Entertainment, magic, passion... these were the prevailing emotions shared by those who decided to celebrate the Official Opening of the tenth edition of Transilvania International Film Festival in the Unirii Square.
Over 2000 people were present at the screening that inaugurated the festival’s anniversary edition, in Cluj-Napoca’s most spectacular venue: Ursus Open Air.
The host of the opening gala, Tudor Giurgiu – president and founder of TIFF, wanted to thank everyone who has helped the festival to reach its tenth edition, inviting on stage the most loyal members of TIFF staff, from the first edition until now, people whose devotion and involvement throughout these nine years were rewarded with the Diploma for Supporting Transilvania International Film Festival – 2002-2011.
Mihai Chirilov, the festival’s Artistic Director, shared with the public in Unirii Square a key-moment in the birth of TIFF: the way in which an extremely daring idea became the most important Romanian film event and already a respected festival on the international and European scene. “In September 2001, Tudor Giurgiu invited me to get a beer at the Everest terrase downtown Bucharest, where he told me about a project: TIFF. I never imagined then that, nine years later, TIFF would become an Everest of film events in Romania”, added the film critic.
The Opening Gala of tenth edition of TIFF dedicated a special moment to film critic Alex. Leo Şerban. ALŞ passed away at the beginning of April. Tonight, the festival team missed one of the closest friends of the festival, a valuable supporter ever since its first edition. Together with film director and producer Bobby Păunescu, the President of TIFF announced the launch of a scholarship bearing the name of Alex. Leo Șerban. Thus, a young filmmaker’s project in development will have the chance to be improved and supported through a scholarship at Columbia University in New York. Alex. Leo Șerban was one of the most active promoters of the Romanian New Wave, locally and abroad.
An electrifying performance, full of magic and light, perfectly complimented TIFF’s opening evening. Herbert’s Dream, by the renowned French street art ensemble Compagnie des Quidams, took away the breath of the entire audience that packed Cluj’s biggest square. The ritual performed by the five characters belonging to the cosmic space, in their attempt to help a star ascend to heavens, amazed the breathless audience who witnessed the show completely captivated.
The opening gala was available online, at www.tifftv.ro, the festival’s video platform, where TIFF fans can find material on this year’s programme, restrospective, official spots and making of’s, witnessing in real time the most important TIFF 2011 events.
