WED, January 5 - TUE, January 18 I Film Forum, 209 W Houston St. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at 2010 Berlin Film Fest, IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE opens at Film Forum for an exclusive NYC run Romania's official entry into this year's Oscar competition for Best Foreign Language Film and a prize-winner in Berlin, IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE, directed by Florin Serban, will have its U.S. theatrical premiere on January 5 at Film Forum, for a two-week run. "A lean, subtle take on the young-man-in-prison genre" (Jay Weissberg, Variety), the film is the feature debut of director Florin Serban. With RCINY support, director Florin Serban and playwright Andreea Valean, on whose play the film is based, will be in attendance at the 8 pm show on January 5. Join them starting 10 pm for the film's opening party at VYNE Bar & Restaurant (82 W 3rd St.).
OPENING RECEPTION: FRI, January 7, 6-8 pm (open thru February 12) / Lombard Freid Projects, 518 19th St. LAND DISTRIBUTION: Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor's new solo show at Lombard Freid Projects The work of the Romanian collaborative duo is a subtle yet astute reflection on recent global developments, transitions of power, corrupt social and political ideals and the perverse nature of ideology in its numerous manifestations. 'Land Distribution,' their second solo show at Lombard Freid Projects, explores "how a failed 1950s socialist concept of equality and distribution of wealth has been hijacked after the fall of the iron curtain in Central and Eastern Europe by the former apparatchiks." The artists' participation to the exhibition opening on Friday, January 7, from 6-8 pm, is made possible with RCINY support.
January 6-17 I Palm Springs International Film Festival, CA Palm Springs International Film Festival presents HELLO! HOW ARE YOU? & IF / WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE Following its U.S. theatrical premiere on January 5, Florin Serban's IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE will travel West to the Palm Springs Int'l Film Festival, in the Awards Buzz: Best Foreign Language Film category. The festival's New Voices/ New Visions program features the U.S. Premiere of another surprising Romanian feature debut: Alexandru Maftei's HELLO! HOW ARE YOU?, a romantic comedy about a husband and wife who fall in love via the internet, hiding their true identities. Directors Alexandru Maftei and Florin Serban, and actress Dana Voicu (HELLO! HOW ARE YOU?), will join the screenings for Q&A, with the support of RCINY. The important Romanian presence at PSIFF will also benefit from the participation of film critic Mihai Chirilov to this year's FIPRESCI Jury, and of RCINY director Corina Suteu.
January 8-22 I Movement Research at Eden's Expressway MOVING DIALOGUE II: Ana Catalina Gubandru and Valentina De Piante Niculae joins the Bucharest/New York Dance Exchange The Bucharest/New York Dance Exchange that kicked off in October 2010 in NYC continues this January with the NYC residence of Romanian dancers and choreographers Ana Catalina Gubandru and Valentina De Piante Niculae. The residence will allow the two artists to take part to Movement Research's MELT Intensive, the renowned NYC series of contemporary dance workshops with internationally recognized choreographers, and to explore the NYC dance scene. Moving Dialogue is an exchange presented by Movement Research, RCINY, National Dance Center Bucharest, Dance Theater Workshop and Gabriela Tudor Foundation, with additional support from the Trust for Mutual Understanding, continuing through 2011.
MON, January 10, 4-6 pm / Open Society Foundations, 400 West 59th St. Panel Discussion closes "Serbia: Frequently Asked Questions" The Open Society Foundations and EUNIC USA in New York invite you to join us for Serbia@Europe, a panel discussion marking the closing of the Serbia: Frequently Asked Questions project. The panel, featuring Milena Dragicevic-Sesic, Aleksandra Jovicevic, Dubravka Ugresic, and Pavle Levi, will examine the important role culture and arts have played in the Balkans since the beginning of the wars in 1991 up to the present day. The panel will also use the 'Serbia: Frequently Asked Questions' exhibit, currently on show at the Austrian Cultural Forum, to examine how the wider Balkan region is reconstructing cultural space while advancing toward the European Union.
January 20-30 I Sundance Film Festival, Park City & Salt Lake City, UT Ioana Uricaru's STOPOVER at Sundance Film Festival Ioana Uricaru's recent short film STOPOVER starring Monica Barladeanu and Damian Draghici has been selected by the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. The film will enjoy no less than five screenings in the framework of the International Narrative Shorts competition category. With RCINY's support, director Ioana Uricaru will take part in the festival and meet the Sundance audiences.
DON'T MISS
[FRI, Jan 7, 8 pm] Sanda Weigl at the APAP Showcase at 92Y Tribeca, NYC
[SAT, Jan 19 - WED, March 26] Dan Perjovschi featured in the Project Europa group exhibition at Columbia University's Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, NYC
[Through Jan 15] RCI presents "Badly Happy: Pain, Pleasure and Panic in Recent Romanian Art" & "As Far As I Can Tape" group exhibitions at the Performance Art Institute San Francisco, CA
[Through Feb 4] Alex Mirutziu Solo Show at Mihai Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
