Editor

34th International Film Festival Rotterdam
January 26 - February 6, 2005

Ghobadi's TURTLES CAN FLY grabs Tiscali Audience Award

The International Film Festival Rotterdam 2005 concludes February 6, 2005 with a slightly increased attendance of 358.000 visits to its films, exhibitions, debates, talk shows and other festival events. The IFFR welcomed more (inter)national festival guests, reaching a number of 2,586. During the festival the Russian, Southeast Asian and Iraqi films and their filmmakers were in the centre of the audience's and media's interest. The Tiscali Audience Award went to Iranian-Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi for his TURTLES CAN FLY. The 35th International Film Festival Rotterdam takes place from Wednesday January 25 up to and including Sunday February 5, 2006.

Prior to the screening, Saturday February 5, 2005 of the IFFR 2005 Closing Night Film HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE by Miyazaki Hayao (Japan), filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi received the Euro 7,500 of the Tiscali Audience Award handed over by Patricia Spuijbroek, director of Tiscali Nederland. This film, acquired for Dutch release by A-Film Distribution, ended on top of the public polls by finally surpassing the Danish film BRODRE (BROTHERS) by Susanne Bier.

Friday night February 4, 2005 the VPRO Tiger Awards for best first or second feature in competition went to filmmakers Daniele Gaglianone (Italy, for NEMMENO IL DESTINO/CHANGING DESTINY), Ilya Khrzhanovsky (Russia, for 4) and Mercedes Alvarez (Spain, for EL CIELO GIRA/THE SKY TURNS); the TV5 Tiger Cub Awards for best short films in competition were given to Joost van Veen (The Netherlands for INTERLUDE), David Lammers (The Netherlands, for VEERE) and Thomas Köner (for NUUK). The NETPAC Award for best Asian film went to Ho Yuhang (Malaysia, for SANCTUARY), the KNF Award of the Dutch film critics was given to Pascale Breton (France, for ILLUMINATION). The FIPRESCI Award went to Whang Cheol-Mean (South Korea, for SPYING CAM).

A much debated issue became the decision of the producer of Theo van Gogh's SUBMISSION to withdraw the film from its intended screening as part of the Rotterdam Film Parliament debate for international festival guests. Sunday night January 30, 2005 Theo van Gogh's 06/05 saw its screen premiere as Opening Film of the IFFR section Dutch Perspective.

This IFFR 2005, audience polls showed a larger number of highly appreciated films than during earlier festival editions. Début feature 4 by Ilya Khrzhanovsky (Russia) became the buzz hit of the festival. Other well received first films were Ismaël Ferroukhi's LE GRAND VOYAGE (Morocco/France), Maria Blom's MASJÄVLAR/DALECARLIANS (Sweden/Denmark) and Pascale Breton's ILLUMINATION (France). Much noticed documentaries were the IFFR 2005 Opening Night Film 10E CHAMBRE (THE 10TH DISTRICT COURT) by Raymond Depardon (France), THE DEVIL'S MINER by Richard Ladkani & Kief Davidson (Germany/USA), EL CIELO GIRA (THE SKY TURNS) by Mercedes Alvares (Spain), ZIELEN VAN NAPELS (SOULS OF NAPLES) by Vincent Monnikendam (The Netherlands) en THE BAGDAD BLOGGER/SALAM PAX - VIDEO REPORTS FROM IRAQ by Salam Pax (Iraq/UK). SAN ZIMSKI NOCI (MIDWINTER NIGHT'S DREAM) by Goran Paskaljevic (Serbia and Montenegro) and DEAD MAN'S SHOES by Shane Meadows (UK), highly appreciated by both festival audience and film critics, have not yet been acquired for Dutch distribution. Internationally, the rediscovery of the work of Japanese filmmaker UCHIDA Tomu (1898-1970) through the Rotterdam screenings of seven of his films, has been labelled as sensational. Many festivals and cinematheques have showed interest in retrospective screenings.

In large numbers the festival audience interrupted their film screenings programme to visit the IFFR related exhibitions in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (exposing recent work by Artist in Focus Anri Sala), TENT., Witte de With, the Dutch foto museum and the Chabot museum. Sound Check Live, part of the IFFR section Exploding Cinema: Sound Check, became a success thanks to live performances of, among others, pioneer of minimal music Terry Riley (US) and of the Text of Light-formation featuring Sonic Youth pop band member Lee Ranaldo (US).

The Rotterdam attendance of numerous film industry professionals contributed to a highly successful and very lively 22nd CineMart. The CineMart 2005 Projects and many other festival titles were the centre of interest of a record number of more than fifty sales agents attending. The IFFR Industry Office counted a substantial increase in requests to establish contacts between filmmakers, producers and possibly interested co producers or sales agents. The IFFR remains an international 'hot ticket' for starting off the film year, for discovering films and film talent.

The IFFR organisation is looking back on a very successful and moving 2005 edition with many unforgettable moments, films, discussions and performances by filmmakers, artists and musicians. Our thanks go out to the festival audience, the festival guests, the funding bodies and sponsors, office workers and volunteers.


34th International Film Festival Rotterdam in numbers:

Total number of visits: 358,000 (2004: 355,000)

Total box office receipts: 1,250,000 Euro (2004: 1,200,000 Euro)

Number of page visits to festival website during festival period: 2,000,000 (2004: 2.800.000)

Total number of guests: 2,586 (2004: 2,435)
Total number of guests from The Netherlands: 1,087 (2004: 760)
Total number of foreign guests: 1,499 (2004: 1,675)

Total number of attending filmmakers: 467 (2004: 395)

Total number of journalists: 455 (2004: 541)
Total number of foreign journalist: 169 (2004: 236)
Total number of Dutch journalist: 286 (2004: 305)

Total number of CineMart guests: 901 (2004: 894)