The 21st edition of the Anonimul International Independent Film Festival covers a feature film competition, two short film competitions dedicated to Romanian and international productions, and feature film screenings accompanied by meetings and dialogues between the filmmakers and the audience. 

The festival takes place between August 12 and August 18 in Sfântu Gheorghe, in the Danube Delta.

This year's feature film competition includes "four strong female voices, already acclaimed by international critics as directors to watch," Ludmila Cvikova, the competition curator, explained.

All of the five titles in the competition had their world premieres in the competitions of festivals in Cannes, Venice, and Locarno, to critical acclaim. These are Ramata-Toulaye Sy's Banel & Adama, presented in 2023 in the Cannes official competition; Pavol Pekarcik and Ivan Ostrochovský's Photophobia, selected in the Giornate degli Autori section in Venice in 2023; Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir's City of Wind, which featured in the Orizzonti Official Selection also in Venice; Ena Sendijarevic's Sweet Dreams, which premiered in the 2023 Locarno competition; and Una Gunjak's debut Excursion, winner of a special mention at Locarno's Concorso Cineasti del Presente.

The winner of the Anonimul Trophy, set to receive a prize worth EUR 3,000, will be chosen after a vote of the festival audience.

The festival also runs two short film competitions covering Romanian and international productions.

From the more than 100 titles entered in the selection for the national competition, the film critic Ionuţ Mareş chose 14 films that will be screened in Sfântu Gheorghe and enter the race for the EUR 1,000 prize, chosen by a vote of the festival audience. "It is gratifying that some established directors do not hesitate to continue making short films in which they manifest their formal searches. Particularly interesting proposals also come from students or recent graduates, and some of the most stimulating can be found in the competition," Mareş said.

At the same time, 12 productions were selected in the international competition from over 200 entries from around the world. The prize for the best international short film, worth EUR 1,000, will also be chosen by the public.

The Anonimul Foundation will also award EUR 1,000 to the winner of the Ovidiu Bose Paştină Award, chosen from the Romanian and international short film competitions.

More on Anonimul's lineup of films here.

(Photo: the organizers)

simona@romania-insider.com