46th International Film Festival Rotterdam

25 January - 5 February 2017

Rotterdam, 11 January 2017

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will close its 46th edition on Saturday, 4 February, with the European première of the American film 20th Century Women by Mike Mills.  

20th Century Women is a poignant, heart-warming portrait of fifteen-year-old Jamie, who is being brought up by his eccentric mother and two younger women. The film is a love-letter to those who bring us up and the years that shape us. Her wonderful portrayal of Jamie’s mother brought Annette Benning (American Beauty) a Golden Globe nomination. Other roles are played by Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Jackie), Elle Fanning (The Neon Demon), Billy Crudup (Spotlight) and up-and-coming talent Lucas Jade Zumann. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. 

Festival director Bero Beyer: “We are particularly pleased to have the heart-warming 20th Century Women as the closing film of IFFR 2017. Director Mills uses humour, emotion and a dash of nostalgia in a visual celebration of women and a mother, played splendidly by Annette Benning, which holds up to us a mirror-image of our times.”

Filmmaker Mike Mills (1966, United States) set up production company The Directors Bureau with Roman Coppola in 1996. Many of his short films and documentaries have screened at IFFR. Mills is also a graphic designer, photographer and director of commercials and music videos. He has made music videos and designed record covers for the likes of Air, Yoko Ono and Pulp. He made his feature film directing debut with Thumbsucker in 2005. This was followed in 2010 by Beginners, which earned an Oscar for actor Christopher Plummer. 20th Century Women (2016) is Mills’ third feature film. 

You can watch the trailer here. 

20th Century Women closes the 46th International Film Festival Rotterdam on Saturday, 4 February. The European première takes place in De Doelen in Rotterdam.