5 new films in competition, Filmmakers in Focus, KPN official partner IFFR (dd 14 December 2006)

PRESS RELEASE 14 December 2006

· Five new films in Tiger Competition
· Filmmakers in Focus: Abderrahmane Sissako and Johnnie To
· KPN official partner IFFR

The International Film Festival Rotterdam has announced five new titles that will be competing in the VPRO Tiger Awards Competition. Mauretanian-French director Abderrahmane Sissako and Johnnie To from Hong Kong are Filmmakers in Focus. During the festival, IFFR’s new official partner, Dutch telecom company KPN, will also be offering a selection from the festival programme simultaneously through their new interactive television service MINE, making the festival accessible from your own living room.

The following films have been selected for the VPRO Tiger Awards Competition: LA MAREA by Diego Martinez Vignatti (Belgium), a film about dealing with grief, filmed in a spectacular Argentine coastal region; FOURTEEN by Hirosue Hiromasa (Japan), his second feature, following THE LOST HUM (selected for IFFR in 2006); DIE UNERZOGENEN by Pia Marais (Germany), a subtle feature debut about a teenage daughter and her drug-addict parents; DOES IT HURT? THE FIRST BALKAN DOGMA by Aneta Lesnikovska (Macedonia), in which the Dutch-resident filmmaker attempts to shoot a Dogma film in her native country; BOG OF BEASTS by Claudio Assis (Brazil), a raw and confrontational portrait of a daughter forced into prostitution in the slums.

The festival has chosen Abderrahmane Sissako and Johnnie To as Filmmakers in Focus. Tribute is being paid to both directors with the screening of part of their oeuvres. Sissako, who is originally from Mali and is now based in Paris, is one of the most well-known representatives of African filmmaking. His new, political film BAMAKO is one of the highlights of the 36th festival.
Johnnie To’s extensive oeuvre has ranged successfully, since his debut in the 1980s, between genre films and auteur cinema. The festival will in any event be showing his two new films ELECTION and ELECTION 2, as well as HEROIC TRIO, the 1992 film that cemented To’s reputation in the West.

IFFR is extremely happy with KPN’s addition as an official festival partner. KPN has entered into a 3-year partner agreement with IFFR. The cooperation will include the simultaneous broadcast of a selection of festival films through KPN’s interactive television service, MINE. This will enable film fans to follow the festival from their own homes, in addition to in Rotterdam’s cinemas. IFFR’s other official partners are Dutch national daily newspaper de Volkskrant and Dutch national public broadcaster VPRO; Rotterdam-based international asset managing company Robeco has also decided to once again become an official partner of the festival.

The programme of the 36th International Film Festival Rotterdam will appear on Thursday, 18 January 2007, in the form of an insert in de Volkskrant and simultaneously online at www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com. During the night of Friday 19 to Saturday 20 January, online ticket sales will commence at 00.00 hours, from www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com. From Saturday, 20 January at 09.00 hours, tickets will be available from the festival box office in de Doelen. The festival shop in de Doelen (presales of the Tiger pass, merchandise and special events) is open from Thursday 4 January 2007. Tickets cost € 8, € 5 with a Tiger pass (the Tiger pass is available for € 20; or € 10 with a CJP pass, OV Studentenkaart, Studenten UITpas or Rotterdampas). The latest news on the programme and ticket sales can always be found at www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com.