The 19th edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) returns to Sibiu from August 7 to 10, featuring open-air screenings in the city’s Grand Square – with free admission, and film events hosted by the CineGold and German Forum cinema theaters, informs a press release.

This year’s program includes a mix of international titles and the latest Romanian productions, with several filmmakers present at the screenings.

The official opening will take place on Thursday, August 7, in the Grand Square, with a screening of the Italian comedy “FolleMente” (Me, You and the People in Our Heads, directed by Paolo Genovese), a story about love, identity, and the limits of perception.

Among the standout outdoor screenings are the classic “Rebel Without a Cause” (dir. Nicholas Ray), starring James Dean; “Nowhere Special” (dir. Uberto Pasolini), with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche; and “The Mohican” (dir. Frederic Farrucci), which will close this year’s Sibiu edition.

TIFF Sibiu also features a strong lineup of Romanian films, many presented in preview screenings, such as Padurea de molizi/The Spruce Forest, directed by Tudor Giurgiu, which sheds light on one of the country’s lesser-known yet dramatic historical episodes; Comatogen, directed by Igor Cobileanski; Tata/Dad, directed by Lina Vdovii and Radu Ciorniciuc – an intimate documentary about migration and family; Dupa cioate/Tooth and Nail – director Mihai Dragolea and Radu Mocanu – which examines grassroots resistance against Romania’s illegal logging mafia; The Heist of the Century, directed by Teodora Ana Mihai – a tense reconstruction of a major art theft. 

Highlights from TIFF Cluj also feature in the international section, such as Christy (directed by Brendan Canty), a poignant coming-of-age story; To a Land Unknown, directed by Mahdi Fleifel, which follows two Palestinians chasing the illusion of a better life in Europe; Dreams, directed by Michel Franco, which explores the complexities of power in romantic relationships.

This edition of TIFF Sibiu also continues its German Film Days, showcasing emerging voices in German cinema along with timely themes approached with nuance and sophistication. The section is organized with the support of the Goethe Institute and the German Cultural Center in Sibiu.

The full schedule of the four-day event is available at sibiu.tiff.ro and on the festival’s Facebook page.