AFI 2018 European Union Film Showcase Lineup Opens With Poland's Cold War, Closes With UK Biopic Stan & Ollie
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- Category: Entertainment News
- Published on Thursday, 01 November 2018 08:09
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The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center announced today the complete slate of films for the 2018 AFI European Union Film Showcase, taking place November 30–December 19 at the American Film Institute’s historic theater in Silver Spring, MD.
Now in its 31st year, the Showcase highlights 49 films representing 25 EU member states, including award winners, regional box-office hits, debut works by up-and-coming talents and new works by leading auteurs, plus 12 of the top contenders for this year's Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film and eight U.S. premieres, including Oscar®-winning director Paolo Sorrentino's highly anticipated Berlusconi biopic LORO (Italy) and Benoît Jacquot's Berlin-premiered psychological thriller EVA (France), starring Isabelle Huppert and Gaspard Ulliel.
This year's AFI European Union Film Showcase opens on November 30 with COLD WAR (Poland), the stunning, black-and-white, 1950s-set romance from Oscar®-winning director Paweł Pawlikowski (IDA). The Closing Night selection is Scottish director Jon S. Baird's Laurel and Hardy biopic STAN & OLLIE (UK), starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as the beloved comedy duo. Special presentations include two-time Oscar®-winning director Asghar Farhadi's Spain-set thriller EVERYBODY KNOWS (Spain), starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem; off-the-wall critical hit DIAMANTINO (Portugal), winner of the Critics' Week Grand Prize (and Palm Dog Jury Prize) at this year's Cannes Film Festival; and the U.S. premiere of actress-director Paprika Steen's Toronto-debuted family dramedy THAT TIME OF YEAR (Denmark).
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Among the 12 official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar® submissions showcased this year are multi-award-winning coming-of-age drama GIRL (Belgium), winner of the Camera d'Or, FIPRESCI, Best Actor and Queer Palm awards at this year's Cannes Film Festival; Ruth Beckermann's engrossing documentary THE WALDHEIM WALTZ (Austria), winner of the Glashütte Original Documentary Award at this year's Berlinale; NEVER LOOK AWAY (Germany), Oscar®-winning director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's first German-language film since 2007's THE LIVES OF OTHERS; and Rada Jude's powerful political satire I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS (Romania), winner of the Crystal Globe for Best Film at the 2018 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
This year's Showcase also presents an abundance of new works from some of Europe's best-known filmmakers, including Olivier Assayas' whip smart dramedy NON-FICTION (France), starring Juliette Binoche and Guillaume Canet; Christian Petzold's stirring refugee drama TRANSIT; EUPHORIA, the sophomore feature from Italian actress-turned-director Valeria Golino; Christophe Honoré's powerful '90s-set gay romance SORRY ANGEL (France); Małgorzata Szumowska's dark comedy MUG (Poland), winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at this year's Berlinale; and Matteo Garrone's powerful Cannes-debuted drama DOGMAN, Italy's official Oscar® submission.
Complete list of 2018 Oscar® submissions for Best Foreign Language Film:
DOGMAN (DIR Matteo Garrone, Italy)
COLD WAR (DIR Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland) – Opening Night
GIRL (DIR Lukas Dhont, Belgium)
I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS (DIR Radu Jude, Romania)
OMNIPRESENT (DIR Ilian Djevelekov, Bulgaria)
EUTHANIZER (DIR Teemu Nikki, Finland)
NEVER LOOK AWAY (DIR Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Germany)
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT (DIR Liina Trishkina, Estonia)
THE EIGHTH COMMISSIONER (DIR Ivan Salaj, Croatia)
THE INTERPRETER (DIR Martin Sulík, Slovakia)
THE WALDHEIM WALTZ (DIR Ruth Beckermann, Austria)
WINTER FLIES (DIR Olmo Omerzu, Czech Republic)
Complete list of U.S. Premieres:
ANGELO (DIR Markus Schleinzer, Austria)
ANGEL (DIR Koen Mortier, Belgium)
DISTANCES (DIR Elena Trapé, Spain)
EVA (DIR Benoît Jacquot, France)
LORO (DIR Paolo Sorrentino, Italy)
LUCIA'S GRACE (DIR Gianni Zanasi, Italy)
THAT TIME OF YEAR (DIR Paprika Steen, Denmark)
WINTER FLIES (DIR Olmo Omerzu, Czech Republic)
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Complete list of Special Presentations:
BLACK '47 (DIR Lance Daly, Ireland)
COLD WAR (DIR Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland) – Opening Night
DIAMANTINO (DIR Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt, Portugal)
DISTANCES (DIR Elena Trapé, Spain)
DOGMAN (DIR Matteo Garrone, Italy)
EUPHORIA (DIR Valeria Golino, Italy)
EVERYBODY KNOWS (DIR Asghar Farhadi, Spain)
GIRL (DIR Lukas Dhont, Belgium)
HOMO NOVUS (DIR Anna Viduleja, Latvia)
I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS (DIR Radu Jude, Romania)
NON-FICTION (DIR Olivier Assayas, France)
PITY (DIR Babis Makridis, Greece)
STAN & OLLIE (DIR Jon S. Baird, UK) – Closing Night
THAT TIME OF YEAR (DIR Paprika Steen, Denmark)
TRANSIT (DIR Christian Petzold, Germany)
The complete lineup is below. For photos, contact Abbie Algar at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For updated information and tickets, go to AFI.com/Silver/EUShowcase.
