HBO returns to TIFF with more great films and special events | TIFF

HBO returns to TIFF with more great films and special events

26.05.2010 03:00

Already an established tradition at the Transilvania International Film Festival, the HBO Day, this year on Thursday, the 3rd of June, is bringing three HBO Romania original productions and two HBO Films original productions, winners of the Emmy or the Golden Globe awards, and selected at the most important film festivals.

Taking Chance is a film inspired by the true story of an American Marine, colonel Strobl, who requested to be assigned for military escort duty to accompany corporal Chance Phelps’ remains, a 19 year old killed in Iraq, to his family in a small town in Wyoming.

Into the storm is a biographical film about Winston Churchill and his mandate during World War II. The film is directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan, starring Brendan Gleeson.  Into the storm is the sequel of the television production The Gathering Storm, presenting Churchill's life in the years before the war.

The documentary produced by HBO Romania, The World According to Ion B., directed by Alexander Nanau, is the third film presented by HBO Romania within the HBO Day at the present edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival. The film depicts Ion Bârlădeanu's journey from a beggar on the streets of Bucharest to becoming an internationally acclaimed artist. The documentary had its world premiere at the Visions du Reel festival in Switzerland and has been selected for several other important international festivals, such as Crossing Europe, Hot Docs or the International Documentary Festival in London, where it was greatly appreciated by the public and also by the professional critics.

The second original documentary from HBO Romania is The Merry Circus, directed by Claudiu Mitcu. An honest and brave film, telling the life story of one of the oldest families of circus artists in the country, the oldest circus artists still alive, descendants of Toma Zdebschi, founder of the well-known Globus Circus.

A special moment within the HBO Day at TIFF will be the advance screening of the most recent documentary produced by HBO Central Europe, directed by Matei-Alexandru Mocanu, The Shukar Collective Project. The film follows the formation and development phases of the Shukar Collective phenomenon in a visually challenging and unconventional approach. This initiative goes further than the limits of the basic musical documentary, exploring the contact and cultural clash between generations.

The screening will be preceded by a press conference. The film's producers in partnership with the festival have organized for the TIFF public an exhibition, with photos made during the shooting of the documentary.

Both the The Merry Circus and The Shukar Collective Project films have been finalists of the National Screenwriting Contest, initiated by HBO Romania in partnership with the Transilvania IFF.

This year, HBO Romania is offering the sections No limit and What’s Up, Doc? within the Transilvania International Film Festival. HBO is joined by Cinemax who are offering the 3x3 section. Several national productions will be presented within the Romanian Days, also produced, among others, with the participation of HBO Romania. Kino Caravan;  Kapitalism, our secret recipe; Aurora; First of All, Felicia; Medal of Honor; Portrait of the Fighter As a Young Man.

The winners of the National Screenwriting Contest, initiated by HBO Romania in partnership with Transilvania IFF, will be announced during the Transilvania International Film Festival Gala. This year there were 411 scripts submitted, 122 feature scripts, 262 short film scripts, and 27 documentary scripts – the number of scripts being thus almost two times higher than the one registered  last year.

On Thursday, the 3rd of June, 2010, the public will be able to see Into the storm, from 11:30 h, at Cinema City, The World According to Ion B., from 12:30 h, at Cinema Arta, The Merry Circus, from 15:00 h, at Cinema Arta, The Shukar Collective Project, from 17:00 h, at Cinema Victora and Taking Chance, from 18:00 h, at Cinema City.