Chaired by French director and screenwriter Julia Ducournau, the international jury of Orizzonti, the section dedicated to films that represent the newest and most expressive trends in international cinema, will also include: Italian director and videoartist Yuri Ancarani; Argentine film critic Fernando Enrique Juan Lima; Australian director Shannon Murphy; American artist and filmmaker RaMell Ross.
Film director and screenwriter Mihai Mincan marks his second selection in the Orizzonti section, where he was present in 2022 with his fiction debut, "To the North" (2022), which won the Bisato D'oro award from the Independent Critics Association.
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"We are delighted to return to Venice with an allegory about Romania's transition from communism to the hope of a new society after 1989, illustrating the uncertainty and fear of that time. The character Maria's search for truth reflects the desire for justice and change, symbolising the generation that sought, with hope, a free future." - producers Radu Stancu and Ioana Lascăr.
The Romanian team representing "Milk Teeth" in Venice will include: Mihai Mincan (director and screenwriter), Radu Stancu and Ioana Lascar (producers), Carmen Rizac (associate producer), Emma Ioana Mogoș, Marina Palii, Igor Babiac, Istvan Teglas - actors, George Chiper-Lillemark (cinematographer), Dragoș Apetri (editor), Marius Leftărache (composer), Anamaria Tecu (scenography), Dana Paparuz (costumes), Adrian Moroca (line producer).
"Milk Teeth" is an international co-production (Romania - France - Denmark - Greece - Bulgaria) set during the final, crumbling months of Ceaușescu’s Romania. When a 10-year-old girl becomes the last witness to her sister’s sudden disappearance, she must find the courage to grow up in a world on the verge of a collapse.
The cast of the film also includes: Marina Palii, Igor Babiac, István Téglás, Victor-Ioan Rogobete, Lara Maria Alexandra Comănescu, Maia-Victoria Boboc, Albert Ciută, Karina-Ziana Gherasim, Tudor Morar, Mihaela Rădescu, Ada Lupu, Cătălin Filip, Luca-David Cărăvan, Ingrid-Maria Tirintică.
The cinematographer of the film is George Chiper-Lillemark, and the editing was done by Dragoș Apetri. Marius Leftărache and Nicolas Becker composed the music, and Cyril Holtz did the sound mix. The set design was made by Anamaria Țecu, the costume design was coordinated by Dana Păpăruz, and the make-up and hairstyling was done by Dimitra Fafaliou and Sotiris Paterakis.
Radu Stancu and Ioana Lascăr (Romania) are the producers of the film on behalf of deFilm. Co-producers: Cyriac Auriol, Monica Hellström, Konstantinos Vassilaros, Poli Angelova, Nikolay Todorov. Associate Producers: Carmen Rizac, Vlad Rădulescu, Orfeas Peretzis, Remi Burah, Olivier Pere, Mikulas Novotny.
"Milk Teeth" will hit Romanian cinemas this autumn, distributed by T.R.I.B.E Films.
Mihai Mincan made his film debut in 2008 as a screenwriter with the short film "The Palm Lines" directed by George Chiper-Lillemark, selected at Locarno, Rotterdam and Cottbus. He then directed three short films produced by deFilm - "Alaska" (2014), "The Comet" (2017) and "Idyll" (2019) - which premiered at European festivals. In 2019 he co-directed two TV documentaries licensed to TVR - "The Man Who Would Be Free" and "Emigrant Blues". His first feature-length fiction film, "To the North" - a thriller that was filmed in three countries, involved five co-producers and involved five languages, with actors from four territories - premiered in 2022 in the Orizzonti competition at Venice, was selected at over 25 international festivals and was available in 15 territories. "To the North" had 13 nominations at the 2024 Gopo Awards, won three 2024 Gopo trophies (Best Debut and Best Cinematography, as well as the Young Hope Award for Niko Becker); received five 2024 Filmmakers' Union Awards including the Grand Prix and the Filmmakers' Union Trophy for Best Film. "To the North" is available on HBO Max and Antena Play.
"Milk Teeth" is a film made with the support of the Romanian Film Center, Romanian Government - OFIC, CNC Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, Danish Film Institute, Bulgarian National Film Center, Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center - Creative Greece / National Recovery & Resilience Plan - Greece 2.0 - Co-production Window, ARTE Kino, Media Investment Communication, Creative Europe Media, ERT SA, TorinoFilmLab Production Award & Green Filming Award, Cinema City, Romanian Television, Avanpost, Radio Romania.
Produced by: deFilm (Romania), in co-production with: Remora Films (France), Ström Pictures (Denmark), StudioBauhaus (Greece), Screening Emotions (Bulgaria).
Project selected in: TorinoFilmLab 2023 - Production Award & Green Filming Award; Baltic Event Co-Production Market, Industry @ Tallinn of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2020; ApostLab Mentorship Programme 2023-2024; ECAM FORUM 2025.
