21/09/2016 - Fewer but more diverse films may increase the season’s earnings

Ten Romanian films were released domestically in the autumn of 2014 and eight in 2015: only seven releases are scheduled this autumn, but the next two months may prove to be the most successful of the decade, as three comedies and a thriller may win the famously reticent Romanians over to the side of domestic cinema.

The flag bearer of the season was Cristi Puiu’s Sieranevada [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Cristi Puiu
film profile]. Already sold to more than 20 territories and selected by the Romanian National Film Center to represent the country at the 2017 Academy Awards (read the news), the near three-hour-long film had reason to brag, but only for one week, as it had the best opening weekend of the year, taking 11,600 admissions (Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Cristian Mungiu
interview: Cristian Mungiu
film profile] took 9,500 admissions during its first weekend on release in May).

Following the 2014 success of #Selfie [+see also:
film review
film profile] (102,000 admissions), sequel #Selfie 69 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] seems determined to become the most successful domestic release of the season, having already taken 25,000 admissions during its first weekend in cinemas. Cristina Iacob’s comedy about three young women desperately trying to get married has every chance to attract a younger audience, usually the age group that is the most reluctant to flock to Romanian cinemas. 

Set to be released on 60 screens on 23 September, Bogdan Mirică’s Dogs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bogdan Mirica
film profile] will test whether a thriller can be more attractive than a comedy in Romania. The film shares its main actor, Dragoş Bucur, with the next domestic release, Paul Negoescu’s comedy Two Lottery Tickets [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paul Negoescu
film profile], scheduled for 7 October. Igor Cobileanski’s Eastern Business [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] will be seen on 28 October, and Radu Jude’s Locarno-awarded Scarred Hearts [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Jude
film profile] ends the season on 18 November.

Another possible hit, Nae Caranfil’s 6.9 on the Richter Scale [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nae Caranfil
film profile], will wait for 2017, together with Adrian Sitaru’s The Fixer [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adrian Sitaru
interview: Tudor Aaron Istodor
film profile], Anca Miruna Lăzărescu’s That Trip We Took With Dad [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anca Miruna Lazarescu
film profile], Radu Potcoavă’s Summer’s Over and Gabriel Achim’s The Last Day [+see also:
interview: Gabriel Achim
film profile].