The competition, which began in 2004 as an Eurasian competition programme, now has a global reach with an emphasis this year on European films.
Tiina Lokk, founder and director of the festival, noted, “By gaining the FIAPF upgrade in 2014 we received a certain privilege but also an obligation to find newer films and explore wider, without any geographic boundaries, to discover and promote talented filmmakers and regions that have not been in the international limelight but deserve to be there nevertheless.” She added, “For the first time all films will have an international or world premiere.”
The films in competition are:
7 Days (Italy, France)
Directed by Rolando Colla
A Quiet Dream (Korea)
Directed by Zhang Lu
A Quiet Heart (Israel)
Directed by Eitan Anner
At Your Doorstep (Spain)
Directed by Eduard Cortés
Breath (Iran)
Directed by Narges Abyar
Dark Fortune (Switzerland)
Directed by Stefan Haupt
Eastern Business (Romania, Lithuania)
Directed by Igor Cobileanski
Produced by Alien Film
Coproduced by Just a Moment
Supported by Romanian National Film Center, Lithuanian Film Centre
Lines (Greece)
Directed by Vasilis Mazomenos
Queen of Spades (Russia)
Directed by Pavel Lungin
The Chronicles of Melanie (Latvia, Finland, Czech Republic)
Directed by Viesturs Kairiss
Produced by Mistrus Media, Inland Film Company Oy and 8 Heads Production
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia and Latvian Cultural Capital Foundation
The Have-Nots (Germany)
Directed by Florian Hoffmeister
Tuos (Philippines)
Directed by Roderick Cabrido