Dior And I will open the World Documentary Competition |
The Festival announced that fashion flick Dior and I will screen as opening night for the World Documentary competition, Rory Culkin starrer Gabriel will open the World Narrative competition, and Onur Tukel's dark comedy vampire movie Summer Of Blood will open the Viewpoints section. All three titles will have their world premiere on April 17.
Among the UK films in the line-up are the world premieres of documentaries Garnet's Gold and Virunga. Ed Perkins' Garnet's Gold tells the story of a man whose near-death experience in a Scottish loch led him on a treasure hunt, while Virunga, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, considers the plight of Africa's oldest national park and the mountain gorillas that live there.
The UK and Ireland are also represented in the Viewpoints section, with David Mackenzie's prison drama Starred Up making its US premiere. Irish film The Stag - retitled The Bachelor Weekend for the American market - about comic capers on a stag weekend, directed by John Butler, will also make its US debut
Artistic director Frederic Boyer said: “Variously inspired by individual interests and experience and driven by an intense sensibility of style, the array of new filmmaking voices in this year’s competition is especially impressive and I think memorable.
"The range of American subcultures and international genres represented here are both eclectic and wide reaching.”
Director of programming Genna Terranova added: “This year's Viewpoints section resonates with voices that are distinctive and vital. I believe that these filmmakers push cinematic boundaries and ensure a bright and dynamic future for independent storytelling.”
The 2014 film selection includes feature films from 32 countries, including 55 world premieres, six international premieres, 12 North American premieres, nine US premieres and five New York premieres. A total of 102 directors will present feature works at the Festival, with 37 of these filmmakers making their feature directorial debuts. Among these directors, 22 are women. The 2014 film slate was chosen from a total of 6,117 submissions.
The competition films will compete for cash prizes totaling $215,000 (£129,000), as well as artwork from the Artists Awards programme.
Read the line-up by strand:
World Narrative Feature Competition
World Documentary Feature Competition