16/01/2015 - In competition at the Angers-based festival are films by Carlos Vermut, Martti Helde, Sudabeh Mortezai and duo Kristina Grozeva-Petar Valchanov

As usual, there is a very tempting programme in store at the Premiers Plans Festival in Angers, whose 27th edition kicks off today and will present the best European debut works, selected by the enthusiastic general and artistic delegate, Claude-Eric Poiroux.

Opening this evening with Force Majeure [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruben Östlund
film profile] by Swedish director Ruben Östlund and set to be brought to a close by The Wonders [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
interview: Tiziana Soudani
film profile] by Italy’s Alice Rohrwacher (it is also worth noting that Focuses will be dedicated to the two filmmakers, with both of them due to attend), the festival will present nine feature films in competition, which will be judged by a jury chaired by director Laurent Cantet.

Titles taking part in the competition include Magical Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Vermut
film profile] by Spaniard Carlos Vermut (which was triumphant at San Sebastian – read the review and the interview), In the Crosswind [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Martti Helde
interview: Martti Helde
film profile] by Estonian director Martti Helde (read the review and the interview), the Bulgarian-Greek co-production The Lesson [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Val…
interview: Margita Gosheva
film profile] by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (the winner of the New Directors section at San Sebastian – read the review and the interview) and two films that won prizes in competition at Venice: the documentary The Look of Silence [+see also:
film review
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film profile] by Joshua Oppenheimer (Grand Jury Prize – read the review) and Sivas [+see also:
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film profile] by Turkey’s Kaan Müjdeci (Special Jury Prize – read the review).

Two Austrian films are also in the running: Macondo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sudabeh Mortezai
film profile] by Sudabeh Mortezai (a real revelation in the Berlinale competition and the winner of the Cineuropa Prize at Lecce – read the review and watch the interview), and the gripping Goodnight Mommy [+see also:
film review
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interview: Severin Fiala and Veronika …
film profile] by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (unveiled at Venice, in Orizzonti – read the review). The competition is rounded off by the Belgian-French co-production L'Année prochaine by Vania Leturq (winner of the Silver Zenith for First Film at the Montreal Film Festival) and Toto and His Sisters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Romanian director Alexander Nanau (read the review).

The French competitors include the remarkable Vincent [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Thomas Salvador (read the review), A 14 ans by Hélène Zimmer (read the article) and three titles that were unveiled at Cannes: the documentary Spartacus et Cassandra by Ioannis Nuguet (in the ACID programme), and Gente de bien [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Franco Lolli (read the review) and Hope [+see also:
film review
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interview: Boris Lojkine
film profile] by Boris Lojkine (read the review and watch the interview), both in the Critics’ Week.

Out of competition, titles showing in the Free Forms section include Violet [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Belgian director Bas Devos, Limbo [+see also:
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film profile] by Denmark’s Anna-Sofie Hartmann (read the review), Fort Buchanan [+see also:
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film profile] by French filmmaker Benjamin Crotty (read the review) and Un jeune poète [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by his fellow countryman Damien Manivel (winner of the Special Mention in the Filmmakers of the Present section at Locarno).

New British genre films will also have a Focus dedicated to them, with Guy Myhill and Andrew Hulme in attendance to oversee the screening of their respective films The Goob [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guy Myhill
film profile] (read the review and watch the interview) and Snow in Paradise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrew Hulme
film profile] (read the review and watch the interview), as well as that of Hyena by Gerard Johnson (read the review and the interview).

Standing out among the premieres are Anton Tchekhov – 1890 by René Féret (read the article), Yellowbird... Ready for take off [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Christian de Vita and A la folie by Wang Bing.

The rich programme of the 2015 edition of Premiers Plans is rounded off by tributes to Jiri Barta, Bertrand Blier and Dino Risi, film classes, short films, student movies, animated works, discussions, round tables and screenplay readings.

(Translated from French)