Film O'Clock međunarodni filmski festival
Film O’Clock International Festival #5 – Cinema Without Borders, Now at Eurocinema, within the Open University Subotica, Serbia
The fifth edition of the Film O’Clock International Festival promises a unique experience from April 3 to April 6, 2025, celebrating cinematic art and cultural diversity through an impressive selection of contemporary and classic films, educational events, and discussions with special guests. The festival takes place simultaneously across eleven territories, connecting cinema lovers from Romania, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt, and South Africa. Screenings in Serbia will be hosted at Eurocinema, within the Open University Subotica, Serbia.
A Spectacular Opening in Partnership with the National University of Theatre and Film I.L. Caragiale, Bucharest
The official opening of the festival will also mark the 75th anniversary of UNATC Bucharest and will take place on Thursday, April 3, at 5:45 PM CET, with the screening of Romanian Classic Short Films - Together Across Time Zones - Celebrating 75 Years of Stories at UNATC. This selection features landmark short films created by the first generation of Directing and Cinematography students at UNATC between 1967 and 1970, following a decade-long hiatus in film education.
The special screening includes the following titles:
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Song, directed by Felicia Cernăianu, 1968 (11 min)
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The Circle, directed by Mircea Veroiu, 1968 (10 min)
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Life in pink, directed by Dan Pița, 1969 (18 min)
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Rythms, directed by Andrei Vidrașcu, 1970 (5 min)
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The Dictator and His Servant, directed by Ada Pistiner, 1967 (12 min)
These cinematic gems are part of UNATC's Active Archive project, contributing to the digitization and restoration of audiovisual heritage.
Classic Film Section: Amator by Krzysztof Kieslowski
The classic film section brings Amator (Camera Buff, Poland, directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1979, 112 min) to Chișinău – a masterpiece that played a significant role in Kieslowski’s career. This early work foreshadows recurring themes in his later films, centering on an obsession with cinema while also exploring the profound impact of art and creativity on an individual's life, human relationships, and perceptions of reality. The film will be screened at Eurocinema on Saturday, April 5, at 7:00 PM CET.
International Short Film Competition
Also on Saturday, April 5, cinephiles can enjoy the festival’s short film competition. Sixteen bold, contemporary short films will compete for two awards of €1,000 each – the Jury Award and the Audience Award. The screenings will take place at Eurocinema in three slots, at 00:15 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:45 PM CET.
Curated by Mirona Radu (Romania), Andrew Mohsen (Egypt), and Zhana Kalinova (Bulgaria), the competition highlights emotionally engaging stories exploring universal themes such as human relationships, moral fragility, the fight for justice and identity, and existential questions about loss, friendship, and social conflict:
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A City Without Love, dir. Mostafa Gerbeii, Egypt, fiction, 2024, 9 min
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A Promise to the Sea, dir. Hend Sohail, Egypt, fiction, 2024, 14 min
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Across, dir. Tóth Kristóf Zsolt, Hungary, fiction, 2024, 18 min
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Cameras Do Not Record Such Things, dir. Alexandru Solomon, Romania, fiction, 2024, 24 min
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Claudia (Working Title), dir. Adrian Sitaru, Romania, fiction, 2024, 20 min
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Concrete Rodents, dir. Apostolis Gkanatsios, Greece, fiction, 2024, 13 min
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Debtors, dir. Andrzej Danis, Poland, documentary, 2024, 23 min
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From You, dir. Jędrzej Gorski, Poland, fiction, 2024, 15 min
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Hushes and Phonics, dir. Piotr Kamiński, Poland, fiction, 2024, 16 min
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Keba, Interrupted, dir. Meja Shoba, South Africa, fiction, 2024, 15 min
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Posterity, dir. Emil Alexandrov, Bulgaria, fiction, 2025, 20 min
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The Nominees, dir. Birutė Kapustinskaitė, Lithuania, fiction, 2024, 15 min
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The Visit, dir. Dara Sokolova, Ukraine, fiction, 2024, 9 min
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Temporary Central Problem, dir. Gergő Szoták, Hungary, fiction, 2024, 9 min
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Truth or Dare, dir. Simona Borcea, Romania, fiction, 2024, 16 min
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We Lived Slowly in Times of Peace, dir. Kristina Jacot, Moldova, documentary, 2025, 8 min
The jury for this edition features distinguished professionals: Romanian director and screenwriter Bogdan Mureșanu, known for The New Year That Never Came at the Venice Film Festival; Hungarian cinematographer Eszter Csepeli, the first female DOP to work on a Hungarian feature film (later nominated at Cannes); and Egyptian producer and video artist Muhammad Taymour, recipient of the Cannes Palm D'Or for his short film I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face.
International Educational Debate: “Poets or Engineers in Filmmaking?”
On April 3, starting at 11:00 CET, the festival will host an online debate titled “Poets or Engineers in Filmmaking?”, featuring special guest Polish award-winning director Rafael Kapelinski (https://www.thestoryspectrum.com/). He will be joined by representatives of prestigious Polish film schools to explore how creative and technical approaches intersect in the filmmaking process.
The discussion will address a fundamental question: What defines a filmmaker? Are they poets of imagination, guided by emotion and creativity, or engineers of cinematic craft, driven by precision and structure? The debate will examine the balance between art and technique, highlighting how creativity and technical expertise harmonize to shape complete filmmakers.
The event is open to the public and is particularly aimed at film students, young professionals, educators, and cinema enthusiasts who wish to gain deeper insights into the filmmaking process. Participation is free, but seats are limited.
To participate, please complete the registration form at: https://forms.gle/ed9NDg4VmvznWmaS8
About Film O’Clock International Festival
Film O’Clock is a festival with a unique vision, celebrating global cinema by simultaneously connecting audiences from 11 countries. The festival fosters meaningful discussions and synchronized screenings, creating a meeting point for filmmakers, critics, and the general public, contributing to a vibrant intercultural dialogue.
Film O’Clock International Festival #5 is a cultural project produced by Creatrix Fama and co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN). The fifth edition is organized under the banner of "Solidarity on Screen - Polish Presidency Film Review," supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the international cultural program of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025.
Partners: The National University of Theatre and Film "I.L. Caragiale" Bucharest (UNATC), The Romanian Filmmakers' Union (UCIN), DACIN SARA, The National Film Archive, Eforie Cinematheque, The Polish Institute in Bucharest, F-Sides Club Cineclub, Filmoteka Narodowa - Instytut Audiowizualny, Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych, Kino Iluzjon (Poland), 35 mm online, The Bulgarian National Film Archive, The National Academy of Theatre and Film – NATFA (Bulgaria), Vilnius Academy of Arts (Lithuania), Lithuanian Film Centre, CNC Moldova, Mediacor Chișinău, The Hungarian National Film Institute, Tisza Mozi (Hungary), Dovzhenko Centre, Zhovten Cinema (Ukraine), Schedia – Centre for Artistic and Pedagogical Training (Greece), The Romanian-Hellenic Art and Culture Association (Greece), Otvoreni Univerzitet Subotica Doo (Serbia), Cinemaeuropa Subotica (Serbia), Delta Video (Serbia), Neelsie Cinema (South Africa), Jesuit Cinema Club (Egypt), Medfest Egypt, ART, thestoryspectrum.com.
The project does not necessarily represent the official position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN shall not be held liable for the project's content or any use to which the project outcome might be put. These are the sole responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.
Time to Meet. It’s Film O’Clock #5!
For more information or personalized materials, please contact us at creatrixfama@gmail.com.
