Winner of Best First Film at the 2018 Nastri d’Argento Awards, Boys Cry is a pulse-pounding crime thriller set on the outskirts of Rome. There, teenage best friends Mirko and Manolo spend their days in school and their nights delivering pizza. The clueless teenagers dream of a better life filled with money and women. Not that they have much chance getting there on their meagre delivery boy wages. Commiserating about their prospects one night while driving the streets of Rome, the boys are involved in a fateful hit-and-run. Word of the accident earns the pair an introduction and a first assignment with the local Mafia. But while Manolo’s opportunistic father encourages his reluctant son to claim the glory and the rewards for himself, it’s Mirko who takes to the work with ease, testing the boys’ unshakeable bond. Premiering to critical acclaim at the Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama section, a space reserved for films that showcase artistic vision and new cinematic directions, Boys Cry masterfully captures the unease, shifting allegiances, moral questioning and overwhelming sense of inescapability of life in Rome’s underworld.
Talent and passion for music can take one to the very top. On the way, however, there are going to be showbiz traps. There is money, fame and fan crowds involved. Will a young girl be able to fight for her dreams in this no-holds-barred world where fame is so elusive? A controversial talent show called "Music Race" keeps looking for talented singers all over the country. The decision on who will be started-up for a career and who will get a cold shower is always up to the three jurors: a once-popular singer, Olo (Maciej Zakoscielny), social media queen, Ewa (Julia Kaminska), and the dame of Polish jazz, Urszula Dudziak (playing herself). During an audition held in Olo's home town, there is a row. The person who starts it is "Ostra" (played by Katarzyna Sawczuk). The rebel teen is outraged by the juror's arrogant and dismissive behaviour towards her mother (Anita Sokolowska). The small scandal suits the show's producer (Tomasz Karolak), who pushes "Ostra" through to the next stage. There, it will turn out that the girl doesn't just have a fiery temper, but a great voice as well. Success, though, comes at a price. Being popular is not as pleasant as many people think. Our teenage hero will have to face a genuine test of integrity and character. The young star is about to take on her stage competition, the ruthless world of show business, and, most importantly, her own feelings.
