ARCS Project

Romanian Film Festival Seattle - 11th Edition
2024-11-01 19:00 - 2024-11-03 20:00 UTC | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
10 Romanian and Moldovan feature films will be screened in Seattle on November 1-3, during the 11th edition of the Romanian Film Festival Seattle.
Buy a festival pass or tickets here.
The Cultural Association Control N (based in Romanian) is joining ARCS this year as co-organizer of the 11th edition of Romanian Film Festival Seattle, working as a bridge between Romanian filmmakers and the American public.
See the full press release about the festival and our new collaboration here.
Launched in 2014 in order to promote Romanian film to diverse American audience, including the Romanian diaspora in Washington State, the festival has grown over the past 10 years, becoming one of the most important events of its kind on the west coast, a platform for facilitating access to the most recent internationally awarded Romanian films and for Romanian filmmakers, directors, actors and producers, attending the festival.
The Romanian Film Festival in Seattle will take place November 1-3 at SIFF Cinema Uptown, an important cultural setting and promoter of European film.
For the past three years, alongside the screenings organized in Seattle, the festival has also had editions during the same period in Detroit, MI and Phoenix, AZ with a number of films selected, and organized by two other sister organizations, ARCS Arizona and ARCS Detroit. The three festivals share the same brand and visual identity, created by Daniel Ursache, a Romanian artist settled in Montreal, Canada. This year's festival theme is Rhythms of Life.
The festival is organized with the support of 4Culture and the National Center for Cinematography in Moldova.
We are excited to welcome special guests, Dorian Boguță, main actor and producer of Another Lottery Ticket, Ruxandra Ghițescu, screenwriter of Clara, and Sergiu Cumatrenco Jr., producer of Carbon!
In the meantime, please support our fundraising efforts. The longevity of this festival is a testament that its success relies on your support. Your donations will help us pay for rental fees, event insurance, publicity, distribution rights, as well as for lodging and travel expenses for our guests.
We welcome sponsors! Check out our sponsor package here. This project did not benefit from the support of the Romanian state.
Do you want to help out during the festival? Check out the volunteer slots and sign up today!
Festival Official Partners and Co-organizers:
Festival Institutional Partners:
Supporting Sponsors:
Festival Ambassadors:

Fundraising Campaign
Thank you for your generosity! Our goal is to raise $20,000 to cover costs associated with programming, publicity, technical support and film distribution rights. We will keep the fundraising campaign open on our website and Facebook.
Raised$19,625Goal$20,000

How much would you like to donate?(Required)

$25 Many ThanksWe will integrate a special thank you credit on our website.

$50 Festival FriendSpecial thank you credit on our website!

$100 Festival SupporterSpecial thank you credit on our website and free access to two films showing at the festival.

$250 Festival BenefactorSpecial thank you credit on our website and free access to four films showing at the festival.

$500 Festival AmbassadorSpecial thank you credit on our website and free access to eight films showing at the festival, thank you credit after the each film screening and special thank you credit on our website (with your company logo, if applicable).

$1,000 Supporting SponsorWe are offering up to three full festival passes, credit before the screenings, special thank you credit on our website with your logo and link to your website.

$5,000 Festival Official Partner and Co-OrganizerWe are offering up to five full festival passes, credit before the screenings, special thank you credit as a festival official partner and co-organizer on our website with your logo and link to your website.
Total

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Checks are welcome. Please address them to:
American Romanian Cultural Society1931 E Lynn StSeattle, WA 98112

Films

Trailer

Another Lottery Ticketby Paul Negoescu
7:00pm, Nov. 1 Q&A with lead actor Dorian Boguță
2023, Comedy, 86 min(Romania)

Dinel, Sile and Pompiliu want to get rich by mining crypto but they soon manage to lose the USB stick with their digital fortune.
Dinel, Sile and Pompiliu want to get rich by mining crypto but they soon manage to lose the USB stick with their digital fortune.
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Trailer

Refugeby Liviu Marghidan
11:05am, Nov. 2
2023, Drama, 83 min (Romania)

A family of four, having been affected by a divorce, undertake their annual trip to the mountains, meant to get the children and their parents closer, as they live in...
A family of four, having been affected by a divorce, undertake their annual trip to the mountains, meant to get the children and their parents closer, as they live in different countries, France and Romania. Their holiday is turned upside down when the children vanish, running away on the pathway to a mountain hut, thus creating a tense atmosphere filled with frantic searches, confrontations between the adults and a climatic ending.
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Trailer

Noraby Carla-Maria Teaha
12:50pm, Nov. 2
2023, Documentary, 85 min(Romania)

Poet, novelist and translator, 91-year-old Nora Iuga is a unique character on the Romanian contemporary literature scene. This is largely due to the author’s particular mix of playfulness and charisma, which is reflected in her writing at...
Poet, novelist and translator, 91-year-old Nora Iuga is a unique character on the Romanian contemporary literature scene. This is largely due to the author’s particular mix of playfulness and charisma, which is reflected in her writing at every level. With her books being banned for eight years under the communist regime, accused of a “morbid eroticism”, the documentary follows Nora Iuga for the duration of 3 years and tries to gently discover where her eroticism comes from and how it still influences her work. In a very intimate exploration of her mind and soul, we are invited to discover the secret of always staying young and to relentlessly searching for love, towards which Nora has a very special approach.
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Trailer

Holy Week (US Premiere)by Andrei Cohn
2:40pm, Nov. 2
2024, Drama, 133 min(Romania)

The Holy Week, around 1900, somewhere in Romania. The tense relationship between the Jewish innkeeper Leiba and Gheorghe, his Christian employee,reaches the point where the innkeeper decides to expel the...
The Holy Week, around 1900, somewhere in Romania. The tense relationship between the Jewish innkeeper Leiba and Gheorghe, his Christian employee,reaches the point where the innkeeper decides to expel the latter. Revengeful, Gheorghe promises Leiba that he will return on Easter Night to “settle” his accounts. This threat comes as a last straw against Leiba’s attempts to cohabit with his hostile, anti-Semitic environment. From then on, Leiba will struggle distinguishing between the real danger and the one fabricated by his anxieties, engaging onto a path of transformation leading toextreme consequences.
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Trailer

Freedomby Tudor Giurgiu
5:20pm, Nov. 2
2023, Drama, 109 min (Romania, Hungary)

In the chaotic days of the December 1989 revolution that overthrew the Communist regime, the Transylvanian city of Sibiu becomes the scene of a violent assault on a Police unit...
In the chaotic days of the December 1989 revolution that overthrew the Communist regime, the Transylvanian city of Sibiu becomes the scene of a violent assault on a Police unit that quickly escalates into a bloody confrontation between soldiers, policemen, civilian protesters and representatives of the secret police. In a desperate attempt to escape the siege, Police captain Viorel is captured by the army and thrown into an empty swimming pool along withhundreds of prisoners accused of being terrorists.
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Trailer

Claraby Sabin Dorohoi
7:35pm, Nov. 2Q&A with screenwriter Ruxandra Ghițescu
2023, Drama, 85 min (Romania)

Clara is a divorced Romanian mother who babysits a little girl in a German town by the Danube River. Her son, feeling abandoned, runs away from home in an attempt...
Clara is a divorced Romanian mother who babysits a little girl in a German town by the Danube River. Her son, feeling abandoned, runs away from home in an attempt to reach his mother by traveling on a small boat upriver.
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Trailer

Gone Wildby Dan Curean
11:05am, Nov. 3
2012, Documentary, 88 min(Romania)

In the waterlogged lands of the Danube Delta, in Romania, some horses were abandoned, when the collective farms collapsed at the same time as the Communist regime. They survived and...
In the waterlogged lands of the Danube Delta, in Romania, some horses were abandoned, when the collective farms collapsed at the same time as the Communist regime. They survived and in time they went wild, forming a unique colony of wild horses that is increasing. Meanwhile the local people, who were similarly left to their own devices, are struggling to survive. The film explores this extraordinary paradox: an increasing herd of horses and a decreasing number of villagers - and the threat to both groups, through the eyes of Ivan, a young village boy, who over the years has developed a unique and powerful bond with the horses.
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Trailer

Where Elephants Go (US Premiere)by Cătălin Rotaru and Gabi Șarga
1:00pm, Nov. 3
2024, Drama, 115 min(Romania)

Nine-year-old Leni is witty and wise for her age and quite a match for the homeless intellectual Marcel, who is a 23-year-old child. Leni's mother Magda refuses to accept the...
Nine-year-old Leni is witty and wise for her age and quite a match for the homeless intellectual Marcel, who is a 23-year-old child. Leni's mother Magda refuses to accept the failure of Leni's medical treatment and rebuffs Marcel's friendship, even as he and Leni demonstrate every step through life can be a joyous adventure.
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Trailer

Nasty (US Premiere)by Tudor Giurgiu, Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu
3:25pm, Nov. 3
2024, Documentary, 104 min(Romania)

This ultimate film about Ilie Nastase, the legendary sportsman coming from an unknown country behind the Iron Curtain, charts his impressive achievements, his one-of-a-kind antics and uncontrolled bursts of anger....
This ultimate film about Ilie Nastase, the legendary sportsman coming from an unknown country behind the Iron Curtain, charts his impressive achievements, his one-of-a-kind antics and uncontrolled bursts of anger. Lovable, charming and generous, yet temperamental, arrogant and obscene, Mr. Nice’n’Nasty was tennis’ first global rockstar.
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Trailer

Carbonby Ion Borș
5:55pm, Nov. 3Q&A with producer Sergiu Cumatrenco Jr.
2022, Dark comedy, 103 min(Moldova, Romania, Spain)

Moldova, early 90s: Dima, a tractor driver, wants to be enrolled in the military troops to take part in the local war on the Transnistrian border. Vasea, an Afghanistan war...
Moldova, early 90s: Dima, a tractor driver, wants to be enrolled in the military troops to take part in the local war on the Transnistrian border. Vasea, an Afghanistan war veteran, joins him. While on their way to the front, they find a carbonized body. Authorities ignore them without helping to identify the body. Dima and Vasea decide to bury the corpse according to the proper Christian rituals, but shortly they will go, together with the body, on an absurd journey to discover his identity.
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Guests
Dorian BoguțăActor Dorian Boguță, best known for "The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu" (2005) and "Francesca" (2009) was born in Kishinev, USSR (now Chișinău, The Republic of Moldova) on April 24, 1971. He graduated from Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University in Georgia in 1992 and started his acting career at the National Theatre in Chișinău, where he played numerous noticeable lead roles. In 1999 he moved to Bucharest and started acting in films, gaining recognition with the TV series "Lombarzilor 8" (2006) and later with "Francesca" (2009. In 2009 he made his debut in directing, with the short-film "10", marking the beginning of a series of highly successful short-films, including "From now on" (2012), "Kazimir” (2014) and “Finale” (2015). He later on made his debut in feature film with the drama “Legacy” (2019). Following his passion for acting and directing, he founded actoriedefilm.ro with fellow actors, Dragoș Bucur and Alexandru Papadopol, which encompasses both an acting school and a producing company. Their purpose is to introduce their students to an acting style that is realistic and comes naturally. In 2013, they produced box office hits like “Love Building,” “Another Love Building”, “Two Lottery Tickets” (2016) and “Another Lottery Ticket”(2023), all of which Dorian both produced and acted in.

Ruxandra GhițescuRuxandra Ghițescu is a Romanian visual artist and filmmaker. She is a graduate student of the Media Art School, in Karlsruhe, Germany. Ruxandra is currently working as a director on films, commercials and as a scriptwriter. She was selected to participate in Berlinale Talents in 2015, as well as in Sarajevo Talents and Transylvania Talents in 2014. Her debut feature Otto the Barbarian, a Romanian-Belgian coproduction, was part of L’Atelier de Cinefondation 2017, Berlinale Script Station 2016, CineLink Sarajevo 2016 - winner of the Macedonian Film Institute Prize, CineLink Work in Progress 2019 and premiered in 2020 at Sarajevo IFF.

Sergiu Cumatrenco Jr.Sergiu Cumatrenco Jr. is one of the leading producers from Moldova. He is CEO and a co-founder of the YOUBESC Creative Institute, Executive Director of the Art Consumers Association and the founder of the RAVAC International Film Festival. A member of the Moldavian Filmmakers Association and a member of the European Film Academy, he has produced and co-produced 15 film projects, among them six international co-productions. Among the most recent films created in co-production with partners from Moldova, Romania, Spain, the USA, Germany, France and Austria the following stand out: BILLION, CARBON, ANOTHER LOTTERY TICKETS, VARVARA, THUNDERS, MMXX, TRANSIT TIMES.

Supporters
Private donors

Supporting sponsor · $1,000 and more

Mihai and Gabriela Aluaș

Cosmin and Elena Catrinescu

Otilia & Tudor Baraboi

Festival ambassador · $500 and more

Mary Sherhart

Tracy Sharpe and Roxana Arama

Adrian Potra

Dana Cozmei

Luana and Marian Stanescu

Nick Voicu

Raluca and Gabriel Hera

Alexandrina Maicaneanu and Radu Simionescu

Irina & Cristi Salvan

Festival benefactor · $250 and more

Ileana Marin

Ramona and Marian Pungan

Anonymous

Roxana Teodorescu

Andrei Marinescu

In loving memory of Eugenia Lup and Rodica Gutan

Oana and Doru Nica

Vasi Rusu

Thomas Richardson

Marius Popa

Claudiu Raileanu

Maya Bacioiu teen fundraiser

Alexandru Popa

Miruna Ticrea

Tudor and Adina Trufinescu

Isabella Fu and Radu Palanca

Festival supporter · $100 and more

Helene Kaplan

Irina Mork

Anca and Catalin Zaharia

Smaranda Lieuallen

Irina VanPatten

Margareta Christian

Michele Anciaux Aoki

Cristian and Ana Maria Ilac

Alexandrina and Adrian Muntianu

Veronica Guea

Carmen Rautu

Adriana Popescu

Adrian Fanaru

Monica Poinescu

Elizabeta Iliescu

Carl Winter

Raluca Herman

Edward Blau

Ionut Tulai

Cristina Houston

Mihai and Monica Ene-Pietrosanu

Nicoleta and Andrei Zlati

Camelia and Ciprian Clinciu

Festival friend · $50 and more

Linda Morris

Daniela Stafie

Marina Lyons

In honor of Ana Bacioiu

Adriana Guiman

Casey Choi

Elena Apreutesei

Special Thanks · $25 and more

Silviana Ciurea Ilcus

Romanian American National Heritage Award - 8th Edition
2024-06-15 00:00 - 2024-09-15 00:00 UTC | WA
Romanian American National Heritage Awards 2024, 8th edition
The Romanian American National Heritage Award is an annual competition for high school students with Romanian heritage or background. Applicants of non-Romanian descent may qualify, as long as their work and experience relate to Romania or the Romanian community in the US.
The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the cohesion of the Romanian community and the preservation of its heritage, language, culture and traditions.
The jury involved base their decision on the national and international impact of the volunteering activity described, the candidate's academic achievements and leadership potential and tracked record, as well as their future vision for the benefit of the Romanian community, locally and beyond.
Granted by the American Romanian Cultural Society, Romanian United Foundation, FORA, RoAm Pro and Alianța. With the endorsement of the Embassy of Romania to the United States. The Award Ceremony will be hosted at the Alianța Gala in November.
Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org if you want to join us as a community partner.
See the list of last year's winners here.

Recognition and Awards
All eligible participants will receive the official recognition of the Romanian Embassy in the United States.
In the past years the award has helped the recipients distinguish themselves in their admission process to top colleges and institutions, such as Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, Pitzer College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Whitman College, Purdue University, UW Honors, Harvard, Cornell University and many others.
Timeline
June 15 - Submission of Applications OpensAugust 25 - Submission of Applications ClosesSeptember 15 - Winners Announced
Apply HERE
Eligibility: ​​Age and residence: For the 2024 edition, participants must be enrolled in High School in United States for the 2024-2025 academic year. Academic standing: Minimum unweighted High School GPA of 3.0 – or equivalent, running average for the last school year.Team work: Both individuals and teams can participate in the competition. Participation in teams is encouraged. To encourage leadership and simplify the evaluation process, the maximum team size is 5, including the leader.

There are no Romanian or US citizenship requirements. There are no fees required, this competition is entirely free to participate for eligible students.
​Eligibility for national participantsThe top 5 winners of the regional competitions advance to the national competition.
Evaluation criteria
The following criteria will be used in the evaluation process (not all criteria are required, but they will strengthen your application):
1) Community work and leadershipThe number of volunteering hours and their visible outcome and results will be a strong factor in the evaluation. Where applicable and possible, volunteering and community work in Romania (e.g. groundbreaking projects with children, youth and seniors from underprivileged social backgrounds, or religious and ethnic minorities) will receive the jury's highest consideration. Please highlight this aspect in your application. Please provide a detailed description of your working experience, highlighting the ways in which your activity and leadership initiatives impacted the targeted community, strengthening its civic spirit and sense of unity.
2) Essay Please submit a short motivationalessay that will describe how your community work influenced your own personal growth and brought awarness to your bicultural and bilingual identity in the US. We strongly encourage applicants to model their essay from their college application essays, following a similar structure and attention to detail. The essay shall have no less than 200 words and no more than 650 words.
Optional EssaySubmit an essay under 400 words on any of these following topics: 1.a challenge that has taught you to be resilient, or 2. where do you see yourself in 10 years from now, or 3. any topic of your choice. Like with the main essay, we strongly encourage applicants to model the college application essays, following a similar structure and attention to detail.
3) Recommendations from local community leadersYour essay and recommendations (up to 2) will play an important role in the evaluation process. A formal letter is not required, a name and contact info (email and/or phone number) will be sufficient. The contest organizers will reach out to confirm the recommendations.
Romanian Heritage ConnectionApplicants of any cultural background may qualify, as long as they are able to prove their interest, work experience and connection to Romania. Examples of such proof:

Passing an officially recognized Romanian language test – where available
An essay in Romanian
Volunteer work in Romania

International Children's Friendship Festival 2024
2024-04-20 11:00 - 2024-04-21 18:00 UTC | Seattle Center – Fisher Pavilion, 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
ARCS is excited to participate again at this year's International Children's Friendship Festival! We will share a table with members from the local Moldovan community to promote Romania and Moldova, so please come stop by! International Children’s Friendship Festival is an event that is run by children and features performances by children. Various nationalities are represented through music, folk dancing and art. The children celebrate their international friendship through experiencing the rich tapestry of the world’s cultures. The event is well-established and recognized in the Northwest as a volunteer-run festival with a loyal crowd and an increasing number of new children every year. The festival is annually recognized by proclamations of several elected officials in Washington State. The event is free and open to the public. Our reach goes beyond the borders of Washington State, all the way to the other side of the world. Over the years we have had the pleasure to host guests performers from Republic of Seychelles, Mongolia and Mexico. They’ve come all the way to Seattle to share their culture with the children of Pacific Northwest. Not only was this a once in a lifetime experience for those children, but it also provided an opportunity for the local children to mingle with and learn about people from very different backgrounds. Are you interested in getting involved? We are looking for children and teenagers of Romanian or Moldovan descent who are passionate to share their heritage! Sign up here. Learn more about the festival from the organizers here. April 20-21, 11-6pmFisher Pavilion, Seattle Center305 Harrison StSeattle, WA 98109

Improve Your Writing, Reading and Speaking Skills, Part II
2024-04-01 - 2024-06-14 | Online
Overview
In this course, students will read intriguing texts on the world’s inexplicable mysteries such as pyramids, ghost apparitions, huge marine monsters, heroes with superpowers, UFOs, and many others. Since each text is accompanied by a recording and a dossier of activities, students will have the opportunity to further practice writing and speaking in Romanian while trying to offer explanations to the mysteries they have read about. For this class, students will keep a vocabulary journal and will write their own short texts or blog entries. Whenever possible, we will meet specialists in world history and science to interview them and work on more formal conversation skills. Groups of 4-5 students / 60 min, weekly.

Schedule
Time: To Be Determined – We will work with parents and students to find the best times and days that work for you.
The times indicated in the schedule are only orientative.
Please fill out the registration form to let us know your availability.

Payment
Tuition for this course includes 10 classes on Zoom (60 minutes each).
We offer scholarships to families in need. Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org if you would like to be considered.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships to families in need. Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org prior to registration if you would like to be considered.
Next Course
Improve your Reading, Writing, and Speaking Skills, Part III.

Part II: pre-ALTA Romanian in High School/ Română la Liceu (Ages 14-17)
2024-02-26 - 2024-06-14 | Online
OverviewUnique in the US, the program “Româna la Liceu”, launched in 2016 with great success. This program is addressed to students from WA State, and nationwide, to help them earn high school credits for their heritage language by taking the ALTA Exam, and possibly the Global Seal of Biliteracy. These diplomas will help with their admission process to highly-ranked universities in the US. Our method combines reading comprehension and grammar with interactive communicative methods. Groups of 4-7 students / 60 min, weekly. This class is Part II of the pre-Romanian in High School series. SchedulingTime: To Be Determined – We will work with parents and students to find the best times and days that work for you. The times indicated in the schedule are only orientative. Please fill out the registration form to let us know your availability. PaymentTuition for this course includes 15 classes on Zoom (60 minutes each).We offer need-based scholarships. Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org if you would like to be considered. Next CourseRomanian in High School/Română la Liceu (Fall 2024): 10 x 90 minute lessons

Romanian Pioneers (Ages 10-13)
2024-01-08 10:00 - 2024-03-22 18:00 UTC | Online
OverviewThis class aims to help students explore and embrace their Romanian identity and heritage. They will discover Romanian illustrous figures and find inspiration in their pioneer spirit, courage and tenacity. The students will interact with real Romanian role models while developing a global perspective of their place into the world as bilingual and bicultural citizens. Basic knowledge of Romanian required. Groups of 4-5 students / 60 min, weekly sessions SchedulingTime: To Be Determined – We will work with parents and students to find the best times and days that work for you. The times indicated in the schedule are only orientative. Please fill out the registration form to let us know your availability. PaymentTuition for this course includes 10 classes on Zoom (60 minutes each).New students must register for placement test.We offer scholarships to families in need. Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org if you would like to be considered.

Romanian Heroes (Ages 6-9)
2024-01-08 10:00 - 2024-03-22 18:00 UTC | Online
OverviewThis class aims to help students explore and fully embrace their Romanian identity. They will learn about human relations and emotions through the study of Romanian legedary characters, illustrous historic figures, as well as contemporary stars. We will use fun engaging methodologies to enrich their daily vocabulary, strengthen communication skills, improve pronunciation and reading competence through short texts, poems, songs, proverbs, riddles, and games. The students will intearact with real Romanian role models that they will discover throughout the semester. Basic knowledge of Romanian required; groups of 4-5 students / 60 min, weekly. SchedulingTime: To Be Determined – We will work with parents and students to find the best times and days that work for you. The times indicated in the schedule are only orientative. Please fill out the registration form to let us know your availability. PaymentTuition for this course includes 10 classes on Zoom (60 minutes each).New students must register for placement test.We offer scholarships to families in need. Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org if you would like to be considered.

Introduction to Romanian (Ages 6+)
2024-01-08 10:00 - 2024-03-22 18:00 UTC | Online

Winter Semester Courses
2024-01-08 - 2024-03-22 | WA

European Holiday Market
2023-12-09 10:00 - 14:00 UTC | WA
Join us December 9, 10am-2pm, at the European Holiday Market for festive food, merchandise, stories, and music. We look forward to representing Romania alongside Teinnovadora, importer of quality Romanian wines, and join other European communities. If you're looking for unique holiday gifts, you don't want to miss this! Learn more here. PROGRAM10:15 AM French and English Christmas Music presented by Ladies Musical Club of SeattleWith Dhanushi Wijeyakulasuriya, sopranoSusan Payne O'Brien, sopranoPeter Nelson-King, piano 11:15 AM Storytime in French with Sophie 11:45 AM Santa Claus' Visit & Gifts 12:30 PM Holiday Piano Music presented by Ladies Musical Club of SeattleWith Monica Kessler, piano Saturday, December 9 |10am-2pmCHAPEL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTER4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

The Magic of Winter: The Romanian Madrigal Choir Jubilee Tour
2023-12-02 19:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
ARCS is a proud partner of the Madrigal Choir Jubilee Tour in Seattle! A decade-long wait is over: after 35 years, the famous National Chamber Choir “Madrigal - Marin Constantin”, Romania’s most internationally recognized musical ensemble, returns to United States for an anniversary tour celebrating the National Day of Romania with special recitals in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Seattle. More details about the tour: www.madrigaltour.com In Seattle, WA, the event will take place at the Town Hall Seattle on December 2, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Address: 1119 8th Avenue (at Seneca Street) Seattle, WA 98101) The much-awaited comeback of one of the world's great choral ensembles will display all the Madrigal’s artistic prowess, evident in the expansive repertoire, the impeccable musical quality, and the spectacular stage presence. Anticipating the magic of winter festivities, the recitals will offer a carefully-crafted program, featuring Renaissance music, Romanian and international carols, and timeless choral compositions. Madrigal Choir’s American tour is organized by the Romanian Embassy to the U.S. together with the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York and with the generous support of the Romanian Ministry of Culture and several sponsors from Romania: Transylvania Bank, Vodafone, ING, UiPath and Fan Courier, and special community partner: American Romanian Cultural Society – ARCS. The event is free but registration is required. Register Here.

Romanian Film Festival Seattle, 10th Edition
2023-11-04 - 2023-11-12 | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
The Romanian Film Festival Seattle is excited to celebrate its 10th anniversary edition this year. Running Nov. 4-12, the festival will mark the return to SIFF Uptown Cinema Nov. 4-5 (its home until 2020), and will continue the following weekend at Northwest Film Forum. The online program will be available for the duration of the festival.
Started in 2014 with the scope of bringing Romanian cinema to audiences in Seattle, the festival has adapted and blossomed over the years. It soldiered through the pandemic, thanks to a loyal audience that followed it as it transformed to a virtual program. This year it continues to enjoy a hybrid format, with an online selection available in the continental US and in-person screenings at SIFF Cinema Uptown and Northwest Film Forum.
Through the years, each edition has brought thought-provoking and award-winning productions from Romania and Eastern Europe, giving a platform to upcoming and established directors alike.
This year’s theme “One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying” is a nod to its first edition in 2014 - the duality of the Romanian spirit that propels it forward in spite of constant hardships. The first year saw an overwhelming success following a grassroots effort to mobilize the Romanian community in the greater Seattle area.
This year’s nuanced edition celebrates the rich cultural fabric of Romania, while exploring current topics with the unflinchingly honest perspectives that fans of the festival have come to expect from Romanian cinema. The program will comprise of critically-acclaimed films and newly released films, and featuring special guests from Romania.
Daniel Ursache, the graphic artist behind the festival posters over the years, has once again turned his creative eye to reflect the unstopping energy of the festival.
Mark your calendars and let’s keep the story going!
If you have a business or reprezent an organization, please check out our sponsorship package and let us know if you would like to benefit from our advertising opportunities.
Festival Official Partners and Co-organizers: Festival Institutional Partners:
Supporting Sponsors:
Festival Ambassadors: FilmsFundraising CampaignThank you for your generosity! Our goal is to raise $20,000 to cover costs associated with programming, publicity, technical support and film distribution rights. We will keep the fundraising campaign open on our website and Facebook. Raised$19,949Goal$20,000

How much would you like to donate?(Required)

$25 Many ThanksWe will integrate a special thank you credit on our website.

$50 Festival FriendSpecial thank you credit on our website!

$100 Festival SupporterSpecial thank you credit on our website and free access to two films showing at the festival.

$250 Festival BenefactorSpecial thank you credit on our website and free access to four films showing at the festival.

$500 Festival AmbassadorSpecial thank you credit on our website and free access to eight films showing at the festival, thank you credit after the each film screening and special thank you credit on our website (with your company logo, if applicable).

$1,000 Supporting SponsorWe are offering up to three full festival passes, credit before the screenings, special thank you credit on our website with your logo and link to your website.

$5,000 Festival Official Partner and Co-OrganizerWe are offering up to five full festival passes, credit before the screenings, special thank you credit as a festival official partner and co-organizer on our website with your logo and link to your website.
Total

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American Romanian Cultural Society1931 E Lynn StSeattle, WA 98112 TrailerBoss by Bogdan Mirică
2022, Thriller, 126 min(Romania, Luxembourg, Sweden)

Bogdan, an innocuous ambulance driver, becomes involved in an armed robbery to support his ailing mother's medical needs. While fleeing from the scene, he accidentally hits a witness, who ends...
Bogdan, an innocuous ambulance driver, becomes involved in an armed robbery to support his ailing mother's medical needs. While fleeing from the scene, he accidentally hits a witness, who ends up in a coma. As Bogdan's paranoia intensifies, he immerses himself further into the lives of his accomplices, while causing major problems in his own.
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TrailerBetween Revolutions by Vlad Petri
2023, Hybrid documentary, 70 min (Romania, Croatia, Qatar, Iran)

“Between Revolutions" illuminates the letters exchanged between Maria, a Romanian, and Zahra, an Iranian, who forge a deep connection while studying together at medical school in 1970s Bucharest. The letters...
“Between Revolutions" illuminates the letters exchanged between Maria, a Romanian, and Zahra, an Iranian, who forge a deep connection while studying together at medical school in 1970s Bucharest. The letters poignantly illustrate the challenges faced by everyday people, especially women, during the Iranian Revolution and Ceaucescu's repressive rule in Romania, juxtaposed with documentary footage portraying daily life and the widespread propaganda in their respective societies.
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TrailerPlayback by Iulia Rugină
2023, Documentary, 77 min (Romania)

In communist Romania of the 80s, DJs were the only ones who brought outside music to the people. Tracks were trafficked on vinyl or secretly recorded from foreign radio stations...
In communist Romania of the 80s, DJs were the only ones who brought outside music to the people. Tracks were trafficked on vinyl or secretly recorded from foreign radio stations and played to dancing crowds. Playback offers a present-day portrait of one of the most famous DJs of those times while recreating a selective chronology of the musical events that changed the face of a society to the democracy of today.
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TrailerTaxi Drivers by Bogdan Theodor Olteanu
2022, Dark comedy/drama, 106 min (Romania, Bulgaria)

Taxi Drivers Liviu and Lică navigate the nocturnal life of Bucharest, picking up passengers who turn to them for therapy, political discussions, assistance in criminal enterprises, and more. Each driver...
Taxi Drivers Liviu and Lică navigate the nocturnal life of Bucharest, picking up passengers who turn to them for therapy, political discussions, assistance in criminal enterprises, and more. Each driver must decide what's more important to him: the wild ride or their lives off the meter.
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TrailerMen of Deeds by Paul Negoescu
2022, Dark comedy/drama, 106 min (Romania, Bulgaria)

Ilie settles in the countryside as a policeman, seeking a more tranquil lifestyle. However, his relaxed approach to his job entangles him in a violent crime. When he finally starts...
Ilie settles in the countryside as a policeman, seeking a more tranquil lifestyle. However, his relaxed approach to his job entangles him in a violent crime. When he finally starts to become a justice seeker, he quickly learns the unbecoming consequences of getting involved in others’ affairs.
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TrailerWhy Do They Write On Walls? by Alin Boeru2023, Documentary, 85 min (Romania)
"Why Do They Write on the Walls?" delves into the history and ideology of Romanian street art and graffiti, interwoven with interviews of the country's most renowned street artists. Started...
"Why Do They Write on the Walls?" delves into the history and ideology of Romanian street art and graffiti, interwoven with interviews of the country's most renowned street artists. Started as an objective analysis of a counterculture, the film transforms into an intimate coming-of-age story of a young corporate employee who gets sucked into a world that is in total opposition to his own.
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TrailerE Pericoloso Sporgersi by Nae Caranfil
1993, Romantic comedy, 104 min(Romania)

Horațiu, an army recruit, is hot on the heels after Cristina, a senior in high school. She’s not necessarily against it, but only after a mandatory engagement, something he will...
Horațiu, an army recruit, is hot on the heels after Cristina, a senior in high school. She’s not necessarily against it, but only after a mandatory engagement, something he will soon give up on with the appearance in town of Dino, a second-rate actor, but reputed provincial Casanova.
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TrailerPhoenix Har/Jar by Cornel Mihalache
2022, Music documentary, 70 min (Romania)

"Phoenix. Har/Jar" reunites the members of the legendary rock band from the period before they left communist Romania in 1977, and highlights the important moments in the band's tumultuous chronology,...
"Phoenix. Har/Jar" reunites the members of the legendary rock band from the period before they left communist Romania in 1977, and highlights the important moments in the band's tumultuous chronology, from the first appearances in 1962 under the name "Sfinții" (the Saints) to the present day. The documentary presents, for the first time, the events that the musicians went through in the country, the relationship with the Securitate, the communist political police, their departure from Romania and the band's activity before and after the 1989 Revolution.
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TrailerThe Chalice. Of Sons and Daughters by Cătălina Tesăr and Dana Bunescu
2022, Documentary, 84 min(Romania)

The documentary follows Peli and Nina, a young Roma couple striving to conceive a son in order to comply with local custom. While they live under tremendous strain and keep...
The documentary follows Peli and Nina, a young Roma couple striving to conceive a son in order to comply with local custom. While they live under tremendous strain and keep taking fertility and ultrasound checks, their respective families are disputing their rights in the chalice pledged by Peli’s father to Nina’s family when they arranged the couple’s match. The intricacies of this marriage are teased out by Peli’s sister, Bara, who provides a gripping confession about the lived female condition in this community.
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Guests
Iulia RuginăIulia Rugină is a Bucharest based director and screenwriter. She has a BA and a MA degree in film and television directing at Bucharest’s National University of Theatre and Film (UNATC). In 2020 she completed a PhD on low budget cinema at the same university.

She has written and directed twelve shorts and three feature films, among which Stuck on Christmas (2010), Love Building (2013), Dying from a Wound of Love (2014), Breaking News (2016). In 2018 she made her theater debut with the multimedia show Neverland, which she wrote and directed. In 2020 she directed six of the eight episodes of the HBO Max series Ruxx.

Since 2099 she is also actively involved in cultural management (through Control N, the cultural NGO she has co-founded), and film education (through various projects she has participated in, as a film tutor), having worked with professional screenwriters, amateur filmmakers, children, ethnic minorities, inmates and drug addicts.

She taught screenwriting at the National University of Theater and Film in Bucharest for 10 years, before switching to script consultancy in national and international projects.

Iulian PostelnicuIulian Postelnicu graduated from the National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest with a Bachelor's Degree in acting.

He played several supporting characters in films such as Domestic (2012), A Decent Man (2018), and One Floor Below (2015) for which he received a Gopo nomination as Best Supporting Character. In 2019 he played the character of Vali in Arrest, for which he won the Gopo Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

His more recent characters include Costin in Otto the Barbarian (2020), nominated for the Gopo Award as Best Supporting Character, Daniel in the HBO TV show Ruxx (2022), Sorin in the HBO TV show Spy/Master (2023), and Ilie in Men of Deeds (2022), for which he won the Best Performance Award at FIFF Namur, the Outstanding Individual Performance Award at FilmFestival Cottbus, and the Gopo Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

In addition to his acting career, Iulian Postelnicu worked as a writer for several Romanian TV shows like Mondenii, SRC, and Las Fierbinti. He co-wrote, together with Bogdan George Apetri, the screenplay for Unidentified (2020), for which they won the Gopo Award for Best Screenplay. Supporters
Private donors

Supporting sponsor · $1,000 and more

Mihai and Gabriela Aluaș

Ana and Radu Bacioiu

Cosmin and Elena Catrinescu

Festival ambassador · $500 and more

Dana and Catalin Cozmei

Gabriel and Teodora Ghizila

Andreea Larhs

Tracy Sharpe and Roxana Arama

Alexandrina Maicaneanu and Radu Simionescu

Mary Sherhart

Nick Voicu

Gabriel and Raluca Hera

NW Family Dental - Daciana Buse, DDS, MSD

Festival benefactor · $250 and more

Ioana and Doru Nica

Tudor and Otilia Baraboi

James Augerot and Ileana Marin

Allergy & Asthma Care of Manhattan, PLLC

Lavinia Serban

Marius and Alina Popa

Roxana Teodorescu

Claudiu and Dana Raileanu

Ramona and Marian Pungan

Cristi and Irina Salvan

Nicoleta and Andrei Zlati

Isabella Fu and Radu Palanca

Luana and Marian Stanescu

Festival supporter · $100 and more

Mihaela Giurca

Camelia and Ciprian Clinciu

Oana Stepan

Laura Romanschi

Cristina Houston

Smaranda Lieuallen

Corina Varlam

Michele Anciaux Aoki

Claudia Jensen

Cristian and Ana Maria Ilac

Catalin Alaci and Mirela Dinu

Ligia Cicos

George Roth

Monica Poinescu

Carmen and Bogdan Răutu

Elizabeta and Adrian Iliescu

Helene Kaplan

Carl Winter

Edward Blau

Lavinia Serban

NomNom Creative

Festival friend · $50 and more

Georgiana Lucache

Magda Nica

Sheila Speirs

George Strajan

Mihaela Armanasu

Special Thanks · $25 and more

Florina Gusu

Special thanks · $10 and more

Cristina Amaral

Tatiana Chihai

Anonymous

Romanian Culture and Civilisation Through Media (Intermediate/Advanced)
2023-10-02 10:00 - 2024-02-09 18:00 UTC | Online

Romanian History: Part II
2023-10-02 10:00 - 2023-12-15 18:00 UTC | Online

Romanian History: Part I
2023-10-02 10:00 - 2023-12-15 18:00 UTC | Online

Romanian Pioneers (Ages 10-13)
2023-10-02 10:00 - 2023-12-15 18:00 UTC | Online

Romanian Heroes (Ages 6-9)
2023-10-02 10:00 - 2023-12-15 18:00 UTC | Online

Improve Your Writing, Reading and Speaking Skills, Part I
2023-10-02 10:00 - 2023-12-15 18:00 UTC | Online

Romanian Wine Tales
2023-09-29 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | ARCS Center at MLK Fame Community Center, 3201 E Republican St, Ste 104, Seattle, WA, 98112, United States
Join us for an Evening of Romanian Wine Tasting and Giving Teodora Bernadeta Baba, President and Owner of Teinnovadora, will takes us on a journey exploring a curated selection of fine Romanian wines. Indulge your senses at our exquisite wine tasting fundraiser, where every sip supports our ARCS mission to create social change through film, art, and education. You can win rare wines, books, dining experiences (a dinner for two at Pizzeria La Rocca in Seattle, which includes a house wine), handcrafted chocolates from The Nom Nom Stop in Lacey, and more. This event promises an enchanting evening of Romanian wine tales and a cultural experience. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Romanian Film Festival Seattle - 10th Edition!Register at the link below. *Must be 21 or over to attend. Romanian Wine TalesSeptember 29, 6:30pm3201 E Republican St, Ste 104Seattle, WA 98112 *Free parking on premises

Friends in Nature Romanian Summer Camp
2023-07-24 09:00 - 2023-07-28 15:00 UTC | ARCS Center at MLK Fame Community Center, 3201 E Republican St, Ste 104, Seattle, WA, 98112, United States
Our Romanian Language Immersion Summer Camp is back!
This is a great opportunity for kids to apply their language skills while having fun and making friends.
We welcome kids between the ages of 8 and 14 for an exciting and immersive week-long adventure! Our program will be tailored to the students’ language competence, but we ask that they have at least a novice-understanding of Romanian.
The daily schedules will include Romanian language lessons, activities and games, lunch break and playtime. Our programs will engage the students and encourage them to build on their knowledge of Romanian while using what they learn to navigate the natural world around them! The program will include several fieldtrips to the Washington Park Arboretum, which is within walking distance of our location. Between language classes and our local explorations kids will also learn about the natural world in Romania.
Register for the Summer Camp here.
Please fill out the registration form for each child.
Registration deadline – June 26
Who: kids ages 8-14
When: July 24-28
Where:

ARCS Center at MLK Fame Community Center
3201 E Republican St, Ste 104
Seattle, WA 98112
Washington Park Arboretum
2300 Arboretum Dr E
Seattle, WA 98112

Do you want to help? We are looking for volunteers who can assist us during the summer camp, either for the duration of the camp or just a couple of days.
If you want to volunteer, please fill out the form here.

Romanian American National Heritage Award - 7th Edition
2023-06-30 08:00 - 2023-11-29 17:00 UTC | The Willard Hotel, Washington DC
Romanian American National Heritage Awards 2023, 7th edition The Romanian American National Heritage Award is an annual competition for high school students with Romanian heritage or background. Applicants of non-Romanian descent may qualify, as long as their work and experience relate to Romania or the Romanian community in the US. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the cohesion of the Romanian community and the preservation of its heritage, language, culture and traditions. The jury representing the three organizations involved base their decision on the national and international impact of the volunteering activity described, the candidate's academic achievements and leadership potential and tracked record, as well as their future vision for the benefit of the Romanian community, locally and beyond. Congratulations to the Winners of This Year's Edition : Victor Ene National Platinum AwardAndrea Klein National Platinum AwardGabriela Pirtea National Platinum AwardCaterina Stoica National Platinum AwardStephanie Dragoi National Gold AwardAna Girnita National Gold AwardMara Haiduc National Gold AwardAlexandra Lehene National Gold AwardElisa Tunaru National Gold AwardMarina Diaconu National Silver AwardGruia Radu National Silver AwardDaniel Rimbu National Silver AwardLarissa Sambotin National Silver AwardAna Guset US Central Platinum AwardRoxana Stanescu US West Platinum AwardMichael Stoica US East Platinum AwardJulia Triculescu US Central Platinum AwardLuca Barbat US West Gold AwardTeodora Diaconu US East Gold AwardEmma Manole US West Gold AwardSophia Manole US West Gold AwardAna Martin US East Gold AwardAyden Pana US Central Gold AwardAlexa Zaharia US Central Gold AwardInara Zayic US Central Gold AwardAlissia Anghel US Central Silver AwardMatei Busu US Central Silver AwardAlexandru Cernea US Central Silver AwardAlexandru Dragoi US East Silver AwardEmma Dram US Central Silver AwardDaniel Fanaru US West Silver AwardDan Haidau US Central Silver AwardLaura Melinciuc US East Silver AwardAndrew Zaharia US West Silver AwardMaya Alexa Honorary Mention AwardDavid Bora Honorary Mention AwardMatei Panaitisor Honorary Mention AwardDavid Tunduc Honorary Mention AwardRebekah Weidell Honorary Mention Award NEW - Romanian Bridge Builders sectionNow at the 7th edition, Romanian American National Heritage Award is adding a new section to the prestigious Awards. The Romanian American community is not only cohesive within the United States, but many of its members are also working to strengthen the heritage connections between Romanian Americans and their ancestral lands in Romania. This always involves hard work from generous people from both United States and Romania. The outcome of this work is a strong global community of Romanians, which benefits both United States and Romania. The Award committee is now recognizing the contribution of high school students in Romania to strengthening these heritage connections between Romanian Americans and their ancestral lands in Romania. The Romanian Bridge Builders Award is granted to high school students in Romania who through their work make the world better. Winners of this year’s edition are: Luca-David Vulpe, a junior at the Emanuil Godju High School in Oradea, Bihor for his contribution to the charity work of the One World Association Romania as well as outstanding academic achievementsHarris Kopanyi, a sophomore at the Emanuil Godju High School in Oradea, Bihor for his work with the Prima Foundation helping children in Bihor County and outstanding academic and athletic achievementsIt is an honor for the Romanian American community to host them at the award ceremony held at the Alianța Gala on November 29th 2023. Granted by the American Romanian Cultural Society and Romanian United Fund, Romanian American Professional Network, with the endorsement of the Embassy of Romania to the United States. The Award Ceremony will be hosted at the Alianța Gala in November. With the support or ARCS Arizona and ARCS Detroit. Community Partners: Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org if you want to join us as a community partner. Recognition and Awards All eligible participants will receive the official recognition of the Romanian Embassy in the United States and the top winners will receive awards of up to $1000. In the past years the award has helped the recipients distinguish themselves in their admission process to top colleges and institutions, such as Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, Pitzer College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Whitman College, Purdue University, UW Honors, Harvard and many others. Timeline June 30 - Submission of Applications OpensOctober 15th - Submission of Applications ClosesOctober 31 - Winners Announced November 29 - Award Ceremony at Alianța Gala Apply HEREEligibility: ​​Age and residence: For the 2023 edition, participants must be enrolled in High School in United States for the 2022-2023 academic year. Academic standing: Minimum unweighted High School GPA of 3.0 – or equivalent, running average for the last school year.Team work: Both individuals and teams can participate in the competition. Participation in teams is encouraged. To encourage leadership and simplify the evaluation process, the maximum team size is 5, including the leader. There are no Romanian or US citizenship requirements. There are no fees required, this competition is entirely free to participate for eligible students. ​Eligibility for national participantsThe top 5 winners of the regional competitions advance to the national competition. Evaluation criteria The following criteria will be used in the evaluation process (not all criteria are required, but they will strengthen your application): 1) Community work and leadershipThe number of volunteering hours and their visible outcome and results will be a strong factor in the evaluation. Where applicable and possible, volunteering and community work in Romania (e.g. groundbreaking projects with children, youth and seniors from underprivileged social backgrounds, or religious and ethnic minorities) will receive the jury's highest consideration. Please highlight this aspect in your application. Please provide a detailed description of your working experience, highlighting the ways in which your activity and leadership initiatives impacted the targeted community, strengthening its civic spirit and sense of unity. 2) Essay Please submit a short motivationalessay that will describe how your community work influenced your own personal growth and brought awarness to your bicultural and bilingual identity in the US. We strongly encourage applicants to model their essay from their college application essays, following a similar structure and attention to detail. The essay shall have no less than 200 words and no more than 650 words. 3) Recommendations from local community leadersYour essay and recommendations (up to 2) will play an important role in the evaluation process. A formal letter is not required, a name and contact info (email and/or phone number) will be sufficient. The contest organizers will reach out to confirm the recommendations. Romanian Heritage ConnectionApplicants of any cultural background may qualify, as long as they are able to prove their interest, work experience and connection to Romania. Examples of such proof: Passing an officially recognized Romanian language test – where availableAn essay in Romanian Volunteer work in Romania

Paris Chansons
2023-06-24 17:30 - 22:00 UTC | The Tripple Door, 216 Union St, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
06/
Paris Chansons returns to the beautiful Triple Door in Seattle on Saturday, June 24th, with a NEW, exciting show! Featuring original renditions of favorites from Aznavour, Dassin, Piaf, Brel, Macias, Adamo, Dalida to Zaz & Stromae PLUS some of the most beautiful Italian & Eastern European and Balkan classics!
TWO concerts: 5:30PM & 8:30PM
You can see video clips and get your tickets here:
https://tickets.thetripledoor.net/eventperformances.asp?evt=1602
Paris Chansons is an exciting French band with an international twist based in Los Angeles! They are known for their original renditions of French favorites from Aznavour, Dassin, Piaf, Macias, Adamo, Dalida, all the way to contemporary artists like Zaz. Their exhilarating performances are punctuated with gypsy jazz standards as well as classics in Russian, Italian, and other languages.
Three multilingual singers bring an unparalleled diversity to their shows. Julia Kantor, originally from the Ukraine, lived and studied in France where she discovered in French music a soul connection that still imbues every performance. She entrances from the stage with a sultry voice and dynamic presence. Together with her husband, Jacob, a Russian-born singer/songwriter, they launched Paris Chansons. Max Cohen grew up in Morocco steeped in French music, particularly the songs of Enrico Macias. Max’s rich velvety tone delivers beautifully nuanced renditions of his favorites, complete with a signature North African lilt.
Superb musicianship anchors the ensemble, effortlessly moving from jazzy improvisation to slow-burning balladry to blistering gypsy fervor. All seasoned pros, the musicians are Jeff Lams on piano, Adam Cohen on upright bass, Endre Balogh on violin, Sinclair Lott on drums and Jacob Kantor on guitar. Paris Chansons takes you an a journey without leaving your seat (except, of course, to dance!), a spectacular celebration of French and international music that brings the world that much closer.

Ziua iei - Traditions from Romania and Moldova!
2023-06-24 12:00 - 16:00 UTC | ARCS Center at MLK Fame Community Center, 3201 E Republican St, Ste 104, Seattle, WA, 98112, United States
Join us June 24, 12-4pm, for a celebration of Romanian heritage and traditions!
We invite you at our ARCS Center for an exhibition of ie (Romanian traditional blouse) and fun activities for kids to learn about Romanian and Moldovan traditional costumes, as well as the legends surrounding Sânziene, a midsummer celebration, which is also observed on June 24. Wear your ie!
At the initiative of La Blouse Romaine, the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is now recognized on June 24 and we’re happy to take part in this wide-spread celebration with our community in Seattle!
Did you know? As of December 1, 2022 the traditional Romanian and Moldovan blouse with embroidery on the shoulder is now on UNESCO’s list on intangible cultural heritage.
Please RSVP Here.
We look forward to seeing you!
June 24, 12-4pm
MLK Fame Community Center
3201 E Republican St, Ste 104
Seattle, WA 98112

Romanian Cooking Courses with Irina Georgescu
2023-06-03 12:00 - 14:00 UTC | Online
We have added more dates to our series of cooking courses with Irina Georgescu! Her cook books Carpathia and Tava have received wide acclaim. Tava has been recently nominated for a James Beard Award!
Join us on more culinary adventures as Irina teaches us about Romanian dishes from around the country, infused with cultural and historical references.
June 3, 12-2pm PST – Romanian Mezze
Covrigi – bread loops filled with ham: an iconic street food staple made with a very simple dough where the quantity of oil is key to how they turn out. Irina will explain the variations before you start preparing the recipe.
Fasole Bătută – garlicky white bean spread served with caramelised onions: a wonderful alternative to chickpea hummus, light and packed full of flavour.
Ciușpais – Zucchini (Courgette) Dip

July 2, 12-2pm PST – Romanian Vegetarian Meal
Plăcintă cu caise – Apricot Pie
Ciulama de ciuperci – mushrooms with garlicky sour cream white sauce
Courses are $30 each.
Register and pay at the links below. After you pay, you will receive the zoom link and ingredient list so you can be ready for your culinary and cultural adventure with Irina!
A recording of the class will be available for 7 days for paid registrants.
This course series is organized by ARCS with support from ARCS Arizona and ARCS Detroit.
Irina Georgescu
Irina Georgescu is a UK food writer and author from Romania, whose work draws on her Eastern European heritage. She writes with integrity and respesct towards this rich heritage, and constantly raises the profile of Romanian culinary identity, bringing forward traditions and realities little known outside of her country.
Her first book, ‘Carpathia, food from the heart of Romania’ was shortlisted by the UK Guild of Food Writers for the Best International Cookbook Award, while its German translation was awarded a Silver Feather by the German Culinary Academy. The book was also translated into Hungarian and Dutch. Her second book, ‘Tava, Eastern European Baking and Desserts from Romania and Beyond’ is a meticulously researched baking book celebrating centuries of diversity and overlapping cultures that form today’s cuisine in Romania. A German translation is due in February 2023.
Home

Book Signing with Roxana Arama
2023-05-04 18:00 - 19:00 UTC | ARCS Center at MLK Fame Community Center, 3201 E Republican St, Ste 104, Seattle, WA, 98112, United States
Meet Seattle author Roxana Arama at a book signing for her debut novel, Extreme Vetting.
About the book: An immigration lawyer fights to keep her client from being deported to the country where his family was murdered many years ago.
Then she finds out the killers are coming here—for both of them.
“Extreme Vetting was unlike any thriller I have ever read; Arama kept me on my toes the entire novel, eager to know what the future holds for Emilio and his family. I appreciated how knowledgeable Arama was about the immigration process and her sensitivity to the struggles and major obstacles these peoples face. Truly a timely book, this novel can be an eye-opener to the violence and aggression so many immigrants are fleeing from.”
— Theresa Kadair, Seattle Book Review
“Arama’s taut narrative brims with tension and indelible characters. ( . . . ) A remarkable cast sparks this incisive, riveting tale of intolerance.”

— Kirkus Reviews
Please RSVP here.
The book will be available for purchase at the event, but you
can also order a copy here.
May 4 @6pm
MLK Fame Community Center
3201 E Republican St, Ste 104
Seattle, WA 98112

Roxana Arama
Roxana Arama is a Romanian American author with a master of fine arts in creative writing from Goddard College. She studied computer science in Bucharest, Romania, and moved to the United States to work in software development. Her short stories and essays have been published in many literary magazines. Extreme Vetting: A Thriller is her first novel. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her family. More at roxanaarama.com.

Romanian Pies (plăcinte) with Irina Georgescu
2023-04-30 12:00 - 14:00 UTC | Online
Online Cooking Class with Irina Georgescu

Our Romanian cooking series with Irina Georgescu continues!
There’s nothing more Romanian than the pies called plăcinte. Prized as an easy-to-eat, satisfying street food staple, plăcinte also take different forms across the country.
Together with author Irina Georgescu, you will bake one of the most popular plăcinte: Romanian apple pie.
It features a not-too-sweet filling studded with raisins and walnuts that allows the apples to take centre stage. You’ll learn how to make a supple and easy-to-make dough that uses a secret ingredient (hint: it’s sour cream) to guarantee a delicious and traditional pie.
While this is in the oven, we’ll make a savoury cheese pastry from Dobrogea in south-eastern Romania, called șuberec. You will learn about the rich ethnic diversity of this region in Romania, and the variations of this iconic pastry. If you can resist eating them as soon as they’re done, Irina will also teach you a quick cabbage slaw with a refreshing dressing that pairs perfectly with the rich, cheesy pastry.
In this course, you will make:
Apple pie, plăcintă cu mere
Fried cheese pie, șuberec
Cabbage salad, salată de varză
The menu is for 4 people. The dishes are vegetarian but not dairy and gluten-free. Duration: 90 minutes.
Course fee: $30 (Please scroll down to pay)
Register HERE
After you register and pay, you will receive the recipes so you can be ready for your culinary and cultural adventure with Irina!
More cooking courses added here!
This course series is organized by ARCS with support from ARCS Arizona and ARCS Detroit.

Irina Georgescu
Irina Georgescu is a UK food writer and author from Romania, whose work draws on her Eastern European heritage. She writes with integrity and respesct towards this rich heritage, and constantly raises the profile of Romanian culinary identity, bringing forward traditions and realities little known outside of her country.
Her first book, ‘Carpathia, food from the heart of Romania’ was shortlisted by the UK Guild of Food Writers for the Best International Cookbook Award, while its German translation was awarded a Silver Feather by the German Culinary Academy. The book was also translated into Hungarian and Dutch. Her second book, ‘Tava, Eastern European Baking and Desserts from Romania and Beyond’ is a meticulously researched baking book celebrating centuries of diversity and overlapping cultures that form today’s cuisine in Romania. A German translation is due in February 2023.

International Children's Friendship Festival
2023-04-22 11:00 - 2023-04-23 18:00 UTC | Seattle Center – Fisher Pavilion, 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
ARCS is excited to participate at this year’s International Children’s Friendship Festival! We will share a table with members from the local Moldovan community to promote Romania and Moldova, so please come stop by!
International Children’s Friendship Festival is an event that is run by children and features performances by children. Various nationalities are represented through music, folk dancing and art. The children celebrate their international friendship through experiencing the rich tapestry of the world’s cultures.
The event is well-established and recognized in the Northwest as a volunteer-run festival with a loyal crowd and an increasing number of new children every year. The festival is annually recognized by proclamations of several elected officials in Washington State.
The event is free and open to the public.
Our reach goes beyond the borders of Washington State, all the way to the other side of the world. Over the years we have had the pleasure to host guests performers from Republic of Seychelles, Mongolia and Mexico. They’ve come all the way to Seattle to share their culture with the children of Pacific Northwest. Not only was this a once in a lifetime experience for those children, but it also provided an opportunity for the local children to mingle with and learn about people from very different backgrounds.
Learn more about the festival here.

College Admissions Workshop
2023-04-20 19:15 - 20:30 UTC | Holy Three Hierarchs Romanian Orthodox Church, 6402 226th St SW, Mountlake Terrace, 98043, United States
Our college admissions workshop is back! Join us April 20 at 7:15pm for a free informational session about the best practices when planning your college experience. *Please note the workshop has been rescheduled.
ARCS has a track record for helping high school students from the Romanian community make their college applications stand out and get accepted to very selective colleges (Harvard, UC Berkeley, Duke University, and more).
RSVP
The presentation is done by experienced ARCS volunteers, with the support of the Holy Three Hierarchs Church. There are no obligations and no expectations for paid services.
If you are a high school student looking for volunteer opportunities, please emails us at contact@arcsproject.org
Iulian Calinov
iulian.calinov@arcsproject.org

Iulian Calinov was born in Bucharest Romania. Iulian holds a masters degree in Electrical Engineering from the Politehnica University of Bucharest and a Masters of Business Administration in Corporate Finance jointly from Bucharest School of Economics and Université du Québec à Montréal. Iulian has worked as an Assistant Professor with the Politechnica University of Bucharest for 6 years after graduation, teaching Control Theory, Digital Control, Microprocessor Systems, Electric Drives and Microeconomics. After a brief stint as a Treasurer for Philip Moris in Romania, Iulian moved to the United States to work for Microsoft in Redmond, WA in 1998. Currently, Iulian is a Program Manager with Facebook, and serves the Romanian community in Seattle as a Honorary Consul on Romania as well as the Secretary of Romanian American Society of Washington State.

GiveBIG for Our Youth
2023-04-18 - 2023-05-03 | WA
The Romanian American National Heritage Award is an annual competition for high school students with Romanian heritage or background. Applicants of non-Romanian descent may qualify, as long as their work and experience relate to Romania or the Romanian community in the US.
The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the cohesion of the Romanian community and the preservation of its heritage, language, culture and traditions.
In the past years the award has helped the 60+ recipients distinguish themselves in their admission process to top colleges and institutions, such as Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, Pitzer College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Whitman College, Purdue University, UW Honors, Harvard and many others.
Granted by the American Romanian Cultural Society, in partnership with the Romanian United Fund and Alianța, and with the endorsement of the Embassy of Romania to the United States. The Award Ceremony will be hosted at the Alianța Gala in Washington D.C. in November 2023. With the support or ARCS Arizona and ARCS Detroit.
Early giving starts April 18! With your donation we can make an even bigger impact for our Romanian-American youth!
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GiveBIG

Mircea Cărtărescu in conversation with Ileana Marin
2023-04-05 19:00 UTC | Seattle Public Library, 1000 4th Ave, Seattle, 98104, United States
Mircea Cărtărescu, one of Romania’s most well-known contemporary authors, is embarking on a US book tour for Solenoid. He will be making a stop at the Seattle Public Library on April 5 at 7pm!
“[S]omething of a masterpiece . . . Solenoid synthesizes and subtly mocks elements of autofiction and history fiction by way of science fiction… The mesmerizing beauty of creation, of reality giving way to itself: that, above all, lies behind the doors of Solenoid.” —Federico Perelmuter, Astra Magazine
This event is made possible by Cărtărescu’s American publisher Deep Vellum, the Romanian Cultural Institute, and the American Romanian Cultural Society.
University of Washington scholar Ileana Marin, co-founder and President of the American Romanian Cultural Society, will join in conversation.
Venue: Seattle Public Library (Central Branch), Microsoft Auditorium, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104
Time: 7pm
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required in advance.
RSVP
This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book, or request a hold at your local library.
Please note: Solenoid is currently out of stock. A reprint from the publisher is expected soon and copies of Solenoid will be made available at the event.
About Solenoid. . .
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022 by the New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, The Financial Times, Words Without Borders
A highly-acclaimed master work of fiction from Cărtărescu, author of Blinding: an existence (and eventually a cosmos) created by forking paths.
Based on Cărtărescu’s own role as a high school teacher, Solenoid begins with the mundane details of a diarist’s life and quickly spirals into a philosophical account of life, history, philosophy, and mathematics. One character asks another: when you rush into the burning building, will you save the newborn or the artwork? On a broad scale, the novel’s investigations of other universes, dimensions, and timelines reconcile the realms of life and art.
The novel is grounded in the reality of late 1970s/early 1980s Communist Romania, including long lines for groceries, the absurdities of the education system, and the misery of family life. The text includes sequences in a tuberculosis sanatorium, an encounter with an anti-death protest movement, a society of dream investigators, and an extended visit to the miniscule world of dust mites living on a microscope slide.
Combining fiction with autobiography and history— the scientists Nicolae Tesla and George Boole, for example, appear alongside the Voynich manuscript—Solenoid ruminates on the exchanges possible between the alternate dimensions of life and art, as various, monstrous dimensions erupt within the Communist present.
Mircea Cărtărescu is a writer, professor, and journalist who has published more than twenty-five books. His work has received the Formentor Prize (2018), the Thomas Mann Prize (2018), the Austrian State Prize for Literature (2015), and the Vilenica Prize (2011), among many others. His work has been translated into twenty-three languages. His novel Blinding was published by Archipelago in Sean Cotter’s English translation. His novel Solenoid, translated by Cotter and published by Deep Vellum, was named one of the best books of 2022 by the New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, The Financial Times, and Words Without Borders.

Ileana Marin teaches interdisciplinary courses at the University of Washington, Seattle, and at the Center of Excellence in Image Studies of the University of Bucharest, where she chairs the “Space, Image, Text, Territory” Doctoral School. She has published books on tragic myths, Pre-Raphaelite artists, and on Victorian aesthetics of erasure in fiction and illustration. Several of her conference papers on the de-humanizing power of art, the artistic legacy of communism, and the materiality of texts have been selected for publication in prestigious journals and collective volumes. Increasingly interested in multimediality, she has focused on artists’ books, E-Literature, and digital arts. Since 2020, she has taken on translating Romanian female writers. She is co-founder, and currently the President of the Seattle non-profit American Romanian Cultural Society.
