The 46th Rotterdam International Film Festival 2017
#1 Rotterdam, the Netherlands
In Europe there is a film festival in which many big directors love to participate. This year IFFR or International Film Festival in Rotterdam will be held from from January 25 to February 5. Here, so many excellent films will be screened from all over the world. You will never see a flashy red carpet in IFFR, but there is a very special air that makes IFFR stand out.
When you arrive at the Rotterdam Central Station, You will see a big round tiger ball. In 5 minutes on foot from the station, you will arrive at IFFR’s main venue, called de Doelen. You will never miss the tiger lights at its entrance.
Inside there is a fashionable cafe waiting for you. Here, many directors and entertainment officials eat lunch or have coffee. The atmosphere is very relaxing. There is a movie theatre in de Doelen and you can enjoy some live performances or spot celebrities in disguise. Before the movie starts, some directors and actors arrive at the photo-call. They go up to the stage, introduce the movie, watch it with you, and answer to your questions afterwards. This is awesome!
There are night dance activities held almost every night. The Netherlands are well-known for electronic dance music, so if you are lucky, you may end up listening to a live DJ at night.
#2 Around IFFR
“There is something special about the movie-going experience.” This is the first line you see in the opening of this year’s IFFR catalog. It explains that if we take our seats without prejudice or distraction, and with an open mind, we can truly experience the filmmakers’ unique points of view and visions of the human universe, which can move us emotionally and intellectually in many different ways. Behind this Planet IFFR statement and the 46th edition of the festival is the general director Mr. Bero Beyer. This will be his second year to take a leadership at the festiaval. It is not difficult to spot him, since he is always on the go, busily moving around de Doelen. His passion for film is notable as he makes sure many artistic, creative, and rare movies and directors come to IFFR and experience cinema.
Under this year’s programs, there are quite impressive master classes held during the festival. Director Barry Jenkins is a rising director whom you can spot very well from far away. His second and very emotional feature film “Moonlight” received many awards including Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama. In IFFR, he gave a masterclass and talked about his vision and the challenges of filmmaking.
Also, after the movie “Jackie”, IFFR held an event called “Mini College” to examine the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK’s murder by the USA expert Mr. Willem Post (photo). There are more events such as Cinemart and VR Days.
The audience of IFFR is not only limited to filmmakers and the general public. There was a royal family visit, and even government officials pop up sometimes. On January 30, there was a signing ceremony of the Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production. The Convention was to safeguard creation and freedom of expression and defend diversity in films. It was designed to provide legal and financial framework for producers of different countries wishing to cooperate on the production of a film. We like especially that IFFR tries to protect the freedom of expression, which is often difficult in many countries today.
We find it very cool to watch the documentary film “Scopitone Café” while seating in a café style foyer. After the screenings there was a talk and of course, drinks.
#3 News
The 2017 IFFR Awards Ceremony was held on February 3. Director Sanal Kuma Sasidharan’s “Sexy Durga” won the Hivos Tiger Competition Award and Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” won the Warsteiner Audience Award.
The 46th edition of IFFR finished with mix of old and new jazzy sounds by DJ Quame (Sublime FM) and Dance Dance Dance, a dance the night away party. We left Rotterdam On Feb. 5, with a warm feeling again.
MovieGa 素敵な映画人 