Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema 2016

The JBFC is proud to join the Romanian Film Initiative in copresenting the 11th edition of Making Waves. Cofounded in 2012 by Corina Suteu, Mihai Chirilov, and Oana Radu, the independent Romanian Film Initiative aims to preserve and enhance the festival’s crucial and creative spirit. New Romanian Cinema entered its second decade of greatness with a bang, having no less than two titles selected in Cannes′ official competition and subsequently in the New York Film Festival, Graduation and Sieranevada, and two others that won prizes in the Berlin (Illegitimate) and Locarno film festivals (Scarred Hearts). Established New Wave directors Cristian Mungiu, Cristi Puiu, Adrian Sitaru, and Radu Jude are joined by the new voices of Bogdan Mirică and Paul Negoescu, both delivering standout genre cinema with the Balkan western Dogs and the indie comedy Two Lottery Tickets. The endearing documentary about vanishing movie theaters, Cinema, Mon Amour, by Alexandru Belc, completes this year′s Romanian selection, while Tomasz Wasilewski’s United States of Love, representing guest country Poland, adds a touch of post-Communism angst that matches so well the Romanian realities after the Revolution of 1989. This survey has “helped define and establish the southeastern European country as a stronghold of socially incisive, independently minded personal cinema” (Wall Street Journal).

Mihai Chirilov is a film critic and has been artistic director of the Romanian Film Festival in New York City since 2006. He is also artistic director of the Transilvania International Film Festival, which he cofounded in 2002 and guided to European prominence.

Making Waves is presented by the Romanian Film Initiative in partnership with the Jacob Burns Film Center. Leading support is provided by The Trust for Mutual Understanding and the Filmmakers Union of Romania.