East Coast Premiere / Romania / 2024 / Romanian w/English subtitles / 110 min / Drama, Comedy, Coming-Of-Age, Heist
Director, Tudor Petremarin; Writer: Mihai Manescu, Tudor Petremarin; Producers: Tudor Petremarin.
Contact: tudor@fulgmedia.ro
Key Cast: Karina Jianu, Ana Toda, Stefan Iancu, Dragos Prundeanu.
In order to fulfill their dreams, four teenagers decide to make money by selling online the SAT subjects. Sofi wants to raise money to pay for her college in Switzerland, Alex wants to build his own recording studio, Amalia wants to impress her senator father, and Tomiță wants an adventure.
Everything is going well until they are all forced to face the reality around them and the consequences of their actions.
Sponsored by Hank & Rochelle Cairo and Kim Bloom
Director Biography – Tudor Petremarin
Tudor is a Romanian filmmaker, whose passion for movie-magic started in high school and has never left him since. His university short-films were selected in local and international film festivals (Hollyshorts IFF, Los Angeles I.F.F., Vancouver I.F.F., New York City I.F.F.). For the last decade he has worked on various Romanian tv shows and series, commercials and music videos. His last project is the feature film ”Highschool Thieves” – a coming of age story about four teenagers who want to steal and sell the national baccalaureate subjects.
Director Statement
The roar of a T-Rex echoed through the darkened theater, igniting a lifelong passion for cinema. I was seven years old, and Spielberg’s Jurassic Park on the big screen of our old local cinema was pure magic. During the VHS rental boom that followed, my parents – bless their film-loving hearts – allowed me to explore the works of masters from Spielberg and de Palma to Visconti and Fellini. This cinematic feast fueled my imagination and laid the groundwork for my future in film.
Studying Directing at UNATC (the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale” in Bucharest) cracked open a new world. Suddenly, the complex interplay of art, technique, and storytelling became clear. It was exhilarating to dissect films, to understand how each element, from a camera angle to a line of dialogue, contributed to the overall tapestry of a story.
But nothing could prepare me for the whirlwind of my first time on set as a 2nd AD (Assistant Director). Chaos reigned, schedules imploded, and yet, amidst the pressure, I discovered the importance of meticulous preparation, quick thinking, and an unwavering commitment to the director’s vision. These experiences were my filmmaking boot camp, teaching me that stories are not just entertainment, but the very bedrock of our fragile humanity.
Today, I carry those early cinematic thrills and hard-won lessons with me. My journey as a filmmaker is ongoing, fueled by a desire to learn, evolve, and create films that both entertain and illuminate the human experience. I’m excited to draw inspiration from the past while embracing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.