The 24th edition of Astra Film Festival brings a series of premieres, offers the opportunity for meetings that take place only once in a lifetime, and paves the way for memorable experiences offered by immersive cinema. Over 360 events will take place throughout the 7 days of the festival, from the 16th to the 22nd of October.
Famous authors and films that received awards within the “Voices of Doc” programme
Voices of Doc is a theme section dedicated to authors whose names have become a synonym of authenticity and creativity in cinema. This section bring the latest works signed by three authors: Wang Bing (China), believed to be the most prominent director of his time, Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Austria), an artist of cinema, famous for his fascinating images and his own rhythm, and Amos Gitai (Israel), a committed director, often vexatious and always controversial because of his uncompromising stance towards the eternal conflict in the Middle East. The films in this section are: Mrs. Fang (by Wang Bing), which has just won the Golden Leopard at Locarno, a disturbing and straightdforward film about the cultural transformation in present-day China, that transposes a millenary civilization into the model of a consumerist society; Homo Sapiens (Nikolaus Geyrhalter), the extraordinary and terrifying view of a post-human world, as disturbing as a SF thriller; and West of the Jordan River (Amos Gitai), the director’s journey into Palestinian territories taken over by Israel in an attempt to find solutions in the energy of the people he meets which politicians are unable to find.
With Bill Nichols about ecstasy, charisma, Werner Herzog and Grizzly Man
About Bill Nichols, the Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film says that he’s “the biggest single influence on theoretical and analytical approaches to documentary internationally”. Author of books that are real bibles of documentary cinema and with a vast experience as distinguished professor at the greatest American universities, Bill Nichols comes to Sibiu as a member of the international jury and he will conduct a masterclass within which he’ll apply his methods of study to an exciting topic: the film Grizzly Man, by German director Werner Herzog.
This exceptional meeting will take place at Thalia Hall, on Thursday, October 19th, at 7 p.m., after the screening of the film Grizzly Man, which starts at 5 p.m. at the same venue. German Director Werner Herzog has an explosive career, with over 70 documentary and fiction films and having won more than 50 awards. The documentary Grizzly Man, having received many awards, tells the story of Timothy Treadwell, a very charismatic idealist, who thought of himself as the only protector of the Grizzly bears. For more than 10 years, Treadwell had been filming and living among the Grizzly bears of Alaska with total recklessness, until 2003, when the inevitable occurred: together with his girlfriend, they were killed and eaten by a bear.
Les films de Cannes@Astra Film Sibiu
Astra Film Festival initiates a collaboration with Les films de Cannes à Bucarest, in which there are three documentaries that impressed this year’s Cannes Festival: Nothingwood (by Sonia Kronlund), with a name that paraphrases the famous Hollywood, spotlights Salim Shaheen, actor-director-producer from Afghanistan, who makes Z films incessantly, without being disheartened by the country’s status quo; Venerable W. (by Barbet Schroeder), that deals with the very topical issue of aggressive chauvinism in Burma/Myanmar, a mostly Buddhist country, i.e. the most peaceful religion in the world; 12 jours (by Raymond Depardon), which enters the scary and fascinating world of those who are captive in psychiatric facilities, and analyzes the arbitrariness on which someone’s fate may sometimes depend.
Access to the 2017 AFF events
We would like to remind you that tickets for the 2017 ASTRA FILM FESTIVAL are available online, on eventbook.ro and in Humanitas bookstores around the country. Starting with Friday, October 13th, they will also be available at AFF pay desks, whose working hours are available at http://astrafilm.ro/bilete-si-sali.aspx
Access to the la FULLDOME and VR screenings is free, but it’s exclusively based on reservation, upon availability. Reservations can only be made by those who have watched at least one film at the 2017 AFF and can prove they did so by presenting the ticket at the pay desk. Access is only granted to those who have zero-value tickets, which can be obtained online or from the pay desk at Infopoint Piata Mare.
The price for one ticket is 10 lei, whereas for pupils, students and seniors the price is 7 lei, and at this year’s concerts, tickets are 15 lei. Moreover, organizers make available Day Passes for 25 lei and Full Passes for 125 lei.
For further and up-to date information please go to www.astrafilm.ro.
Astra Film Festival 2017 is organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra and the Astra Film Foundation
With the support of Sibiu County Council, the Ministry of Culture and National Identity, the European Union – through the Creative Europe-Media programme and the National Centre for Cinematography
Co-financed by Sibiu Local Council through Sibiu City Hall
In collaboration with Lucian Blaga University
Partners: ICR - Romanian Cultural Institute, UCIN – Romanian Filmmakers Union, Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sibiu, Cinetic, Refresh, Habitus
Digital partner: Urby
Title sponsors: Construcții SA
Sponsors: Romgaz, Electrica, Banca Transilvania, Takata, Aqua Carpatica, Happy City, HBO, Cinelab, Swiss Sponsors’ Fund
Car of the festival: Toyota
Media partners: TVR, Europa FM, HotNews, Revista 22, VICE, Revista Timpul, Transilvania Reporter, Cineuropa, Film New Europe, Radio România Cultural, Radio România Actualități, Radio Cluj, Radio Antena Sibiului, Radio Târgu Mureș, RFI România, Cinemagia, LiterNet, Cațavencii, CineFan, Sub25, All About Romanian Cinema, Cooperativa Urbană, ÎnFestival, Recorder, Iqads, Filmtett, Thinkout of the Box, Zile și Nopți, Tribuna, Turnul Sfatului, Sibiu 100%, Eveniment TV, Ora de Sibiu
