I’m not quite sure how many times I’ve attended the Romanian Film Festival in New York City. During the course of several years, it has become a tradition to round up a large group of friends, wanting to celebrate the recently groundbreaking Romanian cinema. Not long ago, we all went to see Cristian Mungiu’s latest movie – Beyond The Hills – a drama based on true events centered on an Orthodox convent. A movie that has deeply touched its people and New Yorkers alike, it was evident that the show must go on for the Romanian cinema.
Cristian Mungiu, Cristi Puiu, Corneliu Porumboiu, Radu Muntean, Cristian Nemescu – the award winning filmmakers of the Romanian New Wave – have for the past ten years revolutionized the Romanian cinema and have become reference names for art cinema lovers worldwide. Movies such as Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days gained recognition at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as a Palme D’Or in 2007. The world started watching, and review after review popped up, written by the prestigious The New York Times.
It all started with a team of passionate people. The Romanian Film Festival in New York City began in 2006 with the goal of showcasing the best Romanian movies to the American audience. Under the leadership of Corina Şuteu, with Mihai Chirilov as artistic director and Oana Radu as festival manager, the festival has been steadily growing to what today has become a reputable event attended by a large, dedicated following. After a roaring five-year collaboration with Tribeca Cinemas, the Romanian Film Festival was invited in 2011 to be part of the distinguished lineup of events hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC), joining the likes of Rendez-vous of the French Cinema, the New York Jewish Film Festival, and Spanish Cinema Now.
However, what has achieved the highest critical acclaim in the leading capital of art and entertainment of the world has been jeopardized by the recent political and cultural policy changes in Romania. No longer supporting the Romanian Cultural Institute of New York for art and cultural initiatives, the Romanian government decided to end its co-sponsorship of the festival. Therefore, in keeping the tradition going, the team founded Making Waves 2012 under the Romanian Film Initiative. With the cooperation of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the reinvented festival aims to continue helping Romanian films make waves in New York City and beyond.
Intended to take place beginning with November 29th up to December 5th at Lincoln Center, Making Waves 2012 is in much need of support; the team has set up a campaign to raise the funds needed to keep the festival going.
Although the minimum threshold has been recently met, this is just a small part of the budget needed for an event of this scale to take place in New York City.
For movie lovers and supporters of the Romanian New Wave, you can show your support in the remaining days by donating an amount of your choice. For more information, the full schedule and further details on how you can help, please visit the festival’s KickStarter campaign.
