14 Features Selected for '09 Rotterdam Fest Competition

Photo by indieWIRE

Fourteen first and second feature films from directors representing all inhabited continents have been selected for the 2009 International Film Festival Rotterdam's VPRO Tiger Awards Competition line up, including eight world premieres, the festival unveiled Wednesday. There are an additional 27 short films that will screen in IFFR's Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films. Opening the fest January 21 is Michael Imperioli's debut effort, "The Hungry Ghosts," which will also take part in the feature competition section. The festival will announce its full 2009 line up January 15.

The 14 films in IFFR 2009's VPRO Tiger Awards Competition:

"At West of Pluto" (A l'ouest de Pluton) by Henri Bernadet & Myriam Verreault
(Canada, 2009), World premiere

"Be Calm and Count to Seven" (Aram bash va ta haft beshmar) by Ramtin Lavafipour
(Iran, 2008), European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film

"Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly" (Babi buta yang ingin terbang) by Edwin
(Indonesia, 2008), European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film

"Breathless" (Ddongpari) by Yang Ik-June
(South Korea, 2008), International premiere

"Dark Harbour" (Futoko) by Naito Takatsugu
(Japan, 2008), International premiere

"Dogging: A Love Story" by Simon Ellis
(United Kingdom, 2009), World premiere

"Floating in Memory" (Liu li) by Peng Tao
(China, 2009), World premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film

"The Hungry Ghosts" by Michael Imperioli
(USA, 2009), World premiere and IFFR 2009 Opening Film

"No puedo vivir sin ti" by Leon Dai
(Taiwan, 2008), International premiere

"Schottentor" by Caspar Pfaundler
(Austria, 2009), World premiere

"Sois sage" (Be Good) by Juliette Garcias
(France, Denmark, 2008), European premiere

"The Strength of Water" by Armagan Ballantyne
(New Zealand, Germany, 2008), World premiere

"Turistas" (Tourists) by Alicia Scherson
(Chile, 2009), World premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film

"Wrong Rosary" (Uzak ihtimal) by Mahmut Fazil Coskun
(Turkey, 2009), World premiere

[For more information including the festival's shorts competition line up, visit their website.]