Skip to main content
The Birthday Party film image

The Birthday Party

Il compleanno di Enrico

North American Premiere

At the height of the Y2K scare, young Francesco is confronted with some new realities when he attends his friend Enrico’s birthday party at a remote country home.

 

This short is playing before the feature film Bitten.

Director
Cast

Nicola Cannarella, Matthias Tormen, Denis Fasolo, Elia Luciani, Luisa Trigilla

Credits
Country of Origin

Germany/France/Italy

Year

2023

Language

In Italian with English subtitles

Film Contact
18+
18 min

Credits

Producer

Cecilia Trautvetter, François-Pierre Clavel

Screenwriter

Francesco Sossai

Cinematography

Giulia Schelhas

Editor

Francesco Sossai

Original Music

Non voglio che Clara

Director

Francesco Sossai headshot

Francesco Sossai

Francesco Sossai was born in the Italian Dolomites area. He started filming short films at an early age. He moved to Rome where he graduated in English and German Literatures. He was then admitted at the DFFB – German Television Film Academy in Berlin. His first feature length film “Altri Cannibali” celebrated its world premiere at PÖFF 2021 where it was awarded as „Best First Feature“. The film subsequently had its Italian premiere at the 39th Torino Film Festival and was screened worldwide in numerous other festivals. Francesco is currently working on his second feature „Le città della pianura“, a coproduction between Italy and France. He lives in Veneto, Italy.

Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre

Shrek (Halloween Family Show)

Dir. Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
90 min

The grumpy green ogre turned 25 this year. Come celebrate one of the milestone movies for millennials. This is an all-ages show!

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Cure

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa
111 min

This month's VIFF Premium member selection is a spellbinding thriller from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is faced with a string of apparently unmotivated murders committed by different people, but bearing the same signature.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
La Bola Negra
La Bola Negra film image; man playing a trumpet

La Bola Negra

Dir. Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
155 min

A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

An American Werewolf in London

Dir. John Landis
97 min

Two American students get into a spot of bother with the wildlife in rural England. Then they introduce the virus to the big city... John Landis's goofy horror comedy is a very good night out. So long as it's not a full moon...

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

The Thing (1982)

Dir. John Carpenter
109 min

Filmed in BC, John Carpenter's 1982 horror classic is a bone fide arctic chiller. American Antarctic researchers come across a burned-out Norwegian base — and the buried UFO which may be linked to the carnage.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
More info

Sold Out

Ken Russell's The Devils

Dir. Ken Russell
114 min

Ken Russell's controversial masterpiece is based on Aldous Huxley's The Devils of Loudun, a non-fiction account of the 17th century witchcraft trials in France starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema