Romania’s Astra Film Festival announces best films of the 30th edition

The best films of the 30th-anniversary edition of the Astra Film Festival were recently announced during a ceremony in Sibiu. Astra is Romania’s longest-running film festival.

Among the 2023 laureates were Romanian Diana Gavra, with the film “Amar,” and Andreea Chiper, with “Dance at My Parents’ Wedding.” One of the most significant awards was obtained by Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento (“Adieu Sauvage“). 

The ceremony was organized on October 21, exactly the day when the longest-running film festival in Romania set out on its journey 30 years ago. In the end, Dumitru Budrala, the founding director of the Astra Film Festival received the title of honorary citizen of Sibiu for his entire artistic activity and for promoting Sibiu’s cultural values.

“Documentary film helps us better understand the world we live in and find our place in this world. It also helps us build a better, more open society with more humanity. My thoughts now are to thank the Astra Film team, whom I wish were here on stage, who worked for a year, my family, who supported me for so long and was involved in all aspects of organizing, the institutions that supported us, especially the Ministry of Culture,” said Dumitru Budrala, the founding director of the Astra Film Festival. 

The best documentary film in the Romania Competition, awarded by HBO, was considered to be “Earth’s Sweet Kiss” (France, 2023), by Gautier Gumpper. The Best Debut Award went to the documentary “Amar” (Romania, 2023), by Diana Gavra.

New Voices in Documentary Cinema Competition’s jury, composed of Richard Alwyn, Liviu Lucaci, and Baljit Sangra, had to choose among 10 selected films and unanimously voted that “Adieu Sauvage” (Belgium, France, 2023), by Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento, is the best film.

The 30th-anniversary edition of the Astra Film Festival took place in Sibiu from October 15 to October 22 and featured over 130 films, mostly in premiere, and 250 cinematic events, attended by an audience of tens of thousands of all ages. A selection of 43 festival films can be viewed online in Romania until October 30. 

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(Photo source: the organizers)