Founded in 2002, Transilvania is synonymous with the Romanian new wave and its international competition focuses on first and second features.

Transilvania International Film Festival artistic director Mihai Chirilov has today announced the main competition lineup for the festival’s ninth edition, May 28–June 6.

“This year’s selection, composed exclusively of fiction features, is maybe the most diversified one in our history … [and], I hope, will captivate a public in search of emotion, diversity and originality,” Chirilov said.

Twelve titles are competing in the international competition of first and second feature films — all European with the exception of Thai director Anocha Suwichakornpong’s Rotterdam Tiger-winning Mundane History.

Founded in 2002 in Cluj, Transilvania is synonymous with the Romanian new wave, represented in competition this year by Sarajevo title First of All, Felicia. Other local films screening in the festival’s Romanian Days selection will be announced next week and will likely include Cristi Puiu’s Cannes-contender Aurora and Florin Serban’s Berlinale title If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle.

Spanish director David Sanchez Arevalo returns to Cluj with comedy Fat People, which earned Raul Arevalo the Goya Awards for Best Supporting Actor earlier this year. Arevalo’s debut feature, Dark Blue Almost Black screened in competition at Cluj in 2007.

Other competition titles have already collected a raft of festival awards. Boris Lakosz’s film Reverse received the FIPRESCI Award at last year’s Warsaw International Film Festival. Vladimir Paskaljevic’s black comedy Devil’s Town was awarded at Palm Springs and Trieste. Calin Peter Netzer’s Medal of Honor picked up five trophies at Thessaloniki. Urszula Antoniak’s Nothing Personal won six awards at Locarno.

Tribeca International Film Festival artistic director Geoffrey Gilmore, Crossing Europe Film Festival director Christine Dollhofer, Screen International journalist Martin Blaney and actress Monica Barladeanu comprise the festival’s international jury.

Main competition, 2010 Transilvania International Film Festival

Altiplano, dir. Peter Brosens, Jessica Hope Woodworth (Belgium)

Devil’s Town, dir. Vladimir Paskaljevic (Serbia)

Fat People, dir. David Sanchez Arevalo (Spain)

First of All, Felicia, dir. Razvan Radulescu, Melissa de Raaf (Romania)

Last Conversation, dir. Noud Heeskens (Netherlands)

Medal of Honor, dir. Calin Peter Netzer (Romania-Germany)

Mundane History, dir. Anocha Suwichakornpong (Thailand)

Nothing Personal, dir. Urszula Antoniak (Ireland, Netherlands)

R, dir. Tobias Lindholm, Michael Noer (Denmark)

A Rational Solution, dir. Jorgen Bergmark (Sweden)

Restless, dir. Laurent Perreau (France)

Reverse, dir. Boris Lakosz (Poland)

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