International Competition of Feature Films (CF)

It is certainly far from simple to choose just fifteen titles for the International Competition of Feature Films; there could easily be more. The number of suitable candidates that fulfil the demanding selection criteria is actually much, much greater.

The designation of “aspiring” filmmaker is in this case almost misleading, despite referring to artists who have no more than three professionally-made films under their belts. After all, several of them have had their international premieres at the world’s most prestigious film festivals, where they not only competed, but even won the highest accolades.

Among such films are She, A Chinese, a laureate of Locarno’s Golden Leopard, the Spanish Woman Without Piano, which earned the Silver Seashell for Best Director at San Sebastián, and the Argentinean The Man Next Door, awarded for best cinematography at this year's Sundance festival.

But other brilliant “aspiring” filmmakers have been discovered as well. I am delighted that the 18th Art Film Fest will give viewers the opportunity to see for themselves.

Peter Nágel, section coordinator