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Romanian Film Festival Seattle – 13th Edition

WHEN: November 13 @ 7:00 pm - November 15 @ 8:00 pm WHERE: SIFF Cinema Uptown
 

 

The Romanian Film Festival in Seattle returns for its 13th editionNovember 13-15 at SIFF Cinema Uptown, a vital cultural venue and long-standing promoter of European film.

The Cultural AssociationControl N, based in Romania, joins ARCS for the third consecutive year as co-organizer, continuing to serve as a bridge between Romanian filmmakers and the American public.

This year’s theme, Beyond Borders, explores the lines that define our world, etched into memory, marked by the scars of struggle, and brightened by the laughters of lived experiences.  The comedies and dramas featured in this 13th edition trace how lives are shaped by visible and invisible boundaries that ultimately become spaces of transformation.

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 11 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 festival is organized with the support of 4Culture.

Check out the festival trailer here! Many thanks to Alexandru Claudiu Maxim for another great festival trailer, as well as sound artist Lala Mișosniky.

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.

Festival Official Partners and Co-organizers:

           

Festival Institutional Partner: 

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$17,313
Goal$20,000

 

Checks are welcome. Please address them to:

American Romanian Cultural Society
1931 E Lynn St
Seattle, WA 98112

Guests

Andreea Vasile

Andreea Vasile is one of Romania’s most beloved and appreciated actresses, well known for her performances in feature films or TV series. Her most important roles are from HBO series Umbre (2019), Spy/Master (2023), Why Me? (dir. Tudor Giurgiu, 2015), The Fixer (dir. Adrian Sitaru, 2016) or Ramon (dir. Jesus del Cerro, 2023).

Tudor Reu

Tudor Reu is a Romanian film producer, known for “Fjord”, “R.M.N.”, “Graduation” and “Beyond The Hills” by Cristian Mungiu or “The Sister Brothers” by Jacques Audiard. In the past twenty years, he also produced independent feature films written and directed by well known Romanian filmmakers, such as Teodora Ana Mihai, Nae Caranfil, Ioana Uricaru, Daniel Sandu, Alexandru Maftei or Ana Felicia Scutelnicu. Tudor Reu produced through Mobra Films several TV series for HBO Europe as well as the first Romanian language original Netflix show, “Subteran”. His works, mostly European co-productions, were selected and awarded in the international competitions of major festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Karlovy Vary, Warsaw, Tokyo, Shanghai, Tribecca and many more.

Ioana Flora

One of the most appreciated Romanian actresses, appearing in films, television, on stage, also having been awarded for many roles. Being a mother of two, Ioana has been actively involved in children’s performances, personal development workshops for both children and adults and training programs in film and theatre.

Artur Erhan

Artur is a Seattle-based screenwriter, film and music-videos director. Artur graduated from the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts of Moldova, with a degree in Cinematic Arts. He is a former "TIFF Transilvania Pitch Stop Screenplay" winner (KAZIMIR - 2025), "Final Draft Big Break" finalist (NIGHT LIGHT - 2025), and "Write A Screenplay For..." (CIULEANDRA - 2023). He is currently working on a number of projects with filmmakers from Romania, Moldova, and the United States. His latest film "HOTARUL / (THE WALL)" that he wrote and produced, is set to be released in February 2026.  

Films

Stay tuned as we reveal the full line-up and international guests!

The Yellow Tie
by Serge Ioan Celibidachi 
12:50 PM, November 15

2025, Drama, 145 min
(Romania, Italy)
Trailer

The epic true story of Sergiu Celibidache, following the famous composer from a childhood spent under his father’s draconian authority, through to adulthood as he masters his craft in Berlin....

Read More
 

 R.M.N
by Cristian Mungiu
7:05PM, November 14

2022, Drama, 128 min
(Romania, France)
Trailer

A few days before Christmas, having quit his job in Germany, Matthias returns to his multi-ethnic Transylvanian village. When a few new workers are hired at a small factory, the peace...

Read More
 

 Atlas of the Universe
by Paul Negoescu
11:05AM, November 15

2026, Adventure, 85 min
(Romania, Bulgaria)
Trailer

Ten-year-old Filip travels with his father to buy new school shoes, but is left alone after his father gets side-tracked. A mistake at the shoe shop leaves him with two right-foot...

Read More
 

 The Wall
by Ion Borș, Ruslan Moroșan
6:05PM, November 15

2026, Comedy, 96 min
(Moldova, Romania)
Tickets

In a village where everyone knows everything and nothing is forgiven, two families with a truly comical history find themselves at loggerheads over a piece of land. Both are convinced...

Read More
 

 3 Days in September
by Tudor Giurgiu
7:00PM, November 13

2026, Dark comedy, 75 min
(Romania)
Trailer

Bianca’s world shatters when her fiancé’s mistress crashes their wedding. Reeling fromshock, she flees on a tourist train, launching a real-time odyssey of chaotic escape and surreal encounters through the...

Read More
 

 Traffic
by Teodora Ana Mihai
4:10 PM, November 14 

2024, Drama comedy, 119 min
(Romania, Belgium, Netherlands)
Trailer

Natalia and Ginel leave their small Romanian Danube village to work abroad in a big Flemish city. One evening, when she is assaulted after meeting a local, Natalia asks Ita,...

Read More
 

 Blindsight
by Adrian Sitaru
3:40 PM, November 15

2025, Road movie drama, 91 min
(Romania, Türkiye)
Trailer

Laura suffers from severe amnesia and depression following an accident, so she can’t remember who the people around her are. She is reluctantly persuaded by her family to go on...

Read More
 

 The Last Transhumance
by Dragoș Lumpan
12:00PM, November 14

2023, Documentary, 90 min
(Romania)
Trailer

Some 10,000 years ago, in the Middle East, man first domesticated sheep, and took them “on the road.” That's what shepherds call transhumance. Their journey measures time and space with...

Read More
 

 Kontinental '25
by Radu Jude
1:50PM, November 15

2025, Comedy drama, 109 min
(Romania)
Trailer

When Orsolya oversees the eviction of a local elderly man in Cluj, Transylvania, the unintendedconsequences come to shatter her and her understanding of her place in society. Spiraling into an...

Read More
 

Private donors

Many thanks to our first local sponsor, Romanian author Roxana Arama!

Supporting sponsor · $1,000 and more

Tracy Sharpe and Roxana Arama
Cosmin and Elena Catrinescu
Ana and Radu Bacioiu
Alexandrina Măicăneanu and Radu Simionescu
 

Festival ambassador · $500 and more

Mary Sherhart
Irina and Ola Mork
Andrei Marinescu
Gabriel and Teodora Ghizilă
Otilia and Tudor Baraboi
Mihai and Gabriela Aluaș
Nick Voicu
Sanda Berar
Ramona and Marian Pungan
Loredana and Andi Gavrilescu
 

Festival benefactor · $250 and more

Anca Zaharia
Ileana Marin
Nicoleta & Andrei Zlati
Aura Dumitrașcu
Gabriel and Raluca Hera
Ioana Pop
Luana and Marian Stănescu
Carmen Răutu
Claudiu and Dana Răileanu
Anonymous
Maya Bacioiu teen fundraiser
Liliana and Dragoș Sambotin
 

Festival supporter · $100 and more

Helene Kaplan
Ligia Cicoș
Geanina Andreiu
Smaranda L. in honor of Ana Bacioiu
Alexandru Bălan
Smaranda Lieuallen
Alexandrina and Adrian Muntianu
Maria Gerea
Laura Romanschi
 

Festival friend · $50 and more

Joseph Mabel
Gail Engler
Corina Daroczy
Linda Morris