THE ROMANIAN FILM FESTIVAL, 10TH EDITION: One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying

WHEN: NOVEMBER 4-12, 2023
WHERE: Online Nov. 4-12
SIFF Uptown Cinema, Nov. 4-5
Northwest Film Forum, Nov. 11-12

BOSS (US Premiere), 4:20pm | Nov. 4 at SIFF Cinema Uptown
Playback (US Premiere with director Iulia Rugină in attendance), 7:00pm | Nov. 4 at SIFF Cinema Uptown

Between Revolutions, 5:20pm | Nov. 5 at SIFF Cinema Uptown
Taxi Drivers, 7:00pm | Nov. 5 at SIFF Cinema Uptown

Tickets & Pass for SIFF Cinema Uptown

E Pericoloso Sporgersi, 4:00pm | Nov. 11 at Northwest Film Forum
Men of Deeds (with lead actor Iulian Postelnicu in attendance), 6:30pm | Nov. 11 at Northwest Film Forum

Men of Deeds (with lead actor Iulian Postelnicu in attendance), 4:40pm | Nov. 12 at Northwest Film Forum

Tickets for Northwest Film Forum

Online Films 
-Why Do They Write on Walls? (US Premiere)
-Boss
-Taxi Drivers
-Men of Deeds
-Phoenix. Har/Jar
(US Premiere)
-The Chalice. Of Sons and Daughters

Virtual Festival Pass 

*Check out the film review for Men of Deeds (dir. Paul Negoescu) by ARCS Instructor Luciana Lallaizon. The film is one of the sources used in the ARCS language course "Romanian Culture and Civilization through Media". This course is for adults expanding on their Romanian language competency.

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 2019), and will continue the following weekend at Northwest Film Forum. Not in Seattle? We'll have a great selection of films online as well!

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: 
                     

 

Please follow the Festival on social media!

    

 

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

$20,585

Goal

$20,000

How much would you want to donate?

Many thanks for supporting our film festival! 

We will integrate a special thank you credit on our website. 

Special thank you credit on our website!

Special thank you credit on our website and free access to two films showing at the festival.

Special thank you credit on our website and free access to four films showing at the festival.

Special 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). 


 

We 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. 


 

We 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. 

You will be able to select amount once you click Donate
with PayPal

Checks are welcome. Please address them to:

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

Past events

Phoenix. Har/Jar (US Premiere) poster

Phoenix. Har/Jar (US Premiere) by Cornel Mihalache

2022, Documentary, 107 minutes

When

Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM

Where

online

Synopsis

"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.

Men of Deeds poster

Men of Deeds by Paul Negoescu

2022, Drama, 106 minutes

When

Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM

Synopsis

Ilie, a small-town police chief, wants to build a modest, comfortable life for himself, but ends up making the wrong choices. Middle-aged and alienated, he feels the need to a part of something - to build an orchard, even a home. Although dubious things happen in the village, Ilie only sees what suits him. The moment he gets involved in the village marks the beginning of his collapse. In a vacuum of solutions, he tries to be what he has never been before: the justice seeker who arrests everyone guilty.

Why Do They Write On Walls? (US Premiere) poster

Why Do They Write On Walls? (US Premiere) by Alin Boeru

2023, Documentary, 85 minutes

When

Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM

Where

online

Synopsis

"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.

The Chalice. Of Sons and Daughters poster

The Chalice. Of Sons and Daughters by Cătălina Tesăr and Dana Bunescu

2022, Documentary, 83 minutes

When

Nov. 4, 2023 at 12:00 AM - 12 Nov. 2023 at 11:59 PM

Where

online

Synopsis

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 women's lives in this community.

BOSS (US Premiere) poster

BOSS (US Premiere) by Bogdan Mirică

2022, Thriller, 126 minutes

When

Nov. 4, 2023 at 04:20 PM - 04 Nov. 2023 at 06:26 PM

Where

Nov 4 @SIFF Uptown/ Nov 4-12 Online

Synopsis

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.

Playback (US Premiere) poster

Playback (US Premiere) by Iulia Rugină

2023, Documentary, 77 minutes

When

Nov. 4, 2023 at 07:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2023 at 08:17 PM

Synopsis

Playback follow Sorin Lupașcu, a well-known DJ during Romania's communist years in his attempt to remain visible in the present. The film slides back and forth through archival footage and a music-laden soundtrack, subtly revealing the transformations of an Eastern European society over the past 50 years.

Between Revolutions poster

Between Revolutions by Vlad Petri

2023, Hybrid Documentary, 68 minutes

When

Nov. 5, 2023 at 05:00 PM - 05 Nov. 2023 at 06:08 PM

Where

SIFF Cinema Uptown

Synopsis

“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 Ceaușescu's repressive rule in Romania, juxtaposed with documentary footage portraying daily life and the widespread propaganda in their respective societies.

Taxi Drivers poster

Taxi Drivers by Bogdan Theodor Olteanu

2023, Dark comedy, 100 minutes

When

Nov. 5, 2023 at 07:00 PM - 05 Nov. 2023 at 08:40 PM

Where

Nov 5 @SIFF Uptown/ Nov 4-12 Online

Synopsis

One night. Ten stories. A single city. Lică – the ‘know-it-all’ taxi driver – and Liviu – the ‘radio silent’ taxi driver – are good friends, although completely different, and their views on the world and life only intersect at the shawarma place. However, both are frustrated with the job they hope would earn them a decent living and maybe some savings until they find something better. For Lică, money comes first. For Liviu, it’s a more spiritual kind of fulfilment. At least until each of them starts thinking more about what they have, who they are, and what they can do with their lives. For them, a night shift across Bucharest is a true adventure where they meet people of all kinds – from young party goers and white collars to celebrities, DJs and even some shady individuals.

E Pericoloso Sporgersi poster

E Pericoloso Sporgersi by Nae Caranfil

1993, Comedy, 104 minutes

When

Nov. 11, 2023 at 04:00 PM - 11 Nov. 2023 at 05:44 PM

Synopsis

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.

Guests

Iulia Rugină

Iulia 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 Postelnicu

Iulian 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 Aluas
Ana and Radu Bacioiu
Cosmin and Elena Catrinescu

Festival ambassador · $500 and more

Dana and Catalin Cozmei
Alexandrina Maicaneanu and Radu Simionescu
Nick Voicu
Gabriel and Raluca Hera
Gabriel and Teodora Ghizila
NW Family Dental - Daciana Buse, DDS, MSD
Mary Sherhart
Andreea Larhs
Tracy Sharpe and Roxana Arama

Festival benefactor · $250 and more

Ioana and Doru Nica
Lavinia Serban
Luana and Marian Stanescu
Marius and Alina Popa
James Augerot and Ileana Marin
Ramona and Marian Pungan
Claudiu and Dana Raileanu
Cristi and Irina Salvan
Nicoleta and Andrei Zlati
Tudor and Otilia Baraboi
Isabella Fu and Radu Palanca
Roxana Teodorescu

Festival supporter · $100 and more

Mihaela Giurca
Camelia and Ciprian Clinciu
Oana Stepan
Laura Romanschi
Cristina Houston
Smaranda Lieuallen
Vasi Rusu
Corina Varlam
Claudia Jensen
Cristian and Ana Maria Ilac
Catalin Alaci and Mirela Dinu
Ligia Cicos
Geanina Andreiu
George Roth
Monica Poinescu
Carmen and Bogdan Rautu
Elizabeta and Adrian Iliescu
Helene Kaplan
Catalina Khalaj
Carl Winter
Edward C. Blau
Michele Anciaux Aoki

Festival friend · $50 and more

Sheila Speirs
Georgiana Lucache
George Strajan
Mihaela Armanasu
Magda Nica
Adriana and Claudiu Guiman

Special thanks · $25 and more

Florina Gusu

Many thanks · $10 and more

Cristina Amaral
Tatiana Chihai
Anonymous