Czech director Bohdan Slama's A Country Teacher (Venkovsky
Ucitel) will have its international premiere at this year's Venice Days
sidebar, which is heavy on European and Eastern European films in this
year's edition.

A Country Teacher, sold by Wild Bunch, tells the story of a brilliant
professor who moves to the Bohemian countryside in order to escape
painful memories of a badly ended love affair as well as hide from his
own homosexuality.

The film is Slama's third feature after his first two (Something Like Happiness, Wild Bees) took awards at Rotterdam and San Sebastian.

Of the 11-picture official selection in this year's Venice Days,
nine are world premieres and four from female directors. Only one
picture is from outside the European/East European theatre, the
Argentine entry A Week Alone by Celina Murga about the Argentine
bourgeoisie through the eyes of kids.

Other notable entries include Adrian Sitaru's Hooked (Pescuit
Sportiv), a Romania/France co production. The picture is a
philosophical comedy about a couple in crisis that organisers are
calling one of the most 'surprising' films of the year. Sitaru won the
2007 Golden Leopard for his short-film Waves. Rezo Films handles world
sales.

UK director Sallie Aprahamian's debut feature, and the section's only English-language entry, Broken Lines is set in urban London and delves into family roots and artistic ambitions. Italian entry Machan (co-produced with Germany and Sri Lanka), by Full Monty producer Uberto Pasolini is inspired by a true story about a group of Sri Lankans that pose as the national handball team to facilitate immigration to Europe.

Films in this non-competitive side bar are eligible for the Europa
Cinemas Award, which provides distribution in the Europa Cinemas
circuit.

Venice Days is in its fifth year, modeled after Cannes Directors'
Fortnight. It is led by Italian critic Fabio Ferzetti under the
Italian Producer's organization API.

The full line up of the Venice Film Festival will be announced
Tuesday. The festival runs Aug 27-Sept 6.

Venice Days Line up
Broken Lines - Sallie Aprahamian - (UK)
A Country Teacher (Venkovsky Ucitel) - Bohdan Slama - (Czech
Republic, Germany, France)
A Week Alone - Celina Murga - Argentina
Landscape No. 2 (Pokrajina St. 2) - Vinko Moderndorfer -
(Slovenia/Serbia-Montenegro)
Machan - Uberto Pasolini - (Italy/Germany/Sri Lanka)
The Visitor (Muukalainen)- Jukka-Pekka Valkeapaa -
(Finland/UK/Germany/Estonia)
Nowhere Man - Patrice Toye - (Belgium/Holland/Norway/Luxembourg)
Scratch (Rysa) - Michal Rosa - Poland
Stella - Sylvie Verheyde - (French)
Hooked (Pescuit Sportiv) - Adrian Sitaru (Romania/French)
Un Altro Pianeta - Stefano Tummolini - (Italy)

Venice Days Documentaries
Che Saccio - Camille d'Arcimoles (Italy)
Il Passato e il mio bastone - Flavia Mastrella and Antonio Rezza (Italy

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