Panorama Europe Film Festival Returns for its Seventh Year,

with a Slate of Sixteen Outstanding New Movies

FESTIVAL to Run from May 29 – June 14, 2015 at Museum of the Moving Image and Bohemian National Hall

Festival Kick-Off Event and Party at Tribeca Cinemas on Thursday, May 28

Panorama Europe 2015, the seventh edition of this vital festival of new European cinema (formerly known as Disappearing Act), presented by Museum of the Moving Image and the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), returns to the Museum and the Bohemian National Hall with a slate of sixteen new features from May 29 through June 14.

The opening weekend includes special screenings of GODS (Poland, 2014), with director Lukasz Palkowski in person on Friday, May 29, and BOTA(THE WORLD) (Albania, 2014), with co-director Iris Elezi in person, on Sunday, May 31. Both screenings will be followed by conversations with the filmmakers, and receptions. Other festival titles include films from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Spain.

The festival informally kicks off on Thursday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. with a screening of short European films at Tribeca Cinemas, followed by a party, as part of the NY Portuguese Short Film Festival (NYPSFF).

The Closing Night film is Bas Devos’s award-winning VIOLET (Belgium, 2014), which screened as part of this year’s New Directors/New Films series. The screening will be preceded by live musc by the Flemish band St. Grandson in the Museum’s courtyard and followed by a reception.
The festival continues its mission of showcasing the best in European filmmaking by introducing a wide-ranging selection of contemporary cinema in varying genres that cover many current social and cultural themes. Panorama Europe offers New York audiences what may be their only chance to see these acclaimed films on the big screen. Some of the highlights of this year’s edition include Petr Václav’s 2015 Czech Lion best film THE WAY OUT, Panos H. Koutras’s multiple award-winning XENIA (Greece), Virág Zomborácz’s AFTERLIFE (Hungary), Ignas Jonynas’s THE GAMBLER (Lithuania), with star Oona Mekas attending, and BREATHE (RESPIRE) (France), the sophomore feature directed by the actress Mélanie Laurent (INGLORIOUSBASTERDS , BEGINNERS).

The full lineup of Panorama Europe 2015:

Bota (The World), Albania, Dir. Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci / Opening Weekend Film & Reception
Gods, Poland, Dir. Lukasz Palkowski / Opening Weekend Film & Reception
Violet, Belgium, Dir. Bas Devos / Closing Night Film & Reception
Afterlife, Hungary, Dir. Virág Zomborácz
Age of Cannibals, Germany, Dir. Johannes Naber
Breathe, France, Dir. Mélanie Laurent
Cowboys, Croatia, Dir. Tomislav Mrsic
The Gambler, Lithuania, Dir. Ignas Jonynas
I Can Quit Whenever I Want, Italy, Dir. Sydney Sibilia
In the Basement, Austria. Dir. Ulrich Seidel and the short film Exterior Extended
In the Crosswind, Estonia, Dir. Martti Helde
Magical Girl, Spain, Dir. Carlos Vermut
The Tree, Slovenia, Dir. Sonja Prosenc
The Unexpected Life, Spain, Dir. Jorge Torregrossa
The Way Out, Czech Republic, Dir. Petr Václav
Xenia, Greece, Dir. Panos H. Koutras

OPENING WEEKEND FILM

Gods

With Lukasz Palkowski in person, followed by reception
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 7:00 P.M.
Poland. Dir. Lukasz Palkowski. 2014, 120 mins. With Tomasz Kot, Piotr Glowacki, Szymon Piotr Warszawski. This enormously entertaining biopic chronicles the groundbreaking work of Zbigniew Religa, the pioneering Polish surgeon who defied the Communist bureaucracy of the 1980s to perform the country’s first heart transplant. Told with wit, verve, and a fastidious attention to period detail, Gods is an engrossing portrait of a larger-than-life personality.

Afterlife

SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2:00 P.M.
Also showing: Thursday, June 4, 7:00 p.m. at Bohemian National Hall
Hungary. Dir. Virág Zomborácz. 2014, 93 mins. With Márton Kristóf, László Gálffi, Eszter Csákányi. A pastor and son with a strained relationship get a shot at reconciliation—after the older man’s unexpected death. Part tender coming-of-age tale, part darkly comic ghost story, Afterlife is a surprising, poignant fable from one of the most distinctive new voices in Hungarian cinema.

The Tree

SATURDAY, MAY 30, 4:00 P.M.
Slovenia. Dir. Sonja Prosenc. 2014, 90 mins. With Katarina Stegnar, Jernej Kogovsek, Lukas Matija. A mother and her two sons live as prisoners in their own home. But what is it about the outside world they fear? Told from three points of view, a riveting family tragedy gradually reveals itself in this acclaimed Slovenian chamber drama, which masterfully maintains an air of steadily mounting tension.

I Can Quit Whenever I Want

SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2:00 P.M.
Italy. Dir. Sydney Sibilia. 2014, 100 mins. With Edoardo Leo, Valeria Solarino, Valerio Aprea. A group of underemployed academics hope to earn quick cash by entering the drug racket. But when their new designer drug turns out to be all the rage, can they handle the success? One of the funniest Italian comedies in years, this ultra-entertaining box office smash plays like Breaking Bad meets Reservoir Dogs.

Xenia

SUNDAY, MAY 31, 4:00 P.M.
Greece. Dir. Panos H. Koutras. 2014, 128 mins. With Kostas Nikouli, Nikos Gelia, Aggelos Papadimitriou. A gay teen and his older brother journey across Greece in search of their estranged father in this alternately surreal and stirring road movie. Juxtaposing the realities of present-day Greece with imaginative slips into dream logic, this bold coming-of-age saga swept this year’s Hellenic Film Academy Awards, winning Best Picture and six other awards.

OPENING WEEKEND FILM

Bota (The World)

With co-director Iris Elezi in person; followed by reception
SUNDAY, MAY 31, 7:00 P.M.
Albania. Dir. Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci. 2014, 104 mins. With Flonja Kodheli, Artur Gorishti, Fioralba Kryemadhi. The intersecting lives of three people working at an offbeat café in a small village form a captivating portrait of modern day Albania in this poetic drama, which confronts a particularly troubling chapter of the country’s Communist past.

The Way Out

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 7:00 P.M.
Also showing: Tuesday, June 2, 7:00 p.m. at Bohemian National Hall
Czech Republic/France. Dir. Petr Václav. 2014, 102 mins. With Klaudia Dudová, David Ištok, Sára Makulová. The Way Out follows a young Romany woman who perseveres in the face of anti-gypsy racism to find steady employment. This heartrending drama, shown in competition at Cannes, is rendered with admirable understatement and an almost documentary-like realism. The Way Out, winner of the Czech Film Critics Award,
was named Best Film at the Czech Lion awards. New York Premiere.

Cowboys

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2:00 P.M.
Croatia. Dir. Tomislav Mrsic. 2013, 107 mins. With Sasa Anocic, Zivko Anocic, Matija Antolic. The Wild West and Eastern Europe collide in this infectious Croatian comedy, in which a prominent theater director mounts a hilariously bizarre cowboy musical in a bleak industrial town. Croatia’s Academy Awards entry for Best Foreign Language Film “is a nifty blend of social drama and absurdist comedy” (Variety).

In the Crosswind

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2:00 P.M.
Estonia. Dir. Martti Helde. 2014, 87 mins. With Ingrid Isotamm, Laura Peterson, Mirt Preegel, Einar Hillep, Tarmo Song. This startlingly original “landmark film” (The Hollywood Reporter) recounts one woman’s harrowing, true-life tale of survival in the midst of Stalin’s ethnic cleansing of the Baltic region. Told via stunning, monochrome tableaux vivants that freeze characters in time and space, In the Crosswind is both a visually and emotionally overwhelming experience.

The Gambler

With actress Oona Mekas in person
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 4:00 P.M.
Lithuania. Dir. Ignas Jonynas. 2013, 109 mins. With Vytautas Kaniusonis, Oona Mekas, Rimas Blockis. This twisted, ultra-stylish thriller serves up a shocking premise: Vincentas, a paramedic with a gambling addiction, collects big time when he starts taking bets on whether his patients live or die. As the scheme spreads throughout the hospital, Vincentas begins raking in the money—but has he sold his soul? The Gambler is a noirish plunge into the darkest depths of amorality, and was Lithuania’s Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language film.

In the Basement

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 7:00 P.M.
Austria. Dir. Ulrich Seidl. 2014, 85 mins. With Fritz Lang, Alfreda Klebinger, Manfred Ellinger. Best known for his “Paradise” narrative trilogy, Seidl returns to the documentary form by visiting the basements of middle-class Austrians to share the odd, disturbing, and touching findings in these intimate private spaces. Preceded by Exterior Extended (Austria. Dir. Siegfried A. Fruhauf. 2013, 8 mins. 35mm).

Breathe (Respire)

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2:00 P.M.
France. Dir. Mélanie Laurent. 2014, 91 mins. With Joséphine Japy, Lou de Laâge, Isabelle Carré. Two teenage girls’ seemingly perfect friendship turns toxic in this gripping sophomore feature from actress-turned-director Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds, Beginners). Boasting standout, César Award-nominated performances from its lead actresses, Respire captures the turbulence of the adolescent years with raw emotional honesty.

The Unexpected Life

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 4:00 P.M.
Spain. Dir. Jorge Torregrossa. 2014, 107 mins. With Javier Cámara, Raúl Arévalo, Tammy Blanchard. An actor and Spanish ex-pat living in Manhattan bonds with his more conventional cousin in this bittersweet comedy. A charming valentine to New York City, The Unexpected Life offers wise and witty insights into what it means to be a foreigner in a new country.

Magical Girl

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 12:00 P.M.
Spain. Dir. Carlos Vermut, 2014, 127 mins. With Marina Andruix, Julio Arrojo, Luis Bermejo. This mind-bending neo-noir begins as a tale of a father desperate to fulfill his dying daughter's last wish: to own an extravagantly expensive dress from her favorite Japanese anime. The lengths to which he goes to secure the garment lead him down a rabbit hole of depravity. The film won the Golden Shell award for Best Film and the Silver Shell for Best Director at the 62nd International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain.

Age of Cannibals

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 3:00 P.M.
Also showing: Tuesday, June 9, 7:00 p.m. at Bohemian National Hall
Germany. Dir. Johannes Naber. 2014, 93 mins. With Sebastian Blomberg, Devid Striesow, Katharina Schüttler. Passed over for a promotion, two slimy international business consultants head for a breakdown of epic proportions in this scorching satire of capitalism at its dirtiest. Propelled by tour-de-force performances, Age of Cannibals goes to extremes to expose the dehumanizing effects of the corporate rat race. The film won multiple German Film Critics Awards, including Best Feature Film, among others.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Violet

Preceded by live music by the Flemish band St. Grandson in the Museum Courtyard (5.45 – 6:45 pm )
Followed by reception offered by The General Representation of the Government of Flanders to the U.S.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 7:00 P.M.
Belgium. Dir. Bas Devos. 2014, 82 mins. With César De Sutter, Raf Walschaerts, Mira Helmer. This “intensely stylized, highly original and utterly mesmerizing” (Variety) film viscerally evokes the disorientation of grief as a troubled teen deals with the emotional fallout of witnessing his friend’s murder. Stunningly shot partly in 65mm, Violet favorably recalls Gus Van Sant’s portraits of teenage angst as it builds towards a heart-stopping climax.

For more information and to order tickets, visit http://www.movingimage.us/panorama-europe

PRESENTED IN CONJUNCTION
WITH EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO EXHIBITION
***

A tribute to the great Mexican cinematographer GABRIEL FIGUEROA (1907-1997) will run at Film Forum from Friday, June 5 through Thursday, June 18.

The two-week, 19-film retrospective is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “UNDER THE MEXICAN SKY: GABRIEL FIGUEROA – ART AND FILM,” now on view at El Museo del Barrio (1230 Fifth Avenue at 104 Street) through June 27.

Other national cinemas like Italy and Japan had a Big Three, but they were always directors. Mexico alone had a Big Four: stars Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río, director Emilio Fernández, and Director of Photography Figueroa. Influenced by Eisenstein’s ¡Que Viva México!, and taught byCitizen Kane’s Gregg Toland, Figueroa worked with every luminary at home — including directors Fernández, Roberto Gavaldón, and Luis Buñuel— and internationally with John Huston, John Ford, Don Siegel, and Clint Eastwood. Often counted as Mexico’s fourth great muralist along with Rivera, Siqueiros, and Orozco, Figueroa was nominated for the Ariel Award (Mexico’s Oscars) for Best Cinematography every year from 1946 to 1954, 11 nominations overall, winning 7 times (once against himself). No cameraman has ever dominated a national cinema as he did or created so majestic and instantly recognizable an image of it.

The series kicks off June 5 with Enamorada, often called “the Gone with the Wind of Mexican cinema.” A “deliriously romantic re-working ofThe Taming of the Shrew” (Time Out) set during the Mexican Revolution, it stars Armendáriz as a general who starts to shake down the rich after taking the town of Cholul, but then falls for a staunch conservative’s spitfire daughter, played by Mexican diva María Félix. Enamorada swept the Ariels, winning for Best Film, Director, Actress, Editing, and Figueroa’s cinematography.

Among the many highlights in the series are Figueroa’s collaborations with director Emilio Fernández, including:

Wildflower, the first collaboration of the “Big Four,” with Armendáriz as a landowner who makes a desperate sacrifice for the love of idealistic peasant girl del Río.
·Victims of Sin, the Film Noir soap opera musical starring Cuban rumba legend Ninón Sevilla. The screening will be introduced by Eddie Muller, author and founder of Film Noir Foundation.
·María Candelaria, the co-Grand Prize winner and Best Cinematography prize to Figueroa at Cannes, starring Armendáriz and del Río in the title role.
·Salón México, with Marga López sexily dancing up a storm to support her younger sister.
·The Pearl, based on the John Steinbeck novel and shot by Figueroa on Mexico’s Pacific coast, with Armendáriz as a down-on-his-luck diver who happens upon the biggest pearl he’s ever seen.
Pueblerina, the last of Fernández’ films about village life.
Río Escondido, starring Félix as a dedicated schoolteacher who faces a rape attempt, shooting and peasant revolt as she fights to bring education to a remote Mexican village.

Figueroa’s prolific international work is represented as well, including John Ford’s The Fugitive, starring Henry Fonda as the last priest in an anti-clerical state pursued by Armendáriz’s nationalistic priest killer - one of Ford’s personal favorites; Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine on the run in Don Seigel’s Two Mules for Sister Sara; and two by John Huston: Under the Volcano, with Albert Finney, and The Night of the Iguana, Figueroa’s only Oscar nomination, photographed in Puerto Vallarta with Richard Burton as the object of desire for Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, and Sue Lyon.

The festival also includes Buñuel masterworks Los Olvidados and Nazarín; Mexican Film Noir Another Dawn; Pedro Páramo, starring half-Mexican Psychostar John Gavin (later the U.S. ambassador to Mexico); and three films directed by the great Roberto Gavaldón: Autumn Days, Rosa Blanca(based on a novel by Treasure of the Sierra Madreauthor B. Traven), and Macario, the first Mexican film ever to be nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award.

All films will be screened in 35mm (except María Candelaria, which will be shown in 16mm).

The GABRIEL FIGUEROA retrospective is presented in association with FUNDACIÓN TELEVISA, EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO, CINEMA TROPICAL, and THE MEXICAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK, with the support of FILMOTECA DE LA UNAM, THE MEXICAN AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION, and the CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO IN NEW YORK.