On Wednesday, June 17, Romanian Days, the section dedicated to showcasing the best of contemporary national cinema, begins at the 25th Transilvania International Film Festival (June 12–21, Cluj-Napoca). Dozens of screenings, debates, and masterclasses are scheduled throughout the programme, offering audiences the opportunity to meet Romanian filmmakers and film professionals in person.
As tradition dictates at TIFF, many screenings are already expected to sell out. Among the most sought-after are the films competing in the Romanian Days competition, which features 11 feature-length titles: Bright Blue Shore (dir. Andreea Borțun), The Circle (dir. Valeriu Andriuță), So Familiar (dir. Rachel Taparjan), Round Trip (dir. Cristian Bota), Lenin’s Pawn (dir. Dragoș Turea), Y (dirs. Maria Popistașu and Alex Baciu), The Uncertainty Principle (dir. Sebastian Bădărău), Don’t Let Me Die (dir. Andrei Epure), Milk Teeth (dir. Mihai Mincan), A Safe Place (dir. Cecilia Ștefănescu), and Catane(dir. Ioana Mischie). The competition also includes 20 short films, which will be screened on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20.
Beyond the competition, audiences will find a substantial selection of recent Romanian films and co-productions, several of them premiering nationally. Highlights include Sorella di Clausura (dir. Ivana Mladenović), the latest works by Radu Jude — Diary of a Chambermaid, Dracula, and the short film Shot/Reverse Shot — as well as On Our Own (dir. Tudor Jurgiu), Atlas of the Universe (dir. Paul Negoescu), and Three Days in September (dir. Tudor Giurgiu).
Romanian Days will also feature two major retrospective events: a complete retrospective dedicated to Corneliu Porumboiu, recipient of the TIFF.25 Special Award, and a celebration marking the 25th anniversary of Stuff and Dough(dir. Cristi Puiu). On Saturday at 10:30 AM, Corneliu Porumboiu will give a masterclass open to all festivalgoers who have followed and admired his work over the years.
Meetings with filmmakers continue at TIFF Lounge in Union Square (Piața Unirii). Audiences will have the chance to meet the teams behind On Our Own, Y, Three Days in September, and Bright Blue Shore as part of the TIFF Talks series. These conversations will focus on the creative process, production challenges, and the themes that inspired each project. For many of the Romanian films in the programme, these events provide one of the first opportunities for direct dialogue with audiences.
The InspiraTIFF series will also welcome Ovidiu Schumacher (Operation Monster), Andreea Vasile, Maria Popistașu, Andi Vasluianu, and Anda Onesa, who will receive the TIFF.25 Excellence Award. Presented in a more personal format, these encounters explore the guests’ professional journeys and the defining moments of their artistic careers.
Admission to all TIFF Lounge events is free, subject to venue capacity.