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Enjoy SEEfest at Your Home – Part 3

The SEEfest retrospective continues! Following is part three in the series of posts SEEfest at Your Home, featuring films that were included in previous Festivals.

You can find Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. And, please let us know which films you’re revisiting or watching for the first time. We’d love to know which are your faves.

LosesLOSERS

Inseparable friends Elena, Koko, Patso, and Gosho are high school students in a small provincial town in Bulgaria. They mockingly call themselves ‘losers’ as a self-deprecating reference to the society at large. Hapless Koko is in love with rebellious Elena, who harbors hopes of becoming a singer. When a rock band of traveling musicians comes to town things get complicated, giving birth to new love affairs, disappointments, and realizations that come with growing up. In the great ensemble cast Elena Telbis and Ovanes Torosyan shine.

First screened in the U.S. at SEEfest 2016 and picked up for distribution by Synergetic Films. Directed by Ivaylo Hristov. Main cast: Elena Telbis, Ovanes Torosyan, Georgi Gotsin

LOSERS is available on Amazon.

BrasslandsBRASSLANDS

Wild, riotous brass music draws tens of thousands of people each year to a tiny Serbian village of Guča for the largest brass band competition festival in the world. The performers highlighted in the film include an American brass band from New York, named ’Zlatne Uste,’ and a veteran Serbian trumpeter returning to the festival to defend his status as a reigning champion. Screened at SEEfest 2014.

Directed by: Meerkat Collective – Adam Pogoff, Bryan Chang, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg. Featuring: Demiran Cerimovic, Dejan Petrovic, ‘Zlatne Uste’ Balkan Brass Band.

BRASSLANDS is available on Amazon Prime.

BALCONY

Shot in one continuous take, this hilarious and many-times awarded short film from Kosovo is a finely crafted study of human nature and capacity for ‘much ado about nothing.’ Screened at SEEfest 2014.

Directed by Lendita Zeqiraj. Main Cast: Arben Bajraktaraj, Sevdai Radogoshi, Osman Ahmet.

BALCONY is available on Amazon Prime.

HALF SHAVED

In post-communist Romania, a barber recognizes his former torturer as his latest customer. What ensues is a reverse cat-and-mouse situation with barber holding the razor in his hand. Screened at SEEfest 2014.

Directed by Bogdan Muresanu. Main cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Michel Horatiu Bob, Alexandru Georgescu.

HALF SHAVED is available on Amazon Prime.

A STEP INTO THE DARKNESS

Shot on location under extremely dangerous conditions in Iraqi cities of Arbil and Mosul, and in Adiyaman, Urfa, and Istanbul, Turkey, the film follows a young woman, the sole survivor of a US-led operation against insurgents in her village in US-occupied Iraq. She is rescued by the members of a radical Islamist organization and brought to Istanbul, where she is groomed by a charismatic religious figure to carry out his devastating plan. The Film screened at SEEfest 2010.

Directed by Atil İnaç. Main cast: Suzan Genc, Selen Ucer, Serdal Genc, Rana Cabbar, Selim Bayraktar.

A STEP INTO THE DARKNESS is available on Google play.

SUPERMAN, SPIDERMAN OR BATMAN

A young boy goes on a journey with his worried father. Like the titular comic books superheroes, he too wishes to save his mother suffering from a heart condition. Screened at SEEfest 2013.

Directed by Tudor Giurgiu. Main cast: Zsolt Bogdan.

SUPERMAN, SPIDERMAN OR BATMAN is available on Amazon Prime.

DINNER FOR FEW

In this acclaimed short animation, a dinner turns bloody in an allegorical depiction of the modern Greek society beset with economic troubles. Screened at SEEfest 2015.

Directed by: Nassos Vakalis.

DINNER FOR FEW is available on Amazon Prime.

You can now deduct 100% of your contribution in 2020!

Consider making a donation to SEEfest and taking advantage of the provisions in the COVID-19 stimulus package regarding charitable giving, specifically aimed at non-profits: Charitable Giving Tax Deduction The stimulus legislation lifts the existing cap on annual contributions for itemizers from 60 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI) to 100 percent of AGI for contributions made in 2020.

Additionally, an “above-the-line” or universal charitable giving incentive for contributions made in 2020 of up to $300. This provision will now allow all non-itemizer taxpayers (close to 90% of all taxpayers) to deduct charitable contributions from their tax return, an incentive previously unavailable to them.

Click the donate button or send a check made out to the South East European Film Festival, and mail to 7119 W. Sunset Blvd., Unit 306, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Thank you!

 

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Art and Culture; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood. For more info on WeHo Arts programming please visit www.weho.org/arts or follow via social media @WeHoArts. Special thanks to ELMA, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their continued support of our programs.

 

Enjoy SEEfest At Your Home – Part 2

Following enthusiastic responses to our news bulletin last week we continue with a second curated selection of hand-picked movies so you can enjoy SEEfest at home! Check out our previous recommendations in Part 1 here.

BLISS (Mutluluk)

Based on the international bestseller, and Barnes & Noble 2006 Discovery award for the author, the celebrated Turkish novelist, composer and prominent humanitarian Zülfü Livaneli, BLISS is one of the first films about honor killing. Filmed almost entirely on the beautiful lake locations in Eastern Turkey, BLISS follows Meriyem and Camal on a journey that brings both the traditional and modern faces of Turkey together. Joined by a disillusioned intellectual from Istanbul on his boat that goes nowhere, the two protagonists face head-on the ongoing argument between tradition and modernity. BLISS screened at SEEfest 2008.

Directed by Abdullah Oguz. Main cast: Talat Bulut, Özgü Namal, Murat Han.

BLISS is available on Amazon.

 

OF SNAILS AND MEN

The film is based on a true story of a union organizer who hatches a most unusual plan to buy the factory that is about to be sold to foreign investors. His plan involves a double love triangle and a sperm clinic, both of which put a strain on the machismo of the workers. OF SNAILS AND MEN screened at SEEfest 2013.

Directed by Tudor Giurgiu. Main cast: And Vasluianu, Monica Barladeanu.

OF SNAILS AND MEN is available on Amazon Prime.

 

A TOUCH OF SPICE

First Greek-Turkish co-production, the beloved Politiki Kouzina/A TOUCH OF SPICE tells the story of an ethnic Greek family uprooted from Istanbul in the turbulent 1960s when most Greek citizens were deported to Greece. As a young boy the main character used to spend time in his grandfather’s spice shop with the daughter of his family’s Turkish friends. Years later he goes back to revisit his childhood memories, and to find her.

Directed by Tassos Boulmetis. Main cast: Georges Corraface, Ieroklis Michaelidis, Renia Louizidou, Başak Köklükaya, Tamer Karadağlı.

A TOUCH OF SPICE is available on Amazon.

 

FUTURE LASTS FOREVER

Sumru is a university student researching Anatolian elegies in southeastern Turkey, with the help of a young street vendor Ahmet who sells bootleg movies. She is also trying to locate her missing Kurdish boyfriend. Sumru and Ahmet embark on a reflective journey through past and memory. The Film screened at SEEfest 2012. Directed by Özcan Alper. Main cast: Ersin Celik, Soner Alper.

FUTURE LASTS FOREVER is available on Amazon Prime.

 

Online archive of thousands of old European films

European Film Gateway is a terrific resource with “Hundreds of thousands of film historical documents – photos, posters, programmes, periodicals, censorship documents, rare feature and documentary films, newsreels and other materials. Targeted at scientific researchers and the interested public alike, the EFG offers a look at and behind the scenes of filmmaking in Europe from the early days until today.” Browse and enjoy!

 

Seefest closing night theater marquee

 

You have the power to keep international cinema in L.A.!

SEEfest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public benefit arts organization supported by donations from people like you. Become a sustaining member and join a growing circle of patrons and fans. You can make a tax-deductible donation online through PayPal, and support a program of trailblazing films from 20 countries of South East Europe; sponsor a single screening, a salon-style event, or host a visiting filmmaker. Donate online here or mail a check made out to the South East European Film Festival, and mail to 7119 W. Sunset Blvd., Unit 306, Los Angeles, CA 90046. To contact the festival email us at [email protected]. We are deeply grateful for your support at this critical time!

 

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Art and Culture; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood. For more info on WeHo Arts programming please visit www.weho.org/arts or follow via social media @WeHoArts. Special thanks to ELMA, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their continued support of our programs.

SEEfest Announcement Related to Covid-19

In view of the current crisis and public health concerns regarding covid-19 infections, SEEfest Board of Directors has made a decision to postpone the 15th edition of the festival. We are following the recommendations from public health agencies and are rescheduling our festivities for a later date this Spring.

We thank you all for your patience and understanding and will continue to keep you informed.

The Literary Salon, previously scheduled for April 15, will be rescheduled as well.

You can stay up to date with SEEfest news by subscribing to our newsletter. We’ll be sending updates as things evolve and when we have new dates for SEEfest.



 

Stay safe and healthy.

With best wishes from
Your SEEfest Team

15th SEEfest Cultural and Literary Salon to Explore “Boundaries of Belonging”In South East Europe

The 15th annual South East European Film Festival (SEEfest) running April 29-May 6 in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, announced today the theme for the 2020 Cultural and Literary Salon: “Boundaries of Belonging: Culture, Identity, and Narrative in South East Europe.”

The Salon will explore contemporary artistic approaches to identity, nostalgia, and narrative representation. Using the conflict-ridden history of South East Europe as a springboard for a wide-ranging discussion, a diverse panel of specialists will offer perspectives on past and current issues of belonging.

Panelists will question the limits of art in expressions of difference—cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and political—to consider how historical processes shape our understanding of self in an increasingly hybrid world.

The Cultural and Literary Salon will take place on April 15, 2020, at 7 PM at the West Hollywood Council Chambers at the West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. RSVP Required. Tickets are free and can be reserved here.

Save the date 15 April 2020 Literary Salon

This program is presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood. For more info on WeHo Arts programming please visit www.weho.org/arts or follow via social media @WeHoArts.

Festival passes will go on sale in March. Individual tickets will go on sale on March 16.

About the South East European Film Festival (SEEfest)

SEEfest presents cinematic and cultural diversity of South East Europe to American audiences and creates cultural connections through films, artistic and social events. SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Art and Culture; and ELMA, Foundation for European Languages and Movies in America.

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Tickets Are On Sale Now For All Screenings And Events

SEEfest 2019 Kicks Off in 2 Weeks

SEEfest 2019 Cinema of Audacity, May 1-8, 2019Tickets are on sale now for all SEEfest 2019 features, shorts programs, and special events. Screenings will take place in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Echo Park and other locations — find all the venues here and don’t forget to go Metro! Plan your trip using the Trip Planner on the venue page.

This year’s SEEfest, running May 1-8, will explore the theme of cinematic audacity by drawing attention to filmmakers whose works grapple with complex existential, ethical, and historical questions in innovative, and provocative ways. You can secure your festival pass now on Eventbrite.

 

A SAMPLING OF SEEFEST PREMIERES!

See more of the festival lineup online and get your festival pass and single tickets today on Eventbrite. 

I Act, I AmI ACT, I AM
Los Angeles Premiere!
Bosnia Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia
Director: Miroslav Mandic

May 9 at 9:30 pm at Laemmle Music Hall Beverly Hills

Talk about method acting! Three stories examine, through actors, the paradox of life stripped bare of societal constraints. In each story, an actor is either researching or playing a role, eventually beginning to live the life of the character.

Watch the trailer and get tickets here

Borders, RaindropsBORDERS, RAINDROPS 
North American Premiere!
Bosnia Herzegovina
Directors: VLASTIMIR SUDAR, NIKOLA MIJOVIĆ

May 6 at 9 pm at Laemmle Music Hall Beverly Hills

Jagoda, a city girl, is on a summer visit to her extended family in the Balkan countryside overlooking the Adriatic. Her presence awakens hope, love, and the sense of mystery.

Watch the trailer and get tickets here. 

Occupied CinemaOCCUPIED CINEMA
North American Premiere!
Serbia
Director: 
SENKA DOMANOVIĆ

May 6 @ 8 pm at Echo Park Film Center

An engrossing documentary about guerrilla action initiated by young activists taking over a long-abandoned privatized cinema in Belgrade. The occupation revitalizes the cinema over the course of a year with 500 screenings, dozens of concerts and public discussions, and participation from hundreds of artists, activists, and filmmakers.

Watch the trailer and get tickets here

 

What Does “Premiere” Mean?

Do you know precisely what it means when a screening is labeled as a Premiere?

World Premiere: first official screening of the film.

International Premiere: first screening outside the country of origin. And also the first festival screening.
SEEfest is proud to be screening many North American premieres such as Occupied Cinema and Borders, Raindrops mentioned above.
Learn more in this article about the various levels of Premieres and what they mean.

 

SEEFEST SPONSORS

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Special thanks to ELMA for continued support of our programs.

Watch the SEEfest Trailer!

SEEfest 2019 is right around the corner, just 3 weeks away on May 1! Get a taste of the eclectic, audacious films in the 14th edition in the festival trailer.

This year’s SEEfest, running May 1-8, will explore the theme of cinematic audacity by drawing attention to filmmakers whose works grapple with complex existential, ethical, and historical questions in innovative, and provocative ways. You can secure your festival pass and Opening and Closing Night tickets, now on Eventbrite.

 

GET YOUR TICKETS

Tickets for many screenings – including the Opening and Closing Galas – are now available and will become available as we confirm screening dates and times. 

Peruse the entire film lineup: 13 feature narratives, 7 documentary narratives, half a dozen shorts programs, and an interstellar Sci-Fi program await you! We are now putting the final touches on the Business of Film Conference and Accelerator program.

The 8-day Festival all-access pass is the best deal and includes the Opening and Closing Galas (receptions following the screenings!), as well as The Business of Film Conference. 

 

LITERARY SALON: TALKING ABOUT AUDACITY IN ALL ITS FORMS

Next week, Wednesday, April 17th, is the Cultural and Literary Salon in West Hollywood. Join us as a historian, a literary critic, and an author come together for an evening of scintillating cultural exchange. We will roam across audacity in the literature, history, and cinema of South East Europe, where geopolitical borders act as audacious protagonists in sociocultural affairs. Includes a reception for all attendees.

Panelists:

Fatma Aydemir, Author

Thomas Harrison, UCLA Professor

David Shafer, CSULB Professor

Moderated by Nina Bjekovic, UCLA Ph.D. Candidate

At the West Hollywood City Council Chambers (adjacent to the Library)

Presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Click here for details and to RSVP

 

SEEFEST SPONSORS

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Special thanks to ELMA for continued support of our programs.

Meet the SEEfest Jury!

MEET THE JURY

Please meet the 2019 SEEfest Jury. Twenty accomplished jury members will select the winners for 7 major awards. Just a few of our distinguished jurors include:

  • Irina Maleeva, a Bulgaria-born actress who was discovered by Federico Fellini and appeared in three of his films, then went on to star opposite Orson Welles in his iconic version of The Merchant of Venice.
  • Yoram Kahana, a filmmaker who holds master’s degrees from UCLA in motion pictures and journalism. He has made more than 50 educational and commercial films about international cultures, crafts, anthropology and art, and is a long-time member and frequent Board director of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
  • Matia Karrell, an Academy Award-nominated writer, director and producer. She has been awarded fellowships including the Fulbright, American Film Institute (AFI) Women Director’s Fellowship, and the Disney-ABC Directing Fellowship.

Read about all of our festival jurors and juries at https://seefilmla.org/festival-jury/

This year’s SEEfest, running May 1-8, will explore the theme of cinematic audacity by drawing attention to filmmakers whose works grapple with complex existential, ethical, and historical questions in innovative, and provocative ways. You can secure your festival pass and Opening and Closing Night tickets, now on Eventbrite.

 

LITERARY SALON – GUEST SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED

On April 17th, a historian, a literary critic, an actress, and an author will come together for an evening of scintillating cultural exchange. These dynamic panelists draw on their knowledge, experience, and anecdotes to contemplate the theme of audacity in all of its forms. Join us for the SEEFest Cultural and Literary Salon to explore audacity in the literature, history, and cinema of South East Europe, where geopolitical borders act as audacious protagonists in sociocultural affairs. 

Panelists:

Fatma Aydemir, Author

Thomas Harrison, UCLA Professor

David Shafer, CSULB Professor

Moderated by Nina Bjekovic, UCLA Ph.D. Candidate

At the West Hollywood City Council Chambers (adjacent to the Library)

Presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Click here for details and to RSVP

FESTIVAL LINEUP NOW ONLINE

You can now explore the entire film lineup and start picking your list of must-see films. 13 feature narratives, 7 documentary narratives, half a dozen shorts programs, and an interstellar Sci-Fi program await you! Showtimes and tickets will be released shortly. Stay tuned for more details about the Business of Film Conference and Accelerator program!

Cinema of Audacity SEEfest 2019

SEEFEST SPONSORS

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Special thanks to ELMA for continued support of our programs.

Opening Night Film & More Premieres Announced!

OPENING NIGHT FILM REVEALED…

Moon Hotel Kabul by Romania’s Anca Damian will open SEEfest with its West Coast premiere on May 1, 2019, at 7 PM at the Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive in Beverly Hills.

moon hotel kabul - 2 men talking over a deskDamian won Best Director Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival and the Mirada International Award at the Madrid Film Festival for this gripping mystery/thriller about Ivan, a charismatic but cynical investigative journalist with a sharp sense for story and no time for compassion. Everything changes after a one night stand in a Kabul hotel room with a translator named Ioana. Not long after their encounter, Ioana is found dead, and Ivan sets out on an investigation unlike any he has undertaken.

With all the best qualities of a sophisticated mystery and stellar lead performances, Moon Hotel Kabul will keep you guessing until the end.  

“Anca Damian is the Agnès Varda of Romanian cinema: versatile, innovative, and audacious!” said SEEfest founder & artistic director Vera Mijojlić. “We are honored to open the 2019 South East European Film Festival Los Angeles with her latest daring work.” 

This event is supported by the Blue Heron Foundation.

This year’s SEEfest, running May 1-8, will explore the theme of cinematic audacity by drawing attention to filmmakers whose works grapple with complex existential, ethical, and historical questions in innovative, and provocative ways. You can secure your festival pass now on Eventbrite.

 

MORE PREMIERES

See more of the festival lineup online and get your festival pass today on Eventbrite.

Deep Cuts, #SEEfest2019DEEP CUTS
World Premiere
Croatia, 2018, 75’
Directors: Dubravka Turić, Filip Mojzes, Filip Peruzović

The thematic framework of the 3-story anthology feature film Deep Cuts is violence in all of its forms: as a destruction of intimacy, family, integrity, trust.

 

 

The Night of the Bear - #SEEfest2019THE NIGHT OF THE BEAR
World Premiere
Romania, 2018, 77’
Director: Paul-Razvan Macovei

Three 17-year olds and would-be friends share emotionally-charged stories of their family life in the course of one summer night. Their often-absurd fights are mediated by the ironical appearance of a giant discarded teddy bear. 

In his debut feature director, Macovei employs a unique story technique that will be especially appealing to young adult audiences (16 to 18-year-olds). He breaks the 4th wall to allow his subjects to talk directly to the audience and uses 2D animation featuring bears in lieu of people to illustrate family dynamics. 

This screening is supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute, New York

SUNRISE in Kimmeria

SUNRISE IN KIMMERIA
West Coast Premiere
Cyprus, 2018, 99’
Director: Simon Farmakas

A young villager gets caught in a tragicomic tug-o’-war, when a strange sphere, tracked by a foreign intelligence agency, crash-lands into his potato field.

Avoiding the stereotypical ethnographic comedies of the genre, the storyline intertwines the lives of the local villagers with the intelligence agents, combining the peasant-like naivety with international conspiracies and intrigues, conveying similarities that the latter has with the run-of-the-mill village rivalries and their struggle for authority and ownership. 

Screening in the Sci-Fi program — stay tuned for more program announcements. 

Irina - #SEEfest2019IRINA
North American Premiere
Bulgaria, 2018, 96’
Director: Nadejda Koseva

Irina is a part-time waitress in a small Bulgarian town. On the same day, she gets fired her husband gets into a serious accident, plunging them even deeper into poverty. To make ends meet, she becomes a surrogate mother. 

With her emotions oscillating between disappointing family circumstances and new pregnancy, Irina confronts them with fierce determination and in her own unsentimental way discovers what it means to love and to forgive. 

Winner of Best First Film, Best Actress and Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers award at the Golden Rose festival in Bulgaria, Special Jury Award for actress Martina Apostolova and Ecumenical Jury Award at Warsaw IFF, Best Feature Film Award at Tirana FF, Best First Feature Film Award & Best Actress Award at Cottbus FF, and Special mention to the actress Martina Apostolova at Tbilisi IFF. 

This screening is supported by Calypso Media.

 

AUDACIOUS STORYTELLERS: SEEfest CULTURAL AND LITERARY SALON

A historian, a literary critic, an actress, and an author come together for an evening of scintillating cultural exchange. These dynamic panelists draw on their knowledge, experience, and anecdotes to contemplate the theme of audacity in all of its forms.

The SEEFest Cultural and Literary Salon will explore audacity in the literature, history, and cinema of South East Europe, where geopolitical borders act as audacious protagonists in sociocultural affairs.

Presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Click here for details and to RSVP

AUDACIOUS STORYTELLERS_ SEEfest CULTURAL AND LITERARY SALON

 

SEEFEST SPONSORS

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Special thanks to ELMA for continued support of our programs.

SEEfest Grant Award from Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Fantastic news from SEEfest!

We are proud to share that the 14th edition of the South East European Film Festival LA is a recipient of a festival grant from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), home of the Golden Globes.

“We are greatly honored by this recognition and grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for supporting festivals that bring foreign language films to Los Angeles. This grant will help us provide mentorship for innovative projects and workshops for South East European filmmakers, and expand marketing to local film aficionados, educators, film scholars, and youth audiences, introducing them to cinematic gems from 18 South East European countries covered by the festival.”

-Vera Mijojlić, Founder & Artistic Director

 

This year’s SEEfest, running May 1-8, will explore the theme of cinematic audacity by drawing attention to filmmakers whose works grapple with complex existential, ethical, and historical questions in innovative, and provocative ways. You can secure your festival pass now on Eventbrite

 

Free screening and director Q&A

Package Tour - DocumentaryIf you’re in the Long Beach area on Thursday evening. March 21, join us at California State University at Long Beach for a special free screening with the Jewish Studies Program of Gyula Gazdag’s 1985 documentary Package Tour. Following a group of Holocaust survivors and their children embarking on a tour to Auschwitz and Birkenau, The Package Tour asks why these people have come back – to remember? To try to understand how it could happen, and if it could happen again?

Gyula Gazdag is a director of film, theatre, and television productions and a professor at UCLA. He has served as the Artistic Director of the Sundance Directors Lab since 1997.

Followed by Q&A with director Gyula Gazdag and Vera Mijojlić

Read more and RSVP on the SEEfest site.

 

Literary Salon

Before SEEfest kicks off on May 1st, join us on April 17th at the West Hollywood Library for the literary and cultural salon Audacious Storytellers, with a thought-provoking interdisciplinary discussion of audacity in all of its forms. Through personal anecdotes, literary perspectives, and geopolitical histories, the panel will discuss the nature of audacity in an area of the world where borders continuously challenge national and cultural paradigms. Presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Click here to RSVP. 

Stay tuned for more announcements about the Opening and Closing Night films, a new sci-fi sidebar program, full film lineup, and the Business of Film Conference!

 

SEEfest Sponsors

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Special thanks to ELMA for continued support of our programs.

First Peek at SEEfest Film Highlights!

SEEfest is excited to unveil the first batch of films for the 14th annual festival! This year’s SEEfest, running May 1-8, will explore the theme of cinematic audacity by drawing attention to filmmakers whose works grapple with complex existential, ethical, and historical questions in innovative, and provocative ways. You can secure your festival pass now on Eventbrite

Just a few of the 56 films in competition: 

The DelegationThe Delegation
North American premiere!

Bujar Alimani’s multiple award-winning powerhouse of a film from Albania probes the layers of oppression between a prisoner and his unlikely entourage in what is essentially a first-rate road movie, or as Cineuropa describes, “a dark, absurdist comedy as it depicts how the officials try to uphold a system that is obviously in the process of falling apart.” Winner of the Grand Prix at Warsaw International Film Festival, Trieste Award for Best Feature Film, as voted for by the audience, and the PAG Jury Award at Trieste International Film Festival

Re-Generation #SEEfest2019Re-Generation
West Coast Premiere!

Emir Kapetanovic’s documentary about a group of Bosnian adolescents from all ethnic groups in search of a future that is not held hostage by the past. 

 

 

Crush My Heart - #SEEfest2019Crush My Heart
North American Premiere!

The first feature by Slovakian director Alexandra Makarova is an Austrian Romeo and Juliet love story with Roma protagonists. Winner of “Best Screenplay” and “Audience Award” at European festivals, SEEfest welcomes the North American premiere!

 

 

Together - #SEEfest2019Together
North American Premiere!

Emotionally charged story of a gay Slovenian man who fights for custody of his deceased partner’s daughter tackles persistent prejudice and social obstacles facing same-sex couples.

 

 

Scopophilia - #SEEfest2019

Scopophilia
West Coast Premiere!

From Greece, Natalia Lampropoulou and Ilektra Aggeletopoulou create a slick homage to Hitchcock’s Rear Window, using a webcam app on the computer.

 

 

Prisoner of Society - #SEEfest2019Prisoner of Society
North American Premiere!

Winner of numerous Oscar® qualifying awards and the first Georgian short documentary to be nominated for European Film Academy Awards, Rati Tsiteladze’s Prisoner of Society is a beautiful portrait of a transgender man who can’t leave home.

 

 

Pre-Festival Event

Before SEEfest kicks off on May 1st, join us on April 17th at the West Hollywood Library for the literary and cultural salon Audacious Storytellers, with a thought-provoking interdisciplinary discussion of audacity in all of its forms. Through personal anecdotes, literary perspectives, and geopolitical histories, the panel will discuss the nature of audacity in an area of the world where borders continuously challenge national and cultural paradigms. Presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Click here to RSVP. 

Stay tuned for more announcements about the Opening and Closing Night films, a new sci-fi sidebar program, full film lineup, and the Business of Film Conference!

 

Community Partner Spotlight: International Documentary Association 

International Documentary AssociationOn March 19th, join the IDA for a special 20th-anniversary of Doug Block’s 1999 documentary Home Page, which explored the emerging culture of the internet and led directly to the formation of The D-Word. The event will begin at 800 Degrees from 5:30 pm with a mixer, continuing with a special screening of Home Page at 8 pm at the historic Linwood-Dunn Theater. Director and D-Word founder Doug Block will be present for a Q&A after the film, moderated by former IDA Board President and longtime D-Word co-host Marjan Safinia. More details and tickets here.

 

SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division.