Iasi, November 1-5, 2025
This year's edition is about Forgiveness. Not to be missed are the premiere of El Tonto por Cristo (USA, 2025, starring Matthew Possey, director Josh David Jordan, producer Jessica Jordan), the documentary films about Andrei Tarkovsky and his cinematic masterpiece, Andrei Rubliov. Memories of Film, directed by the famous director's son Andrei A Tarkovsky, who will be present at the festival, the animated film The 21 (a harrowing story of the 21 Christian martyrs killed by ISIS in Libya in 2015), the film The Greatest Gift by Spanish director Juan Manuel Cotelo, Diana Angelson's Alexandra, the film Ter Chono. A Mongolian Story by the world kickboxing champion Cristiana Mongol Stancu, the film Scara by the Romanian director Vlad Păunescu (inspired by the biography of Father Valerian Pâslaru), the film St. Nectarie. Nectary of Forgiveness (a docudrama, 2025, Trinitas TV), Mina Radovic's lecture on the presence of Christian elements in surprising films (a lecture also held at MoMa, New York), Milja Radovic's photography exhibition (an exhibition that was also opened at the University of Vienna), Jasminkai Markovic's documentary on St. John of Shanghai, and Alexander Djurovic's documentary on St. Sava of Serbia.
Ivan Jovic and Monja Jovic's sensitive film Vindecarea, about the victory of forgiveness over the thirst for revenge, and the documentaries by Cristina Chirvasie and Gratiana Lazarescu about Ciprian Porumbescu and his father, Iraclie Porumbescu, plus Alexandru Ionescu's Bucurie in dar de la Sfantul Munte. The American composer Michael Paraskevas, who composed the music for the Marvel and Disney movies, Agatha All Along, Frozen II, but also for El Tonto por Cristo, This World won't break and Hawkeye, Ana Munteanu, sand art artist (finalist of the final of "Romanii au talent", visual director of the first edition of the Neversea Festival and participant, together with the violinist Alexandru Tomescu in the Stradivarius eXperience 2. 0) and Liber Artis Orchestra will tell in an extraordinary concert on movie music accompanied by live sand animation a unique story about Forgiveness.
Not to be missed:
- Crazy for Christ (orig. El Tonto por Cristo) - drama, US production, 2025, starring Matthew Possey, directed by Josh David Jordan and produced by Jessica Jordan.
Josh, Jessica and Michael Paraskevas, composer of the soundtrack, in Iasi, will be happy to answer questions from the audience.
- Documentaries Cinema as Prayer. Andrei Tarkovsky (orig. A Cinema Prayer. Andrei Tarkovsky) and Andrei Rubliov. Memories of a Film (orig. Andrei Rublev. Vospominaniya o film), directed by the son of the famous director, Andrei A. Tarkovsky, who will be present to talk to the audience.
lso on the "Wow" list:
- The 21 - a moving animation about Christian martyrs killed by ISIS in 2015 in Libya.
- The biggest gift, by Spain's Juan Manuel Cotello.
- Alexandra, by Diana Busuioc Angelson.
- Ter Chono. A Mongolian Story - by Cristiana Mongol Stancu, world kickboxing champion.
- The Ladder, directed by Vlad Păunescu - inspired by the life of Father Valerian Pâslaru.
- St. Nectarios. The Nectar of Forgiveness - docudrama Trinitas TV, 2025.
There will be debates, conferences and exhibitions:
- Mina Radovic's lecture (also given at MoMA, New York on Christian symbols in movies-surprise.
- Milja Radovic's photo exhibition - Reframing Space Film as History- brought from the University of Vienna.
- Documentaries about saints like John of Shanghai (by Jasminka Markovic) and Sava of Serbia (by Alexander Djurovic).
Pure emotion: Healing, a movie about how forgiveness beats the desire for revenge - by Ivan and Monja Jovic. Plus, documentaries about Ciprian and Iraclie Porumbescu, and Alexandru Ionescu's Joy as a gift from the Holy Mountain.
And the finale? ABSOLUTELY LEGENDARY!
THE EXTRAORDINARY CONCERT A STORY OF US. FILM MUSIC & ART IN SAND
Featuring music by Michael Paraskevas, art in the sand by Ana Munteanu and performance by Liber Artis Orchestra
A fascinating journey inspired by the music of the films Agatha All Along, Unspoken, El Tonto por Cristo, This World won't break and Hawkeye ( Marvel, Disney, Whiskey Beard Films, Westfolk Film Co, Tamco Productions, Bolt Productions, More Productions and Holy Fool Films productions)
