The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies is proud to announce a new partnership with The Calvert Journal Film Festival (October 18th through October 31, 2021).
The Calvert Journal Film Festival provides a journey across Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia through the lens of the region’s independent filmmakers. The festival will screen 35 films across seven categories: documentary feature, animation film, fiction feature, student film, experimental film, short film, and special screenings. In six of the categories, entries will compete for the prize of best film, awarded by a jury of renowned industry figures. The special screenings category, meanwhile, is an out-of-competition group featuring five more boundary-pushing films.
Festival screenings will be open to viewers worldwide, and a special audience prize will also be given to one film from across all categories. Films will be available for 56 hours on the festival platform, with tickets for individual films available alongside wider category and festival passes. A special series of articles, interviews, and online events will also run alongside the screenings, to spark new conversations on the region’s challenges, opportunities, and contemporary identity. By showcasing fiction and documentary films that are both authentic and original, the Calvert Journal Film Festival hopes to be a window on a diverse region that is still underrepresented in mainstream film festival programs — celebrating the rich culture and creative output of its 28 countries.
As part of our partnership with this film festival, the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies offers a limited number of free category passes on a first-come, first-serve basis, primarily but not exclusively to University of Pittsburgh faculty, students, and staff.
HOW TO CLAIM YOUR FREE CATEGORY PASSES: Please fill out this survey by OCTOBER 1 indicating which films you are interested in seeing. Sent to your email address by OCTOBER 15, your category passes will provide you with access to all films in the categories in which you expressed interest. Due to the limited availability, please request passes only for the categories you are committed to viewing.
For more information on the films, supporting events, and other questions, please visit the official festival website: https://www.calvertjournal.com/filmfestival.
Films include:
Les Deux (2021): A love story in a remote Ukrainian village is recounted through a pile of old letters and secret voice recordings.
The Moon (2021): Based on an Udmurtian Folktale, The Moon is an audiovisual reflection on death and emptiness.
A Swimming Lesson From Dad (2020): After a swimming lesson with dad, Vivi realizes there are more terrifying things in life than the children's pool.
Sigh (2019): A grey man lives in a smog-covered city-- until one day, he realizes there is color even in life's darkest moments.
The Vibrant Village (2019): In a quiet Hungarian village, men drink beer at the bar while women mass-produce sexual satisfaction.