When Tudor Giurgiu, founder of the Transylvania International Film Festival, began planning the inaugural festival 25 years ago, the then-budding director knew he wanted the country's first international film event to be more than just a showcase for new Romanian cinema.
«"I dreamed of being able to not only screen our films but also present our future projects to decision-makers. For there to be an industry here," says Giurgiu, who was still several years away from making his directorial debut with the premiere of "Love Sickness" at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. The outlook for Romanian filmmakers, by his own admission, was "lousy"; Giurgiu even considered emigrating in search of a better life.
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Instead, he decided to address the issue of "how to provide better publicity for our films" and to organize an event that could serve as a "launch pad for new [Romanian] projects." Just two years later, TIFF launched the "Romanian Days" section, which quickly became, according to Giurgiu, "the festival's flagship initiative.".
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In the following years, the Romanian movement evolved alongside its burgeoning industry, which burst onto the international scene in 2005 when Cristi Puiu's dark comedy The Death of Mr. Lazarescu won the Un Certain Regard Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and established itself as a full-fledged cinematic movement two years later when Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days earned the director the first of two Golden Palms.
«"It was a very interesting coincidence: the explosive success of Romanian films at Cannes, which later became known as the 'Romanian New Wave,' and the fact that the festival was growing so rapidly," says Giurgiu. "We became not just a 10-day venue for showcasing Romanian cinema, [but] a year-round platform for promoting local cinema.".
Following its initial triumphs at Cannes, the Transylvanian Film Festival became one of the most sought-after on the international stage, as program directors, sales agents, distributors, and other industry professionals sought to find the next Puiu or Mungiu. Two decades later, according to newly appointed industry director Ami Geger, "Romanian Days remains committed to supporting emerging talent," particularly from the host country. However, the platform has evolved into a truly international event, expanding the geographic reach of the countries it serves and embracing the countless trends and challenges facing the global industry.
«"This year's program reflects many aspects of contemporary filmmaking, from development and financing to international distribution, music, series production, and the opportunities, challenges, and innovations associated with artificial intelligence," says Geger. "Some sessions explore broader trends and debates in the international industry, while others focus more directly on the realities, challenges, and opportunities of the Romanian film industry.".
The centerpiece of the program remains the Transilvania Pitch Stop—a co-production forum open to emerging and new filmmakers from Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, and, for the first time, Cyprus and Albania. Films supported by TPS since its inaugural edition include Apples by Greek director Christos Nicu, which opened the Horizons program at the 2020 Venice Film Festival; Citizen by Romanian director Teodora Ana Mihai, which won the Courage Prize in Un Certain Regard at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival; Vision of a Butterfly by Ukrainian director Maksym Nakonechny, screened in Un Certain Regard in 2022; and Into the North by Mihai Mincean, selected for Venice that same year.
This year's program includes new projects by Ukrainian director Filip Sotnichenko, whose debut crime thriller "La Palisada" premiered in Rotterdam in 2023, and Turkish director Belkiş Bayrak, whose first feature film, "Gülizar," premiered in Toronto and San Sebastian two years ago. Also participating in the forum will be Romanian film industry veteran Adrian Silisteanu, presenting his debut feature, "Another Story About My Son," and debut director Octavian Sharamet with his folk horror project, "Offspring of the Sun.".
«"Overall, the selection includes both established filmmakers preparing their next feature films and emerging talents with original, internationally relevant stories," says Geger.
The Romanian Days 2026 program includes several innovations, including the "From Book to Screen" program, open to Romanian authors, publishers, and directors, designed to meet the growing global demand for adaptable intellectual property. The "Work in Progress" program has been expanded to include seven Romanian feature films in post-production, as well as a €30,000 (US$35,000) prize, awarded by HBO, introduced this year.
The industry program, which runs from June 18th to 20th, will feature a keynote address by seasoned producer and European Film Academy Chair Ada Solomon on the future of European film financing, as well as new models for funding European series. Several sessions will also explore the rapidly evolving use of artificial intelligence in the industry, and the program will conclude with masterclasses from filmmakers such as renowned Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu—whose retrospective is being presented at this year's Transilvania Festival—and the extraordinary British director Ben Wheatley, who is in town to promote his latest film, "Bulk.".
Above all, Geger says he hopes the industry sessions will serve as a catalyst for «creating opportunities for meaningful exchange and networking—between local and international professionals, between different generations of filmmakers, and between people working in different areas of the industry.».
«"We see TIFF as a place where such discussions can naturally occur, where ideas can be openly debated, and where new forms of collaboration can be formed," she says. "By bringing together international perspectives and discussions directly relevant to the Romanian film industry, we hope to create a program that is both inspiring and truly useful. If participants leave TIFF with fresh ideas, new connections, and renewed energy for their projects and careers, then we will consider ourselves to have achieved our goal.".
The Transylvania International Film Festival will run from June 12 to 21.
Pictured: Tudor Giurgiu (left) and Ami Geger.