New Horizons gears up for its 23rd edition
- The upcoming iteration of the Wrocław-based gathering will screen over 250 films and is set to unspool from 20-30 July
The New Horizons International Film Festival, Poland's premier arthouse film festival, is gearing up for its 23rd edition from 20-30 July. With a carefully curated collection of over 250 films and close to 600 screenings in total, the festival will unfold in the revamped New Horizons Cinema, the Lower Silesian Film Center and the vibrant Wrocław Market Square. Complementing the cinematic extravaganza are captivating exhibitions, electrifying concerts, thought-provoking meetings and an array of other enriching events.
The festival kicks off with the highly acclaimed film Perfect Days [+see also:
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film profile], directed by the legendary Wim Wenders and rewarded at the Cannes Film Festival with the Best Actor Award, for Kōji Yakusho. The first day of the gathering will showcase the second film by Wenders this year, Anselm [+see also:
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The International Competition serves as the flagship segment of the Wrocław-based festival. This year's selection of competing films delves into and questions entrenched power dynamics, rigid systems and conventional cinematic styles through genres such as crime-fiction, satire, narrative poetry and melancholic ballads. The 12 titles vying for the coveted Grand Prix this year are: After [+see also:
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interview: Anthony Lapia
film profile] by Anthony Lapia (France), Birdland [+see also:
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film profile] by Leïla Kilani (Morocco/France), Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry [+see also:
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interview: Elene Naveriani
film profile] by Elene Naveriani (Switzerland/Georgia), The Delinquents [+see also:
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interview: Rodrigo Moreno
film profile] by Rodrigo Moreno (Argentina/Luxembourg/Chile/Brazil), Here [+see also:
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interview: Bas Devos
film profile] by Bas Devos (Belgium), Human Flowers of Flesh [+see also:
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interview: Helena Wittmann
film profile] by Helena Wittmann (Germany/France), Imago [+see also:
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interview: Olga Chajdas, Lena Góra
film profile] by Olga Chajdas (Poland/Netherlands/Czech Republic), La Palisiada [+see also:
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interview: Philip Sotnychenko
film profile] by Philip Sotnychenko (Ukraine), Piaffe [+see also:
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interview: Ann Oren
film profile] by Ann Oren (Germany), Samsara [+see also:
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interview: Lois Patiño
film profile] by Lois Patiño (Spain), Stonewalling by Huang Ji and Ryûji Otsuka (Japan), and The Store [+see also:
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film profile] by Ami-Ro Sköld (Sweden/Italy). The best film will be selected by the jury, comprising Mark Jenkin, Dane Komljen, Jennifer Reeder, Sergio Fant and Aga Woszczyńska.
The other sections will showcase a thoughtfully curated selection of exceptional films that have garnered recognition and accolades at renowned international film festivals. Among them, viewers will be treated to a collection of award-winning flicks from this year's Cannes Film Festival. Moreover, audiences will have the privilege of experiencing critically acclaimed works from the Berlinale, Sundance winners as well as popular hits from IFFR and other esteemed events.
In addition, the retrospective segments of this edition will pay homage to celebrated Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray; Alice Diop, a keen observer and portraitist of French suburban life; Wang Bing, one of the most influential directors from China; and the late Alain Robbe-Grillet, a visionary French director who skilfully blended elements of New Wave experimentation, libertine themes and surrealist traditions in his films.
The convergence of cinema and art will once again be celebrated through the Visual Front section, highlighting their intertwined nature. For those seeking groundbreaking and unconventional works that deconstruct genre cinema and challenge conventions, the Midnight Madness section will provide a thrilling experience and, in particular, will feature the world premiere of Lipstick on the Glass [+see also:
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Finally, a fresh inclusion in the line-up is the Smart7 section, an exceptional and itinerant competition that unfolds across seven European cities (see the news). The competing films embark on a journey from Vilnius, making stops in Lisbon, Madrid, Cluj-Napoca, Wrocław and Reykjavík. The ultimate victor will be determined by a young, international jury at the closing ceremony of the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
