodrama turned sour, with solid, naturalistic perfs from a young cast that suggest solid rehearsal as well as impressive improvisation," wrote Russell Edwards for Variety from the Pusan International Film Festival in October, where the film won the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI Prize). "Direction displays gritty flair, but leans too heavily on wobbly HD camerawork rather than trusting the authenticity of the performances."
Finisterrae, Sergio Caballero, Spain, 2010, 80', International premiere
Portraying two lost ghosts who take the Way of Saint James to the end of the world (Finisterra), this hypnotizing road movie is a treat for eyes and ears. It draws inspiration from Philippe Garrel's The Inner Scar. First feature film of Sergio Caballero.
Wasted Youth, Argyris Papadimitropoulos & Jan Vogel, Greece, 2011, 98', World premiere & Opening Film
During a hot summer in Athens, the lives of two protagonists unexpectedly cross paths: a passionate teenage skater and a policeman in his midlife crisis. Second feature film of Argyris Papadimitropoulos and first feature film of Jan Vogel.
Gromozeka, Vladimir Kott, Russia, 2011, 104', World premiere
Funny, serious and touching at the same time, the film offers a view of contemporary Russia following three parallel stories of old school friends. Now a police officer, taxi driver and surgeon in their forties, they cross paths without realizing it. Second feature film of Vladimir Kott.
Fasl-e baran-haye moosemi / Rainy Seasons, Majid Barzegar, Iran, 2010, 86', European premiere
This intimate Iranian film tells the story of an urban teenage boy trapped between his parents' divorce and his own troubles. It reveals a seldom shown side of Iranian society — middle class urban youths that have the same problems as everywhere around the world. First feature film of Majid Barzegar.
Headshots, Lawrence Tooley, Germany, Austria, 2010, 92', International premiere
Subtle distance characterizes the point of view of the filmmaker towards his subject: a female photographer makes her way through 21st century Berlin, a city full of artistic and complicated people. Second feature film of Lawrence Tooley.
O céu sobre os ombros / The Sky Above, Sérgio Borges, Brazil, 2010, 72', International premiere
Blurring borders between documentary and fiction, this film portrays a few moments from the lives of three men from Belo Horizonte: a transsexual prostitute and academic, a Hare Krishna soccer fan and a would-be writer. Winner of five awards at the Festival of Brazilian Cinema. First feature film of Sérgio Borges.
Fuyu no kimono / Love Addiction, Uchida Nobuteru, Japan, 2010, 92', International premiere
In Love Addicton, superior improvisation and total commitment overcome all limitations of low budget filmmaking. The filmmaker points his camera at four characters, co-workers who have complicated relationships during and after working hours. Second feature film of Uchida Nobuteru.
Igillena maluwo / Flying Fish, Sanjeewa Pushpakumara, Sri Lanka, 2011, Hubert Bals Fund, 125', World premiere
This daring, exciting story from northern Sri Lanka convincingly captures the madness in a land where the psychology of war is omnipresent. Three parallel stories deal with the attempts of ordinary village people to lead a normal life in abnormal circumstances. First feature film of Sanjeewa Pushpakumara.
Tee-rak / Eternity, Sivaroj Kongsakul, Thailand, 2010, Hubert Bals Fund, 105', European premiere
After his death, a man returns to the landscape of his childhood and relives the relationship that was meant to last forever. Eternity is a romantic and spiritual film as well as a meditation about the death of a loved one. First feature film of Sivaroj Kongsakul.
Todos tus muertos / All Your Dead Ones, Carlos Moreno, Colombia, 2010, 90', International premiere
One Sunday morning, a Colombian farmer finds a pile of dead bodies in his corn field. On Election Day, the local politicians however have other things on their mind than dealing with the crime. Second feature film of Carlos Moreno.
Musan il-gy / The Journals of Musan, Park Jung-Bum, South Korea, 2010, 127', European premiere
Already an award-winning film, The Journals of Musan portrays the plights and emotions of a North Korean defector who is trying to adapt to South Korea's capitalist society. First feature film of Park Jung-Bum, who plays the lead himself.
Rotterdam Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films 2011
1989 (Den gang jeg var fem år gammel) / 1989 (When I Was Five Years Old), Thor Ochsner, Denmark, 2010, 11'
Slow Action, Ben Rivers, United Kingdom, 2011, 45', World premiere
Players, Pilvi Takala, Finland, Netherlands, 2010, 8'
Pastourelle, Nathaniel Dorsky, USA, 2010, 16', European premiere
I lupi / The Wolves, Alberto De Michele, Italy, 2011, 17', World premiere
A Short Film about War, Jon Thomson, Alison Craighead, United Kingdom, 2010, 10'
End Transmission, James T. Hong, Chen Yin-Ju, Taiwan, Netherlands, Germany, 2010, 17', International premiere
Lesser Apes, Emily Vey Duke & Cooper Battersby, Canada, 19', World premiere
Stardust, Nicolas Provost, Belgium, 2010, 20'
These Hammers Don't Hurt Us, Michael Robinson, USA, 2010, 13', European premiere
Maska, Brothers Quay, Poland, 2010, 24'
Khleb dlya pticy / Bread for Bird, Aleksandra Strelyanaya, Russia, 2010, 26'
Beyond-ism, Sun Xun, China, 2010, 8, International premiere
Maria Theresia und ihre 16 Kinder / Maria Theresia and her 16 Children, Roland Rauschmeier & Ulu Braun, Austria, Germany, 2010, 30', International premiere
Versions, Oliver Laric, Germany, North Korea, 2010, 9'
Tse / Out, Roee Rosen, Israel, 2010, 34'
Jan Villa, Natasha Mendonca, USA, India, 2010, 20'
A History of Mutual Respect, Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt, Portugal, 2010, 23'
Home Movie, John Price, Canada, 2010, 27'
Mercúrio / Mercury, Sandro Aguilar, Portugal, 2010, 18'
After Empire, Herman Asselberghs, Belgium, 2011, 52', World premiere
Lubaben, Eva Pervolovici, France, Romania, 2011, 30', World premiere
Otolith III, The Otolith Group, United Kingdom, 2010, 49'
The Story of Elfranko Wessels, Erik Moskowitz & Amanda Trager, USA, Canada, 2011, 16', World premiere
Mirages, Emanuel Licha, Canada, France, 2010, 19'
It, Heat, Hit, Laure Prouvost, United Kingdom, 2010, 6'
Immortal Woman, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, Thailand, 2010, 9, European premiere
La dame au chien / The Lady with the Dog, Damien Manivel, France, 2010, 16'
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