Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema 2021

“It’s been a great year for the Romanian documentary, with both Collective by Alexander Nanau and Acasă, My Home by Radu Ciorniciuc getting well-deserved exposure and recognition worldwide thanks to the uncompromising tackling of some of the hottest topics around: corruption and gentrification. It only seemed logical to feature these two socially aware highlights as the opening and the closing of the Making Waves’ 15th edition. In between these bookends, the much-debated Cristi Puiu’s Malmkrog returns on American virtual ground to create more havoc after last year’s NYFF selection, while four other fresh titles will meet the US audience for the first time: the election-driven The Campaign by Marian Crisan (pushing the corruption hot button once again); the playful Balkan comedy Ivana the Terrible by Ivana Mladenovic; the intricate mystery puzzle Legacy by actor-turned-director Dorian Boguta; and yet another documentary and most endearing of them all, House of Dolls by Tudor Platon, with its delightful quartet of young-spirited old ladies. Last but not least, this anniversary edition of the oldest Romanian film event in the US will catch up with the best Romanian shorts from the recent years, including some of the top winners at the Transilvania International Film Festival. In a time that gives the “wave” term a bad reputation, we’re here to make some good ones!” — Mihai Chirilov

Admission to the series will be sold as a pass only available in the JBFC Virtual Marquee. (Please note: no tickets are available to individual films, only series passes are available.) Pricing is $60 (members), $70 (nonmembers). All film programs will be available to stream for 48 hours unless otherwise noted. Series passes will go on sale Friday, Feb. 12.

Program notes by Making Waves Artistic Director Mihai Chirilov

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.

Lead support for Making Waves is provided by the Trust for Mutual Understanding and the JBFC Program Fund.