The South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles (SEEfest) pioneered the concept of regional, cross-border programming with issue-driven films that tell a larger story about South East Europe, where borders of all kinds are fluid and porous just as often as poisonous. The festival annually presents internationally acclaimed films, art installations, a filmmaker conference, accelerator for film and new media projects in development, film retrospectives, literary salons, and other events.
Double bill: PANOPTICON, feature film from Georgia; After his father abandons him to become an Orthodox monk, Sandro struggles to reconcile his duty to God and his awakening sexuality, which manifests in uncontrollable ways and leads him to unhealthy behavior, as he searches for meaning and belonging in the turbulent society of post-Soviet Georgia.
9-MONTH CONTRACT, documentary, from Georgia; A Georgian mother turns to surrogacy to secure a roof over her daughter’s head. What begins as a quick way to earn cash transforms into a profound sacrifice, questioning how far a mother can go.
