Nothing marks the time at TorinoFilmLab as the film festival calendar does, and since the days are starting to get warmer it must mean that the Cannes Film Festival is quickly approaching. Once again, the festival will conquer la Croisette in the second half of May and it will showcase some of the most eagerly-awaited films of the year.
Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
Yesterday the selection committee unveiled the list of long length films that will be screened in Cannes between 18th and 27th May. Among them: two great debuts developed at TorinoFilmLab.
PAMFIR by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk (Ukraine) - Script&Pitch 2016
Western Ukraine, on the eve of a traditional carnival. Pamfir returns to his family after months of absence. Their love is so unconditional that when his only child starts a fire in the prayer house, Pamfir has no other choice but to reconnect with his troubled past to repay his son’s fault. He will be taken on a risky path with irreversible consequences.
A MALE by Fabian Hernández (Colombia) - FeatureLab 2019 | TFL Co-Production Award € 50,000, supported by Creative Europe - MEDIA sub-programme support to International Co-production Funds.
Carlos lives in a youth shelter in the center of Bogota, a kind of refuge trying to mitigate the harshness of life. Its Christmas and Carlos longs to spend the day with his mother and sister, who are lost in the spiral of urban violence. As he leaves the shelter, Carlos is confronted with the rigour of the streets in his neighborhood, where the law of the strongest, the alfa ‘macho’, rules. As he seeks for a family reunion, Carlos must show he can be one of them. While deep inside him, he must face decisions, contradicting these expressions of masculinity.
Furthermore, the opening film at this year Quinzaine, will be L’Envol, by our alumnus Pietro Marcello.
Semaine de la Critique
Reaching its 61st edition, la Semaine will unfold between 18th and 26th May, in parallel with the main festival and with the ultimate goal of discovering new talents. Among them, we are happy to highlight:
THE WOODCUTTER STORY by Mikko Myllylahti (Finland) – FeatureLab 2018 | TFL Production Award € 40,000
Pepe is a woodcutter in an idyllic small town in Finland. In the span of a couple of days, a series of tragic events gradually destroys his quiet and happy life - but Pepe seems to be fine with it all. As if he held a secret to existence that is hard to grasp.
The film is produced by Aamu Film Company, owned by our alumnus Jussi Rantamäki.
Also, two alumni: Clément Cogitore with his Sons of Ramses – featured in the Special Screenings section – and the short film Las criaturas que se derriten bajo el sol by Diego Céspedes.
Official Selection - Un Certain Regard
BUTTERFLY VISION by Maksym Nakonechnyi (Ukraine) - TFL Extended 2019
Maksym Nakonechnyi’s feature debut is a harsh and all-too-timely testimony to the warriors of Ukraine and the women fighting for their integrity, their freedom, their future.
Last but not least, we also spotted All The people I’ll Never Be, the last work of the TFL alumnus Davy Chou.
See you soon in France!
In the image: a still from THE WOODCUTTER STORY.