CMU International Film Festival Unveils “Faces of Fear”

Attend citywide screenings, engage in Question-and-Answer sessions with filmmakers, enjoy catered food and even compete in a cash-prize film competition

The Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival (CMU IFF) is returning from March 21st to April 7th for its 18th edition: “Faces of Fear.” It will feature 13 award-winning films, each highly diverse in content save one common detail — a focus on “fear.” This is not to say that the films presented are horror pieces — the vast majority are not.

“We’ve tried to explore ‘fear’ as a basic quality of human nature,” said Stephen Makin, CMU undergraduate and programming coordinator. “What makes a person afraid? What is the spectrum of fright, from basic horror elements to, say, fear for one’s home or family or personal values?”

The festival will be featured across several venues. Nine screenings will be held at McConomy auditorium on the CMU campus. The remaining screenings will be held around the city of Pittsburgh at other premier collaborating locations. The opening night screening “Four Daughters” will be held at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, and screenings for “The Peasants,” “Totem” and “Sometimes I Think About Dying” will be held at the Harris Theater. 

Opening night will promise thorough immersion. Oscar-nominated “Four Daughters” is a documentary piece set in Tunisia. Audiences will travel back-in-time to the days of revolution and the rise of the Islamic State in something reminiscent of a film-inside-a-film, within which the casting splits between real-life members of a broken family and three stand-in performers. This off-campus showing will be supported by special workshops and a Question-and-Answer session with filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania and will feature a catered reception with Tunisian specialties.

“Green Border” tells the story of a Syrian family and an Afghan teacher attempting in tandem to escape civil war by crossing the Polish-Belarusian border into the European Union. The film documents the many Middle Eastern and African refugees trapped in the midst of a modern geopolitical crisis, having been promised an easy passage to the EU from Belarus. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion with local refugees in partnership with JFCS.

Finally, “Lost Soulz” will bring audiences back to America with a profound musical touch. This film spins the tale of rising rap sensation Sol, who drifts across the country in a road trip with some friends and mutual artists. Alongside a soundtrack of original music, Sol learns how to garner fame through epic means. But the truth remains that Sol is running from something, and the pangs of a guilty conscience seem to chase him down across the breadth of the Texas desert. Audiences may participate in a Question-and-Answer session with director Katherine Propper and lead actor Sauve Sidle and enjoy catered food and a performance from the youth hip-hop squad at 1Hood Media Academy.

Naturally, the horror genre will also enjoy a place at the Festival. “The Vourdalak” is set in 19th century Slavic Europe, following the story of an envoy of the French king. Taking shelter in the night at the home of one “old Gorcha,” this envoy quickly begins to realize that his host is nothing short of monstrous. A spectacular case study of family dynamics and sexuality, as well as killer production design, “The Vourdalak” promises a truly terrifying screening experience, followed immediately by a Question-and-Answer session with local filmmaking experts in the horror genre. The screening will also be preceded by a Pittsburgh-local short film called “The Tenth Door,” the director of which, Michael Lies, will be featured on the post-show panel alongside Cathy Tuttle and University of Pittsburgh professor Dana Och.

In addition to these 13 screenings, CMU IFF will feature a short film competition for Pittsburgh residents and college students. A grand prize of $1,000 will be awarded, followed by $500 for second place, $250 for an “audience choice” award and finally an extra $250 for the best film shot on a cellphone.

General admission to the festival is available. Festival passes may be purchased for $50 for adults or $25 for students. Individual tickets may be purchased for $10 for adults or $5 for students.  

“Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming.,” said festival director Jolanta Lion. “Let’s watch these stories together, from filmmakers who are not afraid and who, even if they do feel fear, know that the greatest victory is to overcome it. Let’s face this world of fear together.”

The 2024 “Faces of Fear” iteration of the CMU International Film Festival is proudly co-presented by Carnegie Mellon, The University of Pittsburgh, Duolingo, The Latin American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Polish Consulate of New York, Steiner Studios, JFCS and many more community partners.