Romanian talent wins IDFA project award at Sarajevo Film Festival
Up-and-coming Romanian filmmaker Andrei Dascalescu is the latest winner of the IDFA Award for Most Promising Project, following an outstanding presentation of his documentary project Holy Father at Sarajevo Film Festival’s Docu Rough Cut Boutique last week. The project centers on the ups and downs of coming to terms with parenthood, and the quest for reconciliation with the filmmaker’s own family.
No stranger to IDFA, Dascalescu’s earlier titles Constantin and Elena (2008) and Planeta Petrila (2016) previously premiered in the IDFA Competition for First Appearance, with the former winning the first prize in that category. Now, the Romanian talent will return to IDFA once again, where Holy Father is expected to wow decision makers at the upcoming edition of IDFA Forum.
“Andrei Dascalescu is a talented filmmaker who can tell a very personal story in a remarkably universal way,” said IDFA Industry and Docs for Sale Manager Laurien ten Houten, who awarded Dascalescu in Sarajevo’s Festival Square.
“In this film Andrei tries to talk to his father about becoming a father, and about the parent his father was—and was not. In a very subtle way, he gets his father to open up. The filmmaker himself is often hiding behind the camera but, in rare moments, we get a glimpse of him when his father or partner takes over the camera. A lot of people will see something of themselves in the doubts of the parents-to-be,” commented ten Houten.
As part of his award package, Dascalescu will receive a tailor-made route through IDFA 2019 that includes travel and accommodation, accreditation for IDFA Forum, and meetings with key decision makers.
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