Romanian Bogdan Mureșanu’s feature debut joins Venice Film Festival competition lineup

Anul Nou Care N-a Fost/The New Year That Never Came, the first fiction feature written and directed by Bogdan Mureşanu, was selected in the Orizzonti competition section of the 2024 Venice International Film Festival. The 81st edition of the event will take place between August 28 and September 7.

The New Year That Never Came is the only Romanian film present in a competition section at this edition of the festival. Another local production, Andrei Ujică's Things We Said Today,was selected in the Out of Competition – Non Fiction category.

Mureşanu's The New Year That Never Came is a tragicomedy whose action takes place in a single day, before the Revolution of 1989, in which the characters search for normality, safety, love, freedom, and meaning in an absurd world fueled by fear.

The cast includes Adrian Văncică, Iulian Postelnicu, Emilia Dobrin, Mihai Călin, Nicoleta Hâncu, Andrei Miercure, Manuela Hărăbor, Ioana Flora, and Ada Gales.

Director Bogdan Mureșanu and some of the actors will attend the film's world premiere in Venice.

"I am happy and grateful to the selection committee that chose to show our film in an excellent company. I didn't get here alone, and I thank all those who harnessed themselves to such an adventure," Bogdan Mureşanu said.

Written, directed and produced by Bogdan Mureşanu, The New Year That Never Came will be screened in Romanian cinemas from September 24, distributed by Forum Film Romania.

The New Year That Never Came's selection in the Orizzonti competition lineup of the Venice International Festival marks the third participation of a Romanian feature film in this section, after Miracol/Miracle by Bogdan George Apetri (2021) and Spre Nord/To the North by Mihai Mincan (2022).

(Photo source: PR)