microFILM

As she stands on the verge of leaving the orphanage she called home, Rebeca, a young Roma girl, clings to the hope that her father's release from prison will finally give her the family she has always longed for. When she is accepted into university to study acting, life finally seems to be opening up for her. But just as Rebeca begins to find her place in this new world, the life she comes from starts to catch up with her, forcing her to make choices she can no longer postpone.

On behalf of a multinational company, a production assistant drives around the Romanian city of Bucharest, interviewing various citizens who have been injured due to work accidents to cast one of them in a “safety at work” video.

In modern-day Transylvania, vampire hunts and labor strikes collide with sci-fi twists, romance, and AI-crafted tales, as multiple storylines blend folklore, classic horror, and contemporary elements into a fresh take on Dracula's legend.

Infidelity drama, male egos, lost dogs in Startsladden favorite Stefan Constantinescu’s arthouse gem about a man consumed by jealousy who risks losing everything while searching for the truth.

36-year-old Stela has higher education but unable to keep a job. Since she was 12, she's been in love with a Serbian musician from the former Yugoslavia. One of the musician's alleged mistresses promises Stela that she will help her meet her idol.

This deep dive into Romania's chaotic 2025 elections echoes global patterns of democratic erosion and the growth of fascist movements—with social media fueling the frenzy.

Given a portrait, who is responsible for the image we see, the painter or the subject? Ion used to be a a rockstar of Ballet in Communist Romania. When we first discussed the possibility of a portrait, Ion was initially thrilled. He’d been dreaming that someday there’d be a film about him. But during the filmmaking process Ion finds it hard to let go.

In 1981, chalk slogans written in uppercase letters started appearing in public spaces in the Romanian city of Botoşani. They demanded freedom, alluded to the democratic developments taking place in Romania’s socialist sister countries or simply called for improvements in the food supply. Mugur Călinescu was behind them, who was still at school at the time and whose case is documented in the files of the Romanian secret police. Theatre director Gianina Cărbunariu created a documentary play based on this material.

A Chilean woman, Teresa, comes into a firmly structured and isolated mountain community of Croatian shepherds in the early 20th century, claiming to be the widow of their émigré brother. Her arrival changes the dynamics between the members of the community and brings unrest, but also inspiration for other women.

Elena, a Romanian single mother in Athens, dreams of a better future and a sense of belonging she has long been denied. When she is unjustly fired, her fragile world collapses, and her long-suppressed activist spirit awakens. Determined to seek justice, she turns to Yota, a charismatic lawyer, and discovers a bond that rekindles her desire to live, to open her heart, and to raise her head with dignity. As Elena confronts systemic injustice and fights to reclaim her voice, she will have to courageously decide what matters most: her family, her ideals, or the chance to love again.

Invited by the goEast Film Festival in Wiesbaden (Germany), Radu Jude created a self-portrait. A confinement diary made of his thoughts, his relationship to cinema, his inspirations or the streets, objects and people that surround him.

A collection of 6 films made during the lockdown period in Romania.

Arsenie Boca, a priest, theologian, and mystic persecuted by the communist regime, is considered holy by many believers, although he has yet to be canonized.

Directed by four different filmmakers and produced by different production companies, these four short films share a common theme - life and death - and a common origin - all four are independent productions made with a little help from all our friends.

Restless teenager Horia takes off on his father's old motorbike in a cross-country journey to reunite with his love. On the road, he is joined by Stela, a sassy 13-year-old, and an unlikely friendship blooms.

A documentary filmmaker is filming an old Securitate officer with a hidden camera. He suspects that, 60 years ago, the officer had followed and photographed a famous monk turned civilian – a real character, now about to be sanctified. The former spy is now being spied upon, but things turn out badly.

Young theatre actress Mina struggles to play the role of scandalous 12th century poetess Mahsati Ganjavi. Urged to loosen up by her friends, she goes on a night on the town, seeking inspiration. When she meets an attractive stranger, their agendas remain hidden beneath the veneer of an Eastern fairy tale.

Punish: a reading of parts of a novel in which a military officer gives a clinical, amoral account about his role in the violent oppression of revolutionaries in 1848. Discipline: a collection of photographs of a chubby and harmless soldier at home and at work from the 1950s to the 70s.

A film composed entirely of archival photographs and documents related to the Iași Pogrom of June 1941. The first part of the film consists of photographs of the victims, accompanied by statements and testimonies about their fate. The second part, shorter, is a montage of photos of the pogrom itself.

Camil wakes up one night without a penis. The nightmare continues when his partner also disappears after meeting a former lover. Camil sets out to find her and - wearing female clothes - joins a secret community dedicated to fertility, somewhere near a lake. And what he finds there will prove even more disturbing than his recent misadventures...