Director, screenwriter, and author Jeff Nichols [pictured] also announced as chair of International Jury that will award the films in Competition.

Bakhtiar Khudojnazarov’s Waiting For The Sea (V Ožidanii Morja) will receive its world premiere as the opening film of the 7th Rome Film Festival, which runs Nov 9-17.

Khudojnazarov’s epic, six years in the making, stars Russian actor Egor Beroev, German director and actor Detlev Buck and actress/model Anastasia Mikulchina and will be presented Out of Competition. The film is a Russian, German, Belgian, French, Kazakh and Ukrainian co-production.

The festival has also announced that Take Shelter and Mud director Jeff Nichols will chair this year’s International Jury, which will award the films in Competition at this year’s edition.

Composed of seven other leading figures in the world of cinema and culture, the jury will award the Golden Marc’Aurelio for Best Film, the Best Director Award, the Special Jury Prize, the Best Actor Award, the Best Actress Award, the Emerging Actor or Actress Award, the Award for Best Technical Contribution and the Award for Best Screenplay.

For more information on this year’s edition, visit the Rome Film Festival website.

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