Seven first features in competition including Sweden’s Eat Sleep Die [pictured].

The International Film Critics’ Week line-up for the Venice International Film Festival was unveiled today in Rome. This is the 27th edition of Critics’ Week, presented by the Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) and the Venice Biennale.

There are seven features selected for competition, all feature debuts; alongside two special-event screenings.

The programme will open Aug 29 with out of competition screening of the Israel/Palestine-French co-production omnibus Water from directors Nir Sa’ar, Maya Sarfaty, Mohammad Fuad, Yona Rozenkier, Mohammad Bakri, Ahmad Bargouthi, Pini Tavger, and Tal Haring. 

The closing film out of competition will be Xan Cassavetes’ vampire story Kiss of the Damned from the US.

The seven films in competition are:

  • Eat Sleep Die (Ata Sova Do) by Gabriela Pichler (Sweden) [pictured]
  • The Ideal City (La Citta Ideale) by Luigi Lo Cascio (Italy)
  • Mold (Kuf) by Ali Aydin (Turkey/Germany)
  • A Month in Thailand (O Luna In Thailandia) by Paul Neogescu (Romania)
  • She Doesn’t Want to Sleep Alone (No Quiero Dormir Sola) by Natalia Beristain (Mexico)
  • Welcome Home by Tom Heene (Belgium)
  • Lotus (Xiao He) by Liu Shu (China)