By Community Desk

Largest Selection of 23 Films out of 56 to be Screened are 
Directed by Women 

Beverly Hills, 23 April 2017 – The 12th annual South East European Film Festival (SEEfest) (seefilmla.org) is proud to announce that of its 56 films to be screened during the week of April 27 to May 4, 2017 – 23  are directed and produced by women from the region.
 
“In light of the acknowledged gender gap both in front of and behind the camera, SEEfest is thrilled to feature 23 films directed by women during the 12th Annual South East European Film Festival,” said Denise Wakeman, Digital Marketing Strategist.

Some highlights include enchanting Moldovan beauty of Anishoara by Ana-Felicia Scutelnicu; Bulgaria’s Glory by Kristina Grozeva (and Petar Valchanov), the duo behind last year’s international winner, The Lesson; spirited Balkan road mockumentary King of the Belgians by Jessica Hope Woodworth and Peter Brosens; Romanian road trip into 1968 That Trip We Took with Dad by Anca Lazarescu; the beautiful Georgian story of Anna in Anna’s Life by Nino Basilia; the observational documentary of Slovenian orphan children Home Sweet Home produced and directed by Maja Prettner; the witty and insightful story of Bulgarian author Angel Wagenstein in Angel Wagenstein: Art is a Weapon by Andrea Simon; the musical My World is Upside Down about the work of Slovenian satirical songwriter and artist Frane Milčinski Ježek by Petra Seliskar; and finally, the cinematic action punch of Chuck Norris Versus Communism by Ilinca Calugareanu, about translator Irina Margareta Nistor who will be joining us for a Q&A after the film.
 
From the festival’s shorts selections: the beautifully artistic Greek film Limbo from Konstantina Kotzamani; Croatian short about a young woman’s widowhood Magda Mozarka by Bojana Momirović; Macedonian comedy short Fighting for Death by Eleonora Veninova; powerful Azerbaijan story about faith Letter to God by Maria Ibrahimova; adorable Greek love story about a unique girl and her young love Minus One by Natassa Xydi; short film Forgiveness about cruelty and love in Bulgaria by Vanya Jekova; two women’s history tied to the Armenian genocide in The Other Side of Home by Naré Mkrtchyan; heartbreaking and hopeful Azerbaijan story about the life of young man Kamal in I Want to Fly by Maria Ibrahimova; Bulgarian animation short about love Firebird by Velislava Gospodinova; PSA-style Greek animation short about human trafficking The Wish by Aspasia Hatzirvasani; Romanian animation music video that blurs the line between reality and illusion Plastic Flowers by Claudia Ilea; dark and mysterious American short Night Shadows by Bat-Ami Rivlin (and Ivan Viaranchyk); and finally, two Serbian animation shorts – heartfelt piece animating justice and grief in Justice by Jelena Vučić; and statement piece about our diminishing environment Our City (Belgrade Waterfront 2) by Katarina Ćirilović Popović and Ana Đorđević Petrović.
 
Of these films, SEEfest will be hosting Q&A sessions with the following women filmmakers: Anca Miruna Lăzăresc of That Trip We Took With Dad; Maja Prettner of Home Sweet Home; Bojana Momirović of Magda Mozarka; and finally, the translator Irina Margareta Nistor of Chuck Norris Versus Communism. 
 
For the festival’s full schedule, visit http://seefilmla.org/2017-film-schedule-pdf/.

Full line up of the 2017 Festival: 
Opening night
Feature program 
Documentary program
Shorts program

Eight-day long SEEfest 2017 runs April 27 – May 4, and includes 12 features, 8 documentaries, 1 special out-of-competition screening, and 36 shorts films (short features, short docs, and animation shorts). Festival audience comprises filmmakers and international art house aficionados, industry professionals and cultural dignitaries from Los Angeles and South East Europe. Screenings are held at the Writers Guild Theater and Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills, the Goethe-Institut in Miracle Mile area and West Hollywood Council Chambers @ Library campus.

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. It was founded in 2006 by Vera Mijojlić, long-time film critic and cultural entrepreneur.  

 

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