After a successful first edition (won by the Basque Meseta by Juan Palacio, who then scored a Special Mention at CPH:DOX and cleared the 55th Pesaro Film Festival Main Competition), MIA|Film is proud to announce the final selection of C EU SOON, introducing 7 first time directors’ projects from 9 Countries, including 2 Co-productions. Our selection committee this year was formed by Katriel Schory (Senior International Consultant, Israel), Antonio Medici (CEO Bim Distribution, Italy) and Jakub Duszynski (Head of Acquisitions Gutek Film, Poland), and the final line-up includes debut films by leading young European filmmakers addressing current issues such as terrorism, the acceptance of diversity and the LGBTQ+ world.
A Perfectly Normal Family by the young Danish director Malou Reymann, author of several internationally awarded shorts, tackles the theme of sex change through the eyes of a teenager whose own father is on a transition journey.
Hochwald by former film editor Evi Romen, tells the story of two best friends, who are victims of an attack. After one of them dies, the other one returns to his home and deals with the everyday echo of this dramatic experience.
Body of Water by young British director Lucy Brydon, deals with anorexia and the problems it can create within a turbulent family context. Stephanie tries to overcome her chronic anorexia in order to re-establish her relationship with her daughter, Pearl, who now lives with Stephanie’s mother and her fiancee.
Other projects have in common the use of genre tropes applied to both social and psychological in-depth stories. Apples by the Greek director Christos Nikou, already assistant director to Yorgos Lanthimos, takes us into a dystopian world where the loss of memory can become an opportunity to start a new life.
Inland by Jon Blåhed delivers a fresh portrayal of northernmost Sweden as a Stockholm girl gives up the big city for a life in Lapland with her boyfriend, only for them to break up on the drive up there; she thus finds herself single and stuck in the middle of seemingly nowhere.
The Shift by the young Alessandro Tonda, student and assistant to Stefano Sollima and author of the successful short film The Bookmakers, tackles the theme of terrorism from a new point of view, with a realistic approach.
One Careful Owner by Bernabé Rico, stands out for its combination of drama and lightness. It’s a black commedy about the relationship between Sara and her landlady: the young woman has just bought the house, hoping that the old lady will have little time left to live, but from the moment Sara is diagnosed with cancer, she will be the one who sees the end coming.
This is the final selection of authors and stories eagers to conquer the European Film Scene, and that we at MIA are proud and excited to present this upcoming edition.
The presentation, to be held at Cinema Barberini next October the 17th, will be hosted and moderated by Wendy Mitchell (Screen International).
