04/11/2011

The Arras International Film Festival aims to present European films unreleased in France, picking titles free from formatting and focusing on film industries with a low production capacity. Its 12th edition kicks off today with 100 features in the line-up, including Philippe Lioret’s All Our Desires [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (pictured), which will open the event.

A jury headed by Claude Lelouch will judge the nine films screening in the European Competition: A Trip by Slovenia’s Nejc Gazvoda (see review); Cracks in the Shell [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Germany’s Christian Schwochow (see review); The Mole [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Poland’s Rafael Lewandowski (see news); Room 304 [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Denmark’s Birgitte Stærmose (see review); The House [+see also:
trailer
interview: Zuzana Liová
film profile] by Slovakia’s Zuzana Liova (see video interview); Behold the Lamb by the UK’s John McIlduff; My Only Son by Belgium’s Miel van Hoogenbemt; Nokas by Norway’s Erik Skjoldbjærg (Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Amanda Awards 2011); and Shelter [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Bulgaria’s Dragomir Sholev (see interview).

Quality fare can also be found in the European Discoveries section, with several titles that won acclaim at Cannes: Breathing [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Austria’s Karl Markovics; Ave [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Konstantin Bojanov
film profile] by Bulgaria’s Konstantin Bojanov; Corpo Celeste [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
film profile] by Italy’s Alice Rohrwacher; and Oslo, August 31st [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Trier
film profile] by Norway’s Joachim Trier.

The line-up also includes Belgian helmer Michael R. Roskam’s sensational Bullhead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bart Van Langendonck
interview: Michaël R. Roskam
film profile]; Hasta la Vista [+see also:
trailer
interview: Geoffrey Enthoven
film profile] by fellow Belgian Geoffrey Enthoven; directorial duo Elena Hazanov and Jean Liermier’s Swiss feature Game of Love and Chance; French director Cyril Mennegun’s moving film Louise Wimmer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; and two other Norwegian films: Jannicke Systad Jacobsen’s Turn Me On, Goddammit [+see also:
trailer
interview: Jannicke Systad Jacobsen
film profile] and Marius Holst’s King of Devil’s Island [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Finally, the programme is completed by a flurry of 18 avant-premieres with a majority of 100% French films, as well as Terraferma [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emanuele Crialese
interview: Emanuele Crialese
film profile] by Italy’s Emmanuele Crialese and Le Havre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aki Kaurismäki
film profile] by Finland’s Aki Kaurismaki.

(Translated from French)