Movie
10 Jun 2024

Jojo T. Gibbs, Daniele Luchetti and Sibel Kekili, among the first guests invited at TIFF.23


Jojo T. Gibbs, one of the most promising emerging actresses, is a special guest at the 23rd edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival (June 14-24, 2024, Cluj-Napoca). She will also attend the festival's Opening Gala, where the latest film directed by Luc Besson, Dogman, will be screened.

An actress and comedian, Jojo T. Gibbs first gained attention in Twenties, a partially autobiographical comedy series about a young queer woman of color and her straight friends. She then starred in significant films such as Past Lives (dir. Celine Song, nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, 2023), Dogman, where she plays the prison psychiatrist of the protagonist who survived a traumatic childhood through his love for dogs, and most recently in Alex Garland's dystopian thriller Civil War.

Considered one of the most important contemporary Italian filmmakers, Daniele Luchetti is one of the directors honored at TIFF.23 in the 3x3 section. He will be present at the screening of his film Confidenza on Saturday, June 15, at 19:00 at the Student Culture House, where he will receive the Special Award for Contribution to World Cinema. Daniele Luchetti will be present at TIFF with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute in Bucharest.

Her role in Head-On (dir. Fatih Akin, 2004), which earned her two Lola Awards, propelled her to the ranks of Europe's top actresses, and international fame followed her performance in the hit series Game of Thrones. We’re talking about Sibel Kekilli, who will attend TIFF as a member of the jury deciding the Official Competition awards.

Also invited as a member of the Official Competition jury is Konstantinos Kontovrakis, one of the most important European producers, who in recent years has produced or co-produced internationally awarded films such as "How to Have Sex" (dir. Molly Manning Walker, winner of the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes in 2023) and "Triangle of Sadness" (dir. Ruben Östlund, Palme d'Or winner at Cannes in 2022).

A regular at TIFF, director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson returns to Cluj-Napoca for the fourth time, this time as a jury member. This follows the natural progression after his first English-language film, Northern Comfort (2023), opened last year's festival.