TIFF.9 - 2010
The ninth edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival took place in Cluj-Napoca from May 28 to June 6, 2010. It was one of the largest editions up to that point, with 240 films from 47 countries, including 203 feature films and 37 short films, and hundreds of Romanian and international guests present in Cluj. Screenings took place in already established venues such as the Republica, Arta, Victoria and Cinema City cinemas, as well as in alternative locations including Echinox, Taverna, the UBB Auditorium, Fabrica de Pensule and the Iulius Mall parking lot, where the drive-in screenings continued.
The 2010 edition marked an important moment in the way TIFF began to occupy the city centre: Piața Unirii became the festival’s major new open-air venue, under the name Ursus Open Air. The official opening took place there, in front of more than 1,500 spectators, with the screening of the comedy Soul Kitchen, directed by Fatih Akin. The evening also included a preview of the event screening Dracula, with live music performed by American guitarist Gary Lucas, as well as video moments dedicated to Jean Constantin and Ron Holloway.
The edition’s image campaign was one of the most memorable in the festival’s history. The TIFF 2010 trailer and poster parodied the Star Wars universe, with Florin Piersic and Florin Piersic Jr. in the leading roles. In the trailer, Florin Piersic plays Darth Vader and tells Florin Piersic Jr. the famous line “I am your father,” turning the campaign into an ironic and highly recognizable cinephile game.
One of the major guests of the edition was Wim Wenders, the German director, screenwriter, cinematographer and producer, one of the essential figures of New German Cinema. TIFF dedicated a 3x3 section to him, featuring three important films from his filmography, and audiences also had the opportunity to meet him during a masterclass. At the Closing Gala, Wim Wenders received the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to a personality of European cinema.
The program also included Focus Israel and Focus Chile, a retrospective dedicated to the prestigious Sam Spiegel Film School in Jerusalem, which was celebrating 20 years of activity, as well as major international titles such as Lebanon, Visage, The Girl on the Train, The House of Branching Love and Brotherhood. The edition closed with the screening of Andrei Ujică’s documentary The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceaușescu, previously presented in its world premiere at Cannes.
