Press Release #4/24
Opening Films & Closing Film / Tour d'Europe: Swiss Films Touring Europe / filmfriend.at: Crossing Europe Collection
01.04.2024 // Opening Films on 30 April, Closing Film on 5 May
Crossing Europe Film Festival once again opens with four films that represent the variety of the festival program through their diversity in terms of content and artistry:
With DOMAḰINSTVO ZA POČETNICI / HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS, Goran Stolevski delivers a powerful tragicomic portrait of an unconventional family and tells about being Roma as well as being queer in North Macedonia. The film (starring Anamaria Marinca and Alina Serban a.o.) premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. The Berlinale entry ELLBOGEN / ELBOW, Aslı Özarslan’s movie version of the eponymous novel by Fatma Aydemir, depicts 18-year-old Hazal’s captivating quest for identity and belonging and will be shown at the festival within the YAAAS! Competition. GERLACH is the latest work by documentary filmmaker Aliona van der Horst (NL), who is the subject of this year’s festival tribute. The film was co-directed by Luuk Bouwman. Employing a poetic cinematic language, they portray one of the last Dutch old-school farmers, who braces himself against the harassing industry. In 2023, GERLACH was awarded the IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film. The kickoff to this year’s Night Sight section is provided by Tilman Singer’s CUCKOO, which makes rising American star Hunter Schafer live through an equally absurd and stylish nightmare in front of a stereotypical Bavarian Alpine scenery. The film had its world premiere at the Berlinale. In addition, starting already in the afternoon, films from almost all program sections can be viewed. A place to exchange thoughts and celebrate together is subsequently provided by the Nightline on the OK Deck, with the popfest curators’ disco with Lisa Schneider and Markus Binder from 22:00.
On 5 May, the 21st Crossing Europe will close with another Berlinale entry and with Pia Hierzegger playing a leading role. Eva Trobisch’s IVO engages the topics of death and assisted dying at eye level while following the professional and private daily life of a palliative caregiver (Minna Wündrich). The film will have its Austrian release on 21 June (distributor: Polyfilm).
Tour d’Europe – Swiss Films Touring Europe
In co-operation with Swiss Films, this year’s European Panorama program section will feature three productions from Switzerland that have been nominated for or have won a European Film Award, by directors who have already been represented with films in the festival program in previous years: SHASHVI SHASHVI MAQ'VALI (AMSEL IM BROMBEERSTRAUCH) / BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY by Elene Naveriani, LAZZARO FELICE (GLÜCKLICH WIE LAZZARO) / HAPPY AS LAZZARO by Alice Rohrwacher and THE SOUND OF INSECTS – RECORD OF A MUMMY by the late Swiss director and Crossing Europe award winner Peter Liechti. The occasion for this "Tour d'Europe" is the 2024 ceremony of the European Film Awards, which will take place in Lucerne in December.
Crossing Europe onfilmfriend.at: Extended VOD collection
The Crossing Europe collection on filmfriend.at, the streaming platform for libraries, has once again been expanded with works from previous festival years and now includes more than 40 feature and documentary films. From 10 April, selected films by renowned Czech documentary filmmaker Helena Třeštíková (Tribute CE16) will also be available on the site. In cooperation with the Linz City Library.
The entire festival program will be presented at the program press conference on 18 April and will be available online from 19 April. Ticket sales start on 22 April. Accreditation closes on 3 April.
The logo, festival motif and press photos are available as usual on our website.
Crossing Europe Film Festival once again opens with four films that represent the variety of the festival program through their diversity in terms of content and artistry:
With DOMAḰINSTVO ZA POČETNICI / HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS, Goran Stolevski delivers a powerful tragicomic portrait of an unconventional family and tells about being Roma as well as being queer in North Macedonia. The film (starring Anamaria Marinca and Alina Serban a.o.) premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. The Berlinale entry ELLBOGEN / ELBOW, Aslı Özarslan’s movie version of the eponymous novel by Fatma Aydemir, depicts 18-year-old Hazal’s captivating quest for identity and belonging and will be shown at the festival within the YAAAS! Competition. GERLACH is the latest work by documentary filmmaker Aliona van der Horst (NL), who is the subject of this year’s festival tribute. The film was co-directed by Luuk Bouwman. Employing a poetic cinematic language, they portray one of the last Dutch old-school farmers, who braces himself against the harassing industry. In 2023, GERLACH was awarded the IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film. The kickoff to this year’s Night Sight section is provided by Tilman Singer’s CUCKOO, which makes rising American star Hunter Schafer live through an equally absurd and stylish nightmare in front of a stereotypical Bavarian Alpine scenery. The film had its world premiere at the Berlinale. In addition, starting already in the afternoon, films from almost all program sections can be viewed. A place to exchange thoughts and celebrate together is subsequently provided by the Nightline on the OK Deck, with the popfest curators’ disco with Lisa Schneider and Markus Binder from 22:00.
On 5 May, the 21st Crossing Europe will close with another Berlinale entry and with Pia Hierzegger playing a leading role. Eva Trobisch’s IVO engages the topics of death and assisted dying at eye level while following the professional and private daily life of a palliative caregiver (Minna Wündrich). The film will have its Austrian release on 21 June (distributor: Polyfilm).
Tour d’Europe – Swiss Films Touring Europe
In co-operation with Swiss Films, this year’s European Panorama program section will feature three productions from Switzerland that have been nominated for or have won a European Film Award, by directors who have already been represented with films in the festival program in previous years: SHASHVI SHASHVI MAQ'VALI (AMSEL IM BROMBEERSTRAUCH) / BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY by Elene Naveriani, LAZZARO FELICE (GLÜCKLICH WIE LAZZARO) / HAPPY AS LAZZARO by Alice Rohrwacher and THE SOUND OF INSECTS – RECORD OF A MUMMY by the late Swiss director and Crossing Europe award winner Peter Liechti. The occasion for this "Tour d'Europe" is the 2024 ceremony of the European Film Awards, which will take place in Lucerne in December.
Crossing Europe onfilmfriend.at: Extended VOD collection
The Crossing Europe collection on filmfriend.at, the streaming platform for libraries, has once again been expanded with works from previous festival years and now includes more than 40 feature and documentary films. From 10 April, selected films by renowned Czech documentary filmmaker Helena Třeštíková (Tribute CE16) will also be available on the site. In cooperation with the Linz City Library.
The entire festival program will be presented at the program press conference on 18 April and will be available online from 19 April. Ticket sales start on 22 April. Accreditation closes on 3 April.
The logo, festival motif and press photos are available as usual on our website.
