The upcoming edition of the Transilvania Pitch Stop (TPS) will again take place during the Transilvania International Film Festival (running 13–22 June in Cluj-Napoca), showcasing projects from first- and second-time directors. Aiming to foster cross-border collaboration, particularly among Black Sea countries, this year’s selection features four projects from Romania, two from Turkey, and one each from Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, and Hungary.

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Traditionally, the ten contenders compete for a range of awards provided by the festival’s established industry partners: the Chainsaw Europe Post-Production Award (€25,000 in services), the TPS Development Award by Avanpost Media (€5,000), the Moldovan National Film Centre Award (€1,500), and the Connecting Cottbus Co-Production Market’s cocoLAB Award, which includes a five-day residency for an emerging Romanian or Moldavian producer.

Thematically, the selection spans a rich spectrum of genres and emotional landscapes –from supernatural mysteries and historical dramas to dark thrillers and heartfelt comedies. Under the Crescent Moon by George Todria from Georgia is a gripping noir in which a debt-ridden war veteran stumbles upon a suspicious suicide and uncovers a human trafficking ring, forcing him to confront the ghosts of his past. Similarly delving into buried truths, the Moldavian project Forests Without Wolves by Ion Bobeică follows an elderly man defending a stray wolf blamed for a child’s death, only to uncover a crime that echoes his own long-forgotten childhood. Hungary’s Magda, directed by Lili Laura Tóth, brings a supernatural twist to historical drama. Set in a remote 1850s village, a mysterious nun with healing powers unsettles a community torn between faith and fear, until betrayal turns reverence into a witch hunt.

Romania is well-represented by a diverse slate. At King’s Gate, a historical drama by Ilinca Straton and Eugen Dediu, follows a widowed teacher seeking freedom for herself and her daughter as war approaches. Meanwhile, Horseshoe by Lucia Chicoș offers a tender portrait of a woman facing late motherhood amidst personal and social pressures. Dorian Boguță’s Kazimir blends horror and psychological drama, as a young woman looks to heal in a remote village and uncovers terrifying truths tied to her past. In lighter tones, Grandparents’ Paradise, a road comedy by Alex Țibu and Șerban Racovițeanu, sees three spirited seniors escape their retirement home – with a TikTok-loving grandson in tow – for one last adventure full of laughs, heart, and rediscovery.

From Turkey, Desire by Nuray Kayacan Sünbül tells the intimate story of a man caught between his pride and unresolved emotions when his ex-wife returns, upending the quiet life he’d built with his second wife. Piatramare, directed by Gökçe Erdem, uses home-video aesthetics to capture a family’s shifting dynamics during Turkey’s 2001 economic crisis, focusing on three women navigating personal upheaval against the wider national backdrop.

Closing on a hopeful note, Ukraine’s Christmas Snow by Oleksandra Teslenko follows a boy and a girl competing to be choir soloists, each chasing a wish close to their heart. As their rivalry softens into friendship, they discover the true spirit of the season.

The full list of selected projects is as follows:

Under the Crescent Moon – George Todria (Georgia)
Producers: George Todria, Miguel Angel Jimenez
Production: Archanda Films, Kinoskopik Film Produktion

Magda – Lili Laura Tóth (Hungary)
Producers: Viktória Dénes, Julianna Ugrin
Production company: Éclipse Film

Forests Without Wolves – Ion Bobeică (Moldova)
Producer: Ion Bobeică

At King's Gate – Ilinca Straton, Eugen Dediu (Romania)
Producer: Marian Crisan
Production company: Rova Film

Grandparents’ Paradise – Alex Țibu, Șerban Racovițeanu (Romania)
Producers: Diana Păroiu, Maximilian Liford
Production company: Visual Walkabout

Horseshoe – Lucia Chicoș (Romania)
Producer: Velvet Moraru
Production company: ICON Production

Kazimir – Dorian Boguță (Romania)
Producer: Cristina Badea
Production company: Adenium Film

Desire – Nuray Kayacan Sünbül (Turkey)
Producers: Nuray Kayacan Sünbül, Andrea Taschler, George Ovashvili
Production companies: Ahmetk Film, Mirage Film

Piatramare – Gökçe Erdem (Turkey)
Producer: İpek Erden
Production company: Vayka Film

Christmas Snow – Oleksandra Teslenko (Ukraine)
Producers: Serhii Demydov, Oleksandra Teslenko
Production companies: Bulava Production, Contrabas Video Production