The 19th edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) returns to Sibiu from August 7 to 10, featuring open-air screenings in Piața Mare—where admission is free—and films and events at CineGold and the German Forum cinemas. The program includes international films as well as the latest Romanian productions, with the filmmakers themselves attending the festival, according to Romania Journal.
Tickets can be purchased at tiffsibiu.eventbook.ro.
TIFF Sibiu opens on Thursday, August 7, in Piața Mare with a sparkling Italian comedy about love, identity, and the limits of the mind: Follemente (Me, You and Those in Our Minds), directed by Paolo Genovese. In the following evenings, audiences can enjoy iconic open-air screenings such as Rebel Without a Cause (dir. Nicholas Ray), the classic American film starring James Dean as the rebellious teenager, as well as The Return (dir. Uberto Pasolini) featuring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. The closing film will be The Mohican (dir. Frédéric Farrucci), a story set in Corsica where a shepherd clashes with the local mafia.
TIFF Sibiu 2025 also showcases an impressive selection of Romanian films, many presented in premiere. Pădurea de molizi (Fir Forest), directed by Tudor Giurgiu, depicts one of the most dramatic and lesser-known episodes in Romanian history, while Comatogen (dir. Igor Cobileanski) explores a mother’s (Daniela Nane) struggle to help her son from four perspectives. The documentary Tata by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc offers an intimate story about migration and family, and După cioate (dir. Mihai Dragolea, Radu Mocanu) documents a form of resistance against the forest mafia. Jaful secolului (dir. Teodora Ana Mihai), inspired by true events, presents a tense reconstruction of an art heist, starring Anamaria Vartolomei. Radu Jude returns with Kontinental 25′, a sharp visual essay, and The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu (dir. Cristi Puiu), a landmark film of the Romanian New Wave, will be screened in a special 20th anniversary edition.
The festival’s international selection includes some of the most acclaimed films from TIFF Cluj. Christy (dir. Brendan Canty), a sensitive coming-of-age story, opened the Cluj festival, while To a Land Unknown (dir. Mahdi Fleifel), awarded the Transilvania Trophy, follows two Palestinians dreaming of a better life in Europe. Also featured is Dreams (dir. Michel Franco), a disturbing exploration of power dynamics in love.
TIFF Sibiu 2025 continues the German Film Days hosted at the Mirror Hall of the German Forum, highlighting new voices in German cinema and addressing current themes with rigor and sophistication. German Fire is organized with support from the Goethe-Institut and the German Cultural Center in Sibiu.
The program also includes screenings for children.
The full festival program for the four days can be found at sibiu.tiff.ro and on the Festival’s Facebook page. The schedule may be subject to change due to weather conditions; any changes will be announced on the website and Facebook.
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