24/04/2008

Young European directors dominate the 47th International Critics’ Week (SIC), which will be held from May 15-23 as part of the 61st Cannes Film Festival.

Unveiled at midday today at the Paris Cinémathèque, the programme for the 2008 edition – which promises "a new wave of film talent" – will present six European features among the ten selected (out of 610 submisisons from 69 countries) that have not been included in the Un Certain Regard section, which is screening the work of numerous young directors this year.

In the absence of any Asian and US features, Belgian films take pride of place with Christophe Van Rompaey’s Flemish title Moscow, Belgium selected in competition and a special screening of Belgian/French co-production Rumba by Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Remy.

The seven titles competing for the Grand Prize include Better Things by UK director Duane Hopkins, Emily Atef’s German production Das Fremde in Mir, Anna Novion’s French/Swedish co-production Grown Ups and Snow by Bosnian director Aida Begic.

Another noteworthy competition title is Pablo Fenderick’s Argentinean/French/German co-production Blood Appears.

There will also be a special screening of the Israeli/French feature Les sept jours (“The Seven Days”) by Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, which will open Critics’ Week.

However, this strong European presence (in the form of productions and co-productions) does not this year encompass films from the Iberian peninsula or Central Europe.

Delegate general Jean-Christophe Berjon emphasised the Critics’ Week organisers’ desire to limit the number of films presented – in particular the special screenings – to avoid overshadowing the competition titles.

He also pointed out that this 2008 edition includes very varied works (in terms of form and genre) with a balanced number of debut and second features (five of each).

Finally, he revealed the names of the three 2008 Critics’ Week ambassadors to whom The Special Day: Political Cinema (May 19) will be dedicated: Argentina’s Fernando E. Solanas, France’s Romain Goupil and Palestine’s Hany Abu Assad.

Competition features
Anna Novion - Grown Ups [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France/Sweden) debut feature
Christophe Van Rompaey - Moscow, Belgium [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Belgium) debut feature
Duane Hopkins - Better Things [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK) debut feature
Emily Atef - Das Fremde in Mir [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Germany)
Aida Begic - Snow [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Bosnia) debut feature
Pablo Fenderick - Blood Appears (Argentina/France/Germany)
Valeria Gaia Germanica- Vse Umrut A Ja Ostanus (Russia) debut feature

Special screenings – Features
Opening film: Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz - Les sept jours [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Israel/France)
Closing film: Rodrigo Pla - Desierto Adentro (Mexico)
Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Remy - Rumba [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charles Gillibert
interview: Dominique Abel and Fiona Go…
film profile] (Belgium/France)

Event: Fipresci Revelation of the Year
Fernando Eimbcke - Lake Tahoe (Mexico)

Special screenings – Medium-length films
Hélier Cisterne - Les paradis perdus (France)
Jean-Sébastien Chauvin - Les filles de feu (France)
Martin de Thurah - Ung Mand Falder (Denmark)

(Translated from French)