Cinema Jove shines the spotlight on young cinema again
- The 33rd edition of the Valencia International Film Festival (22-29 June) will once again be showcasing a rich programme of films by young directors, and Europe has a strong presence
The 33rd edition of Cinema Jove – Valencia International Film Festival, organised by the Valencian Institute of Culture (IVAC) and headed up by Carlos Madrid, will unspool between 22 and 29 June. Once again, it will be presenting a programme of features, web series and short films all directed by filmmakers under the age of 40.
In the Official Section for feature films, which, according to the gathering’s organisers, “rummages around in the open wounds of modern-day society” (as exemplified by online fake news, cyber-bullying, suicide among young people, the blaming of rape victims and the surge in extremism among teens), the strong presence of European films is immediately noticeable. One particular highlight is the world premiere of an independent movie shot in Valencia: #Seguidores [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the second film by Iván Fernández de Córdoba (Cruzando el sentido), who this time addresses the paradox of the widespread lack of communication in today’s era of hypercommunication.
Other European titles that will expose the worries of young people and that are also taking part in the Official Section of the event include the Danish film Denmark [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Kasper Rune Larsen, which examines teenagers living in the countryside and their dilemma when it comes to abortion; Austria’s L’Animale [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Katharina Mückstein
film profile], in which Katharina Mückstein ponders the gender roles imposed by society; and Iceland’s The Swan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir
interview: Thorvaldur Kristjánsson
film profile] by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir, which nudges us into the dreamlike and awestruck mind of its main character, a little girl.
A child’s perspective is also to be found in the Hungarian movie Genesis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Árpád Bogdán, Andrea Taschler
film profile] by Bogdán Árpád, which is set against the backdrop of anti-Romanyism, Poland’s Silent Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dawid Ogrodnik
interview: Piotr Domalewski
film profile] by Piotr Domalewski depicts a family drama during a Christmas Eve dinner, while the Swiss film Vacuum [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christine Repond
film profile] by Christine Repond picks apart the doubts festering between a married couple, and Germany’s Jibril [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Henrika Kull
film profile], written and directed by first-timer Henrika Kull, delves into the fragile romantic relationship between a mother of three and a prisoner.
A total of 52 works, hailing from 24 countries, have been selected in Cinema Jove 2018’s well-stocked short-film sidebar. Standing out among them are the winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, the Chinese production A Gentle Night by Qiu Yang, and the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2018: Spain’s Matria by Galician director Álvaro Gago.
A retrospective of the early works by the USA’s Brian de Palma, the ever-surprising web series section, a well-deserved tribute to producer Fernando Bovaira (who won an Oscar for The Sea Inside [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), who will receive the Moon of Valencia Award, a section on the use of electronic music on screen, and the handing out of the Future of Cinema Awards to actors Greta Fernández (Sunday’s Illness [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ramón Salazar
film profile]) and Pablo Molinero (The Plague [+see also:
interview: Alberto Rodríguez and Rafae…
series profile]) round off the events at the 33rd Cinema Jove, which kicks off in a few days’ time.
(Translated from Spanish)
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