This is it, the end of another year and the season of all top ten and must-see/ -read/ -listen (fill in the blanks) lists. And since I am a shameless fan of these charts, even if they sometimes leave me baffled or worse, in a state of rage, I will certainly not miss this chance of hitting you with my very own list of must-see films of 2013.

My colleagues have already done the great job of gathering the links to all this year's reviews of Romanian films and if you are wondering which of these titles should not be missed, ask no further. Here they are:

Released at the end of 2012 and running this year as well, Cristian Mungiu's După dealuri/Beyond the Hills (official image in picture above) is a true masterpiece, a film that is almost unbearable to sit through but majestic in its beauty and impressive in its mature, balanced approach to such delicate questions as religion, social structures, and human relationships. A wonderfully accomplished work, it is by far the best Romanian film I have seen in the past years. The story of a close friendship between a nun and her childhood friend benefits from haunting acting and gorgeous images. It will break your heart and leave you in awe.

This year's “winner”, at least as far as awards are concerned, is Călin Peter Netzer's Poziția copilului/Child's Pose, an incredibly tense and well-acted drama about a monstuously devoted and fierce mother trying to save her son after he had killed a child in a car accident. The winner of the International Film Festival Berlin is a must-see. It's less monumental than Beyond the Hills but nevertheless a huge step forward for young director Netzer, whose previous Medalia de onoare/Medal of Honour was a promising film but I have to confess I would have never expected him to deliver such a powerful feature after that. Infuriating and sharp, this one will keep you and the edge of your seat.

Another favourite is actually a German one (it's cheating a bit, I know) with Romanian subjects. Philip Scheffner's Revision is a thrilling, devastating documentary which focuses on the killing of two Roma men from Craiova at the German-Polish border in 1992. Premiering in Romania at One World, the film is an admirably mature and moving study of humanity and the limits of law.

The following three titles are far from perfect but they were very welcome surprises. Love Building is the first proper mainstream romantic comedy I can remember which is actually funny without being taking its audience for stupid. Matei copil miner/Matei Child Miner, is by far the most visually beautiful film I have seen this year, a gorgeously photographed tale of a young lonely boy's journey into adulthood.

Experimentul București/The București Experiment (trailer below) was a hit at this year's edition of Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), a film with a twist so strong it made an entire sold-out cinema gasp. Fearless and wickedly funny, it's far from subtle or consistent in its structure and tone but what a strong, passionate little film. Watch out for its theatrical release.

And I can't possible leave you without my favourite film festivals, a great opportunity to make great film discoveries, meet other film lovers, learn, and – last but not least – party like there's no tomorrow. TIFF has already established itself as one of the most solid, down-to-earth and fun European festivals, One World Romania is a deeply human and passionate documentary fest promoting human rights, Astra Film Festival has been a wonderful eye-opener, as always, and finally, as a huge short film fan, I cannot end my top list without mentioning wonderful NexT and Anim'est, which is devoted to a genre which, at least in Romania, needs a proper boost: animations.

This being said, have a great New Year's night, with or without movie delights, and see you in 2014!

By Ioana Moldovan, columnist, ioana.moldovan@romania-insider.com