Bratislava International Film Festival Kicks Off Nov. 4

MOSCOW– The 13thedition of the International Film Festival Bratislava is to kick off in the Slovak capital on Nov. 4.

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The festival is to have three competition sections: for directors’ first and second features, for documentaries and for shorts.

Vojtech Kabath, the festival’s executive director, told The Hollywood Reporter that the event defines itself as an “urban style festival” and aims to feature a combination of films that have already been successful on the festival circuit and those made by new talent. “The mix of films should represent all regions of world,” he added.

Among the highlights of the feature section are the minimalist Argentine/Spanish road movie Las Acacias, directed by Pablo Giorgelli, the French youth drama 17 filles (17 Girls) by Delphine & Muriel Coulin and the Argentine/Canadian/Brazilian/French co-production Otros Silencios (Another Silence) by Santiago Amigorena and Gise Memuru (Toll Booth), a story about a quiet and introverted toll booth clerk from Turkish director Tolga Karacelik.

The documentary competition features, among others, Philip Cox’ U.S./U.K./Indian co-production The Bengali Detective, Gnarr by Iceland’s Gaukur Ulfarsson and El velador (The Night Watchman) by Mexico’s Natalia Almada.

“The non-competition section 'Made in Slovakia' [covers] the latest year’s films made in all genres and formats, offering foreign film professionals an opportunity to get the idea of what the Slovak cinema is like,” Kabath said.

“In 2011, the festival program incorporated two new sections – ‘Antidepresants’ and Stories,” he went on to say. “‘Antidepresants’ is focused on films with positive attitudes - not necessarily comedies, but at least those trying to offer some solutions [as opposed to] the overflow of dark, pessimistic and psychological dramas. ‘Stories’ features films with strong plots, overlapping formats and genres.”

The winners in all competition sections will be announced at the award ceremony on Nov. 9.