If last week we drew the line and chose our favorites for 2023, this time we turn our attention to 2024 and its premieres. From epic productions to dramas that have already captivated audiences and juries at major international festivals (Cannes, Venice, Berlin), to highly anticipated Romanian films, 2024 brings something for everyone.

*This selection focuses only on some of the already announced in theaters next year and not on the auteur/festival film, which will surely give us other surprises.

Discover the premieres we have added to our watchlist in 2024:

Romanian premieres

• Tati part-time / Part-Time Daddy (dir. Letiția Roșculeț) – January 5
• Klaus & Barroso (dir. Bogdan Theodor Olteanu) – January 19
• Familiar (dir. Călin Peter Netzer) – January 26
• 2020 (dir. Bobby Bărbăcioru) – March 15
• Nasty (dir. Tudor Giurgiu) – April 19
• Moromeții 3 / The Moromete Family 3 (dir. Stere Gulea) – September 27
• The Yellow Tie (dir. Serge Ioan Celebidachi)

International premieres

• Ferrari (dir. Michael Mann) – January 5
• The Old Oak (dir. Ken Loach) – January 5
• About Dry Grasses (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan) – January 12
• Four Daughters (dir. Kaouther Ben Hania) – January 12
• Perfect Days (dir. Wim Wenders) – January 26
• Poor Things (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) – February 9
• The Zone of Interest (dir. Jonathan Glazer) – February 16
• The Taste of Things (dir. Tran Anh Hung) – February 23
• Dune: Part Two (dir. Denis Villeneuve) – March 1
• Sur l’Adamant (dir. Nicolas Philibert) – March 15
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (dir. George Miller) – May 24
• Joker: Folie à Deux (dir. Todd Phillips) – October 4

Romanian Premieres

Tati part-time / Part-Time Daddy (dir. Letiția Roșculeț) – January 5 

When it comes to Romanian films, the year kicks off with a comedy about Iustin, an immature lawyer forced to become responsible in no time when his 8-year-old goddaughter, Maya, is left in his care.

The two don’t get along very well, but they have no choice but to listen to each other and try to survive this month they have to live together.

Starring Alex Bogdan, Eva Măruță, Raluca Aprodu, and Alexandru Ion.

Klaus & Barroso (dir. Bogdan Theodor Olteanu) – January 19

After the successful Taxi Drivers, Bogdan Theodor Olteanu returns with another comedy for the big screen. Klaus (Adrian Nicolae) and Barroso (Cosmin “Micutzu” Nedelcu) are brothers: Klaus is an ordinary bartender who loves the slots but doesn’t know how to watch his back, while Barroso is a bodyguard who is more prudent but with anger issues.

To get rid of a debt, Klaus convinces Barroso to organise a bachelor party without his bosses’ permission. As expected, things don’t go according to plan, and the brothers find themselves in a more complicated situation than they had anticipated.

Familiar (dir. Călin Peter Netzer) – January 26

Dragoș, a Romanian director, decides to make a film about his family’s emigration to Germany in the 80s. As he delves deeper into his family’s past, secrets come to light, leading to revelations about certain ties with the Secret Service. His obsession with uncovering the truth damages his relationship with his parents and not only.

Starring Emanuel Pârvu, Iulia Lumânare, Adrian Titieni, and Ana Ciontea.

Nasty (dir. Tudor Giurgiu) – April 19

Through interviews with sports experts, former opponents, and tennis icons (Rafael Nadal, Björn Borg, and John McEnroe, among others), Tudor Giurgiu explores the prolific career of legendary Romanian tennis player Ilie Năstase, as well as the controversies surrounding him.

According to producer Cosmin Hodor, the archival footage will reveal details not only about Nastase’s past but also about a “bohemian” era of the sport, when things were much simpler.

Moromeții 3 / The Moromete Family 3 (dir. Stere Gulea) – September 27 

The third installment in The Moromete Family saga resumes the story of Niculae Moromete, who becomes a promising writer in the 50s while getting entangled in complicated love stories. Ideological pressures are high, and Niculae must decide whether to follow the Communist system or pay with his liberty for his ethics.

If the first two parts were adaptations of Marin Preda’s novels, the third was written by director Stere Gulea. However, the cinematography and set design don’t deviate too much from the first two productions, keeping the original locations, such as the Moromete House in the village of Talpa.

Discover what it was like on the set of The Moromete Family 3 in Alexandra Nistoroiu’s feature for Films in Frame.

The Yellow Tie (dir. Serge Ioan Celebidachi) 

The Yellow Tie portrays the extraordinary life of legendary classical music conductor Sergiu Celibidache, from his childhood in Romania to leaving home and living in Germany during World War II. The cast is led by John Malkovich and Ben Schnetzer, starring alongside Sean Bean, Miranda Richardson, and Kate Phillips.

Celibidache’s son, Serge Ioan Celebidachi, directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with James Olivier.

International Premieres

Ferrari (dir. Michael Mann) – January 5 

Moving to international titles, the new year begins with a biopic full of drama and tension, starring Adam Driver.

It’s the summer of 1957, and the company built by Enzo Ferrari and his wife is on the verge of bankruptcy. In a last attempt to save his auto empire and wishing to leave a mark in history, Ferrari enters his car in the Mille Miglia race, known to be extremely dangerous.

The Old Oak (dir. Ken Loach) – January 5 

With the world premiere at Cannes and nominated for the Palme d’Or, The Old Oak comes out in Romanian cinemas in the early days of 2024.

The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a declining mining community. Pub owner TJ Ballantyne struggles to keep his business afloat amid a territorial dispute caused by the unexpected arrival of Syrian refugees in the village. Things change when his unexpected friendship with young Syrian Yara makes him look at the people around him with different eyes. It is a necessary story about humanity, the power of community, and accepting the other.

About Dry Grasses (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan) – January 12

Samet teaches art in a village in Anatolia and hopes to be appointed to Istanbul after completing the mandatory duty. As time passes without receiving any response, he sinks into despair until his colleague Nuray helps him regain perspective.

The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or and won the Best Actress Award (Merve Dizdar) at Cannes.

Four Daughters (dir. Kaouther Ben Hania) – January 12

The documentary follows Olfa, a Tunisian woman and the mother of four daughters, two of whom had left to join ISIS. Director Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses to play the role of the lost daughters, blurring the line between documentary and fiction, revealing the intimate history of a family.

Perfect Days (dir. Wim Wenders) – January 26

Hirayama works as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo and seems content with his simple life. He listens to music, reads, and photographs trees. More of his past is gradually revealed through a series of unexpected encounters. Without becoming melodramatic, Perfect Days reminds us of the small joys that often go unnoticed.

Wim Wenders was awarded the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Cannes, and Kôji Yakusho won the Best Actor Award.

Poor Things (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) – February 9 

Yorgos Lanthimos causes quite a stir again, earning the Golden Lion at Venice with his latest film.

Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) is a young woman brought back to life by scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Wanting to live her second chance at life to the fullest, Bella runs off into the world with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer. Above all, Bella dreams of being free.

Ionuț Mareș describes Lanthimos’s new direction as “a freewheeling burlesque style, a fantasy at times dizzying, with feminist undertones.” (read the full review on Films in Frame).

The Zone of Interest (dir. Jonathan Glazer) – February 16 

Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), a Nazi commandant, and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) strive to build a dream life for their family in a house with a garden near the Auschwitz concentration camp.

“Their garden is large and sumptuous, and the smoke from the steam engines of the death trains raises, at times, above the greenhouse replete with exotic plants – while, at night, a deathly silence sets in, illuminated by the infernal flames of the incinerator’s furnace,” writes Flavia Dima in her review for Films in Frame.

The Zone of Interest won the Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes.

The Taste of Things (dir. Tran Anh Hung) – February 23 

Eugenie, an esteemed cook, has been working for gourmet Dodin for 20 years, and their shared love of food has created fabulous dishes. Growing fonder of one another, their bond turns into a romance, prompting Dodin to do something he has never done before: cook for Eugenie.

The Taste of Things is “a sort of anti-period piece, a tactful exploration that is centered not inasmuch on its Epicurean titular character (Benoît Magimel) and his incredibly talented cook (Juliette Binoche), nor on the more or less secret love that they share for each other, but rather, of the notion of gastronomy, itself.” (Flavia Dima, Films in Frame)

Dune: Part Two (dir. Denis Villeneuve) – March 1 

Paul Atreides’ journey to becoming the ultimate leader continues in Dune: Part Two. Dangers mount, and Paul must keep his allies close, proving that he is the chosen one, as the prophecy says.

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård, Rebecca Ferguson, Léa Seydoux, Florence Pugh, and many others, the adaptation of the famous novel promises a memorable experience this time as well.

On the Adamant / Sur l’Adamant (dir. Nicolas Philibert) – March 15 

On the Seine River, in the heart of Paris, there is a floating daycare center for people with mental disorders. The documentary follows the Adamant patients and team and how this unique floating structure operates, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“On the Adamant is, in the end, a film that speaks about the delicacy that is mobilized in relationship to the other. It’s not wrong to see that, straying far from motivational quotes, the film is a discreet homage towards the act of caring for the vulnerable.” (Victor Morozov, Films in Frame)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (dir. George Miller) – May 24 

In May, we revisit George Miller’s post-apocalyptic universe, where, amid explosions and modified cars, we find Furiosa. She’s younger than in Fury Road and all she wants is to find her way back home.

Anya Taylor-Joy stars alongside Chris Hemsworth.

Joker: Folie à Deux (dir. Todd Phillips) – October 4 

Not much is known about the sequel yet, only that Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as the Joker, and much of the action will take place at Arkham Asylum, where he will meet psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel, the future Harley Quinn (played by none other than Lady Gaga).

Casting the singer/actress is not accidental, as Joker: Folie à Deux has been announced as a musical thriller.

Melissa Antonescu

Writer, photographer and videographer. For Films in Frame she writes news about the latest happenings in the film world and brings to the readers' attention the productions that can be seen at the cinema. When she's not writing articles, she's photographing people in a small studio or searching for new cake recipes.