The ninth edition of the American Independent Film Festival (AIFF), which focuses on independent, North American productions, is scheduled to take place between June 6 and June 12 in Bucharest, and between June 13 and June 14 at Bran Castle.

The event also plans screenings in other cities in the country, including Cluj, Iași, Timișoara, and Sibiu, in partnership with Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS), as well as in other locations to be announced.

Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson, is the headliner of this edition. The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in 2024 and was later screened at San Sebastián, where it won the Special Jury Prize, and Zurich, marks Pamela Anderson’s return to a leading role after a notable hiatus.

The film follows Shelly, a veteran Las Vegas dancer who is forced to rethink her future and repair her complicated relationship with her daughter as the show she has performed in for 30 years is closing. In a major supporting role, the public can see Jamie Lee Curtis, who was nominated for a BAFTA for her performance in The Last Showgirl.

Another notable title in the program is Gazer, the directorial debut of Ryan J. Sloan. The film was selected in 2024 in the Quinzaine des Cinéastes at the Cannes Film Festival and later screened in Sitges and Deauville. It follows Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni), a young mother who suffers from a rare condition that affects her perception of time. In an attempt to support her family, she takes on a risky job, unaware of the consequences that await her.

“We are delighted that the Romanian public can discover productions that are screened at the world’s most important film festivals, but that remain almost impossible to see otherwise. This year’s selection speaks of reinvention, memory, and community – essential themes in contemporary American cinema. With this new edition, AIFF is expanding to other cities in the country, to support cultural diversity and film education, thus contributing to the formation of an increasingly open and informed audience towards independent films,” Cristian Mungiu, the director of AIFF, explained.

More details about the festival program will be released soon, the organizers said.

(Illustration: AIFF)

simona@romania-insider.com