Ljubljana



Let talk about the Ljubljana International Film Festival LIFFE, about charming little festival in Slovenia that held upon the critical probe into the last 20 years of European history. It shows the best in international cinema, the film retrospective that involves dramatic events of the time of democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe, and is committed to a featuring promising filmmakers, European film, and production from the other part of the world. Festival that talks about traditional Peruvian folklore or a baroque film noir from Malaysia or Chile. The film selection is divided into sections thematically, genre-oriented: (Extravagance), (Against the Wind), (Focus) an insight into a national cinematography and the masterpieces (Kings & Queens). Festival section Perspectives- the official competitive section is reserved for the new authors, meant to go for Slovenian distribution. Kings and Queens Section are films of award-winning contemporary film, World Film Panorama are a front-runners of five-continent and Extravaganza goes for the late-night cinema of “daring idiosyncratic artists that are addressing a sensual topics in film.” Of course, The film retrospective is dedicated to social changes in the former Socialistic countries, which are compelling to all sections of the 20th Liffe, a representative selection of a contemporary filmmaker that reviews an overview of an Austrian film director Michael Haneke and his provocative approach to film-making. Films shown on festival are Haneke’s avant-garde drama: “And What Comes Afterwards (After Liverpool)”, a complex melancholy story about emancipated woman “Three Paths To The Lake” and “Lemmings Part II> Wounds”, an portrait of the generation of young Austrians in the period after the II World War, an emphatically suspense story “Who Was Edgar Allan”, a Haneke’s debut trilogy about emotional glacification of modern society “The Seventh Continent”, “Benny’s video” and “71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance”, drama about a simple man who faces injustices of bureaucratic society “The Rebellion”, an adoption of Kafka’ “The Castle” and latest pre I World War tale “The White Ribbon”, film awarded on Cannes Film Festival. Also, the Fall Wall on festival represented numerous motives: such as stories about ordinary people and it answers 2 simple questions: what was happening 1989 and what is happening now? Do the transitions bring any changes or anything remotely favorable to us?

2009 LIFFE Awards

20th Ljubljana Film Festival LIFFE en.liffe.si/ ended fantastic. 20 years of feature films, short films etc passed quickly in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Kingfisher Award awarded by the International jury Dana Linssen, Elma Tataragić, Martin Turk of the 20th LIFFE went to “The Blacks” Croatian film directed by Zvonimir Jurić and Goran Dević, as the “courageous in its portrayal of a war situation which not only recalls the war outside, but also confronts us with the enemy within every human being that is perhaps the biggest threat to human. Starting from a very realistic situation, the film slowly turns into a surrealistic nightmare. For expressive acting, a convincing story and inventive directing…” Special Mention went to a film “for its perfect aesthetic, storytelling, directing of the actors, social engagement and philosophical insightfulness” of the 20th LIFFE went to “Politist, Adjectiv” directed by Corneliu Porumboiu.

The jubilee of LIFFe had 15 films in the Best Short Film Award (with international Jury of Iva Krajnc, Hanna Preuss, Neil Young). The international jury gave the award to “Missing” by Jochem de Vries from the Netherlands. For “the winning film explores childhood and family with a directness and simplicity that allow us to glimpse apparently ordinary events which say much about the people concerned, their milieu, and their society. Free of inherent judgment or insinuation, its content is left fully open to interpretation of the viewer. It is executed with the economy and confidence that mark the best work in the short-film format.” The Special Mention went to Australian film “The Ground Beneath” by Rene Hernandez, and the Dragon Award went to young Canadian director Xavier Dolan for the film “I Killed My Mother”, film shot in French speaking north of Canada.

Sonic Youth
The 20th of Ljubljana International Film Festival LIFFE, by the FIPRESCI Jury Zoran Gojić, Špela Barlič and Radmila Djurica decided for the International Federation of Film Critics, to go to an American film directed by Ben and Josh Safdie “Go Get Some Rosemary”. “Josh and Ben Safdie brothers tell a simple story about a complicated family – which is their own. Inspired by the New York independent film tradition, it captures the hectic patchwork family life. It’s a comical drama about a man in between extremes and his confused sons. A warm-hearted look back without anger.” This is a new film inspired by New York Independent Film Production that presents the hectic NY comical and powerfully well crafted drama, about a warm giving man, thorn between his “boyish” immaturity and fatherhood. With skillful editing and dogmatic atmosphere, film reflects the irresponsible and charismatic father and in general NYstate of mind. What happens when Manhattan interferes to a family life role and constant life failures, in time between family divorced father life and petty living and when everything goes wrong? "Go Get Some Rosemary" is a realistic picture of a real life in NY. The film is about the culmination of exhaustion and demanding emotional state of mind, faithful to a New York-indie tradition of filmmaking and it gives new proportions to a film, for fans of Abel Ferrara and Lee Ranaldo from the NY band Sonic Youth. Special mention goes of course to Ranaldo's children that played a main part in this drama, with a film director and main actor of this film Ronald Bronstein.

18. LIFFe
Cankarjev dom
Prešernova cesta 010
SI - 1000 Ljubljana
T +386 (0)1/ 2417 147
F +386 (0)1/ 2417 298