Wednesday 12 Mar 2008

18.00, BFI Southbank / NFT1, South Bank, London SE1 8XT; Box Office:020 7928 3232
Tickets: £8.50 (£5.25 concessions)

Within this special preview screening will be presented the 12th Annual Ray Award, given to California Dreamin’ (Endless). The award is presented annually by the Satyajit Ray Foundation to the director, of any nationality, for their first feature film screened at The Times BFI London Film Festival which best captures the artistry and humanity expressed in Ray’s own vision.

‘California Dreamin’ (Endless)’

Feature film/Romania/2006/155 mins/colour/English, Romanian with English subtitles
Directed by Cristian Nemescu. Starring: Armand Assante, Razvan Vasilescu, Jamie Elman, Maria Dinulescu

“This will be Cristian Nemescu’s only feature as, sadly, he and his sound editor were killed in a car crash while still working on the film – hence the ‘Endless’ (which should really be ‘Unfinished’). In 1999 a secret NATO train fulfilled with US Marines is halted by a bolshy local station master-cum-black marketeer. What follows is a rambunctious Balkan farce which shades inexorably into tragedy as the soldiers and the townspeople try to fraternise. A happy outcome was never possible and, as the town implodes, the Americans move blithely on to Kosovo, unaware of the violence they have unleashed. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Award as Cannes this year, California Dreamin’ is an epic satire, with both modern-day Romania and US foreign policy firmly in its sights.” - Nick Roddick

The award will be presented by Sir Christopher Frayling.

Details on www.bfi.org.uk