PREVIEW OF THE 8TH BCN FILM FEST

Barcelona, January 31, 2024

The Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival (BCN FILM FEST), which this year will be celebrated from April 18 to 26 at the Verdi Cinemas in Barcelona as the main venue, has presented this morning the official poster of its 8th edition and the first confirmed films of its line-up. The event was presented by the director of the BCN FILM FEST, journalist and film critic Conxita Casanovas.

"We continue working hard to be the festival of reference in the city, with an attractive and quality line-up that balances national and international cinema" said Conxita Casanovas.

The festival will once again feature prominent international figures who will visit Barcelona to present their latest works. Actress Meg Ryan ("When Harry Met Sally"), will travel to Barcelona to present "What Happens Later", a love story written, directed and starring herself and David Duchovny ("The X-Files", "Californication"). The actress returns after eight years away from film with her second project as a director and with a genre that brought her success and earned her the recognition of the queen of romantic comedy. Vincent Perez ("Letters from Berlin") will present "The edge of the blade", a vibrant film that mixes historical drama and adventure cinema and which he directs and co-writes with Karine Silla. Directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache will travel to Barcelona to present "A Difficult Year", a comedy written and directed by the makers of "Intocable" and "C'est la Vie" and featuring Pio Marmaï, Jonathan Cohen and Noémi Merlant, among others. Paolla Cortellesi directs and stars in the dramatic comedy "C’è ancora domani", the highest-grossing film of recent years. Finally, among the visits confirmed to date, the festival will once again count on the presence of Clara Lago, who will present "Books and Drinks" together with Geoffrey Cowper, director of this comedy shot in the Dominican Republic.

"As in previous editions, we want to reach the public with proposals that invite reflection and entertainment, supported by guests who will offer colloquiums after the screenings," adds Casanovas.
 
"It has seemed precious to us to look at Japan with Ozu, the director of choice for so many filmmakers, and review his filmography that maintains its validity, a cinema that goes to the essence and that in this time of noise, can be a relaxation for the viewer," adds Casanovas.

Regarding the program, the director points out that "the festival is in tune with the current moment because there are many themes that reflect the awakening of women." And she adds, "one more year we want to do cultural activism. The public will also be able to learn more about great historical figures such as Hammarskjold and access the lives of great women such as Maria Montessori or Joan Baez, or the work of painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer in dialogue with the camera of Wim Wenders".

OFFICIAL POSTER
 
The BCN FILM FEST 2024 pays tribute to Yasujirô Ozu, one of the most outstanding directors in the history of cinema, by dedicating the poster of its 8th edition to him. The central image corresponds to Setsuko Hara, Ozu's favorite actress, in the memorable "Late Spring" (Banshun, 1949), one of the most representative films of the Japanese filmmaker's career. The BCN FILM FEST aims to remember and commemorate the figure of Ozu, on the 120th anniversary of his birth (December 12, 1903). His work remains as relevant as ever and his influence can still be traced in the best contemporary auteur cinema.
 

PREVIEW OF THE FIRST TITLES OF THE BCN FILM FEST 2024

The 8th edition of the festival will feature a program of around 70 titles among its different sections. Here is a first preview of the program:

OFFICIAL SECTION

HAMMARSKJÖLD
By Per Fly / With Mikael Persbrandt, Francis Chouler, Cian Barry
Sweden, Norway, Denmark / Spanish Premiere

L'AMOUR ET LES FORÊTS
By Valérie Donzelli / With Virginie Efira, Melvil Poupaud, Dominique Reymond
France / Spanish Premiere

THE GREAT ESCAPE
By Oliver Parker / With Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, John Standing
United Kingdom / Spanish Premiere

WHAT HAPPENS LATER
By Meg Ryan / With Meg Ryan, David Duchovny
United States / Spanish Premiere

PHANTOM YOUTH
By Luàna Bajrami / With Elsa Mala, Aurora Ferati, Don Shala, Albina Krasniqi
France, Kosovo / Spanish Premiere

C'È ANCORA DOMANI
By Paola Cortellesi / With Paola Cortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea, Romana Maggiora Vergano
Italy / Spanish Premiere

THE RAZOR'S EDGE
By Vincent Perez / With Roschdy Zem, Doria Tillier, Vincent Perez,
France / Spanish Premiere

THE MONK AND THE GUN
By Pawo Choyning Dorji / With Tandin Wangchuk, Harry Einhorn, 
Bhutan / Spanish Premiere

OFFICIAL SECTION (OUT OF COMPETITION)

GREEN BORDER
By Agnieszka Holland / With Alal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Tomasz Włosok
Poland, United States, France / Catalan Premiere

JOAN BAEZ: I AM A NOISE   
 By Miri Navasky, Maeve O'Boyle, Karen O'Connor
United States / Spanish Premiere

MARIA MONTESSORI
By Léa Todorov / With Jasmine Trinca, Leila Belenti
France, Italy / Spanish Premiere

CINEMA AMB GRÀCIA

BOOKS & DRINKS 
By Geoffrey Cowper / With Clara Lago, Jackson Rathbone, Nashla Bogaert
Dominican Republic / European Premiere

A DIFFICULT YEAR 
By Éric Toledano & Olivier Nakache / With Pio Marmaï, Jonathan Cohen, Noémie Merlant, Mathieu Amalric
France / Spanish Premiere

ART AL CINEMA

ANSELM
By Wim Wenders / With Anselm Kiefer, Daniel Kiefer, Anton Wenders
Germany / Catalan Premiere

ASIAN MADNESS BY CINEASIA

TALES OF UGETSU (1953)
By Kenji Mizoguchi / Machiko Kyô, Mitsuko Mito, Kinuyo Tanaka
Japan

KUNG FU HUSTLE (2004)
By Stephen Chow / With Stephen Chow, Qiu Yuen, Xiaogang Feng 
China / Hong Kong

ONE CUT OF THE DEAD (2017)
By Shin'i Chirô Ueda / With Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama 
Japan

LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE (2022)
By Martika Ramirez Escobar / With Sheila Francisco, Bon Cabrera
Philippines

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING (2022)
By Kim Hong Sun / With Seo In Guk, Jang Doon Yong, Sung Dong Il
South Korea

KILLING ROMANCE (2023)
By Wonsuk Lee / With Lee Hanee, Lee Sun-kyun, Myoung Gong
South Korea

IMPRESCINDIBLES
RETROSPECTIVE: YASUJIRÔ OZU

I WAS BORN, BUT… (1932)
AN INN IN TOKYO (1935)
RECORD OF A TENEMENT GENTLEMAN (1947)
LATE SPRING (1949)
EARLY SUMMER (1951)
TOKYO STORY (1953)
TOKYO TWILIGHT (1957)
EQUINOX FLOWER (1958)
FLOATING WEEDS (1959)
LATE AUTUMN (1959)
AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON (1960)
GOOD MORNING (1962)

RETROSPECTIVE: YASUJIRÔ OZU 

The BCN FILM FEST 2024 will dedicate its retrospective to one of the great directors of Japanese and world cinema of the 20th century, the master Yasujirô Ozu. Many directors have paid tribute to him, and who better than Wim Wenders, the BCN FILM FEST 2023 Honorary Award winner, to introduce him: "If there were a sacred thing in our century, if there were such a thing as the sacred treasure of cinema, for me it would be the work of the Japanese director Yasujirô Ozu (...). As much as it is typically Japanese, this cinema is, at the same time, universal. I have recognised all the families of the whole world, and also my parents, my brother and myself. For me, cinema has never been, before or since, so close to its essence and its objective: to offer an image of the man of our century... a useful, true and valid image with which to identify oneself, but, above all, from which one can learn something about oneself".

NOUS TALENTS

With the aim of promoting and supporting emerging talent, the Nou Talents section of the BCN FILM FEST will include a selection of 18 short films selected by ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya), Blanquerna Universitat Ramon Llull, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, FX ANIMATION Barcelona Film School, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya and La Casa del Cine. Each school will choose three short films to compete in this section, which will compete for the Best Short Film-Nous Talents Award with a cash prize of €2,000.  

This initiative, in addition to promoting new Catalan film talent, also seeks to promote the educational aspects of the festival, which since its inception have been one of the festival's distinguishing features.

LA QUINCENA DE LA ESCUELA DEL BCN FILM FEST

The BCN FILM FEST SCHOOL Fortnight will be held from 11 to 22 March, outside the official dates of the festival, with a varied programme of 8 films that include some of the titles that have stood out for their educational values. Aimed at teachers and students, this year's programme includes some of the most outstanding national films such as "Campeonex", "El maestro que prometió el mar" or "Robot Dreams"; the German Oscar nominee "Teacher's Lounge"; made in Hollywood adaptations of great literary classics such as "A haunting in Venice" or "Wonka" or animated films for all ages such as "Ernest et Célestine: Le voyage en Charabie" or "Les Inséparables", among others.

LOCATIONS AND TICKETS FROM 4,90

The festival will feature screenings and activities at CINES VERDI, CAIXA FORUM, CASA SEAT, INSTITUT FRANÇAIS, ATENEU BARCELONÈS and LA PERLA 22. 

Tickets will continue at a popular price of 4,90€ and with free sessions in civic centres of the city of Barcelona such as El Pati Limona, Fort Pienc, Can Basté, Can Clariana or Vil-la Florida. 

In this LINK you can watch the video summary of the 2023 edition of the BCN FILM FEST, which was attended by more than 18,000 spectators and with 100% in-person sessions. The accreditation process for press and industry for the eighth edition of the BCN FILM FEST will start today 31 January and will end on 15 March.