There is an international film festival in my city, starting tomorrow and extending for a week. I need to decide whether or not I should buy a pass for it (and also travel a good distance). I am listing the films that are going to be screened there. Please tell me if there are any films that are of 'mandatory viewing' quality. If there are sufficient number of such films, I will buy the pass.

Section I World Classics
1. Burmese Harp by Kon Ichikawa ( Japan / 1956 / BW / 116 mins)
2. Passenger by Andrzej Munk ( Poland / 1963 / BW / 62 mins)
3. La Boheme
4. Nazarin by Luis Bunuel (Mexico / 1959 / BW / 94 mins)
5. Days of Mathew by Witold Leszczynski (Poland / 1967 / BW / 80 mins)
6. Jumping over puddles again by Karel Kachyna ( Czech / 1970 / col / 91 mins)
7. Ear Rings of Madam De by Dir :Max Ophuls ( France / Italy / 1953/ BW / 105 min)
8. Family Life By Ken Loach (UK / 1971/col/ 108 min)
9. To be or Not to be by Earnst Lubitsch ( USA / 1942 / BW / 99 min)
10. The Autumn Afternoon
11. The Goat Horn by Metodi Andonov (Bulgaria / 1972 / BW / 105 mins)

Section II - Indian classics
1. 27 Down by Awtar Kaul ( Hindi / 1974 / BW / 118 min)
2. Nirmalyam by MTV Nair ( Mal / 1973 ) OR Chemmen (Malayalam)
3. Atithi by Tapan Sinha ( Bengali / 1964 / BW / 130 min)
4. Mayamriga by Nirad Mohapatra ( Oriya / 1984 / col / 120 min)
OR Halodhia Choraye Boudhen Khai by Jahnu Barua (Assamese)
5. Umbarta by Jabbar Patel ( Marathi / 1982 / col / 135 min)
6. Samskara by Pattabhiramreddy (Kannada / 1970 / BW/ 120 min)
7. Agraharathil oru Kazhuthai by John Abraham ( Tamil / 1977 / BW )OR Marupakkam by Sethu Madhavan
8. Imagi Ningthem by Aribam Sam Sarma ( Manipuri / 1981 / BW / 110 min)
9. Mirch Masala by Ketan Mehta

Section III Retrospective: Nagisa Oshima
1. Death By Hanging (1968 ).
2. The Boy (1969)
3. The Ceremony (1971)
4. Dear Summer Sister (1972)

Section IV : V.K.Murthy Retrospective
1. Pyaasa by Guru Dutt( Hindi / 1957 / BW / 150 min)
2. Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam , by Abrar Alvi ( Hindi / 1962 / BW )
3. Kaagaz ke Phool by Guru Dutt ( Hindi / 1959/ BW/148 min)
4. Tamas (Hindi)

Section V : Contemporary Indian Cinema
1. Joymati by Manju Borah (Assam)
2. Sonam by Ahsan Mujid (Arunachal)
3. Aadum Koothu by T. V. Chandran (Malayalam)
4. Hope by K. Sathyanarayana (Satish) (Telugu)
5. Bayo by Gajendra Ahire (Marathi)
6. Nenapirali (Kannada)

Section VI : Cinema of the World
Afghanistan :

1.Three Dots ( 55 min / 2004 )

ARGENTINA :
1.AS THE HOURS GO BY (84 min/ 2005) Director : Inés de Oliveira Cézar
2.Chile 672 (103 Min/2006) Director: Pablo Bardauil , Franco Verdoia
3.One Star and Two Coffees (85 Min/2006) Director: Alberto Lecchi

Austria :

1.Working Man’s Death by Michael Glawogge (2005/ col/ 122 mins) (Documentary)


Bangla Desh :

1.The Clay Bird by Tareque Masud ( 2002/ col/ 98 min)

Bulgaria :

Monkeys in Winter by Milena Andonova (111 min/2006)

Canada :

1.Familia by Gregory Nava (1995 / 128 mins / col)
2.These Girls by John Hazlette ( 2005 / col/ 92 min)
3.C.R.A.Z.Y by Jeam - Marc Vallee ( 2005 /col / 127 mins )
4.FIRST BITE by Hunt Hoe (2006/Col/120 mins)

Chile

1.The Sacred Family at India by Sebastián Campos Watt (2005 /Colour / 99 mins)

CHINA
1.A SIGH ( 2000 / 35 mm / col / 115 mins)
2.BREAKING THE SILENCE (1999 / 35 mm / col / 86 mins)

French comedy films
1.FRENCH FRIED VACATION by Hunt Hoe (2006 /Color / 120 mins)
2.KNOCK ON WOOD(Chèvre, La) by Francis Veber (1981 / Color / 95 mins)
3.SANTA CLAUS IS A LOUSE (Père Noël est une ordure, Le) by Jean-Marie Poiré (1982 / Color / 88 mins)
4.THE VISITORS (Visiteurs, Les) by Jean-Marie Poiré (1993 / Color / 107 mins)
5.FRENCH TWIST (Gazon maudit) by Josiane Balasko (1995 / Color / 104 mins)
6.BERNIE by Albert Dupontel (1996 / Colour / 87 min)
7.FREEDOM (Liberté-Oléron) by Bruno Podalydès (2001/ Color /107 mins)
8.ASTERIX & OBELIX : Mission Cleopatra by Alain Chabat (2002 / colour /107 mins)


FRANCE – c.o.w

1.Violence Des Echanges En Milieu Tempere by Jean-Marc Montout (2003/ col / 99 min)
2.The Gamblers (Les Mauvais Joueurs ) by Frederic Balekdjian (2005/col/85 min)
3.Le Couperet / The AX by Costa Gavras ( 2005 / col / 123 min)
4.Clean by Oliver Assaya ( 2004/ col/111mins)

GERMANY
1.HEAD ON
2.SUMMER IN BERLIN (Sommer vorm Balkon) by Andreas Dresen (2005 / Colour / 105 mins)
3.THE NINTH DAY (Neunte Tag, Der ) by Volker Schlöndorff (2004 / Colour / 98 mins)

HUNGARY
1.THE UNBURRIED MAN By Marta Meszaros (Hungary / 2004 / col / 122 min)
2.Long Weekend at Pest and Buda By Karoly Makk (Hungary / 2003 / col/ 90 min)
3.JUST SEX AND NOTHING ELSE(Csak szex és más semi) by Krisztina Goda (2005 / colour / 97 mins)
4.THE PRINCESS REPRIEVE (A Herceg Haladéka) by Péter Tímár (2005 /colour / 90 mins)
5.BIRDS SAVIOUR, CLOUNDS AND WIND (Madárszabadító, felhö, szél) by István "Taikyo" Szaladják (2006 / Color/ 93 Mins)

IRAN

1.WET DREAM by Pouran Derekshandeh(2006 / Color / 110 Min.)
2.MAMA’S GUEST by Dariush Mehrjui (2004/ Colour /104 Mins)
3.THE INSANE FLEW AWAY (DIVANEH AZ GHAFAS PARID ) by Ahmad-Reza Motamedi,(2003 / Colour / 110 Mins)
4.LEFT FOOT FORWARD ON THE BEAT (TABL-E BOZORG ZIR-E PA-YECHAP ) by Kazem Ma'asoumi(2004 / Colour /84 Mins)

INDONESIA

1.GIE by Riri Riza(2005 / Color / 147 minutes )

MYNMAR

1.UPSTREAM (SAN YE) by Kyi Soe Tun,(2003 / 125 Min. / color )

NORWAY

1.HAWAI, OSLO by Erik Poppe (2004 / colour / 125 mins)
2.Uno by Aksel Hennie , John Andreas Andersen (2004 / colour / 103 mins)
3.Sophie’s World (Sofies verden) by Erik Gustavson (1999 /colour/ 113 mins)
4.ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE (Folkefiende, En) by Erik Skjoldbjærg (2005 / Color / 90 mins)
5.Falling Sky (Himmelfall ) by Gunnar Vikene (2002 / Color / 90 mins)
6.THE TELEGRAPHIST (Telegrafisten ) by Erik Gustavson (1993 / colour / 102 mins)

PHILLIPINES

1.ROOM BOY by Alfred Aloysius L Adlawan (Digital/Colour)

POLAND

1.SOLIDARITY, SOLIDARITY by Juliusz Machulski (colour / 113 mins)
2.BIG SHAR
3.FOUL PLAY
4.HIT THE BANK
5.SOCCER BOKER
6.VINCI

SRI LANKA

1.Butterfly Wings by Somaratna Dissanayake ( Sri Lanka / 2005 / col)

VIETNAM

1.BRIDE OF SILENCE (2005 / col / 114 mins)

A movie from MYNMAR but not even a single Italian movie???????

I've seen Mamma's Guest, and didn't like it that much. Eh. Good acting, not much of a story. As for The Insane Flew Away, I heard it is good, but I've not watched it yet. I'll do so in a few days and let you know. I've not heard of the other movies from here.

"The Burmese Harp" was a really good antiwar film. "La Boheme" could be good, but it'll depend on which version they're showing.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, it looks like I won't be able to attend the festival, some other stupid appointments have sprung up

I am indian and i have not even heard of any of the indian classics or etc. so i suggest you dont buy the pass.

But if it really cheap and you have some time on your hand, might as well buy it and go. I remember i went to a korean film festival once, films were really bad but atleast i can say i have seen few korean films.

Thanks SFlondon, I have heard of the three Gurudutt movies listed there, but all the other Indian language films seem to be very obscure. But sometimes good movies don't get as much popularity as they desrve Anyway I am not going to the festival, I have got tons of non-productive work to be done this week