The Cannes film festival has brought huge joy for Romanian movie people, who won two awards at the ceremonies in the Southern French resort. Director Corneliu Porumboiu was hailed with a “Belle Europa cinema” award for best European film with his first feature firlm “A fost sau n’a fost” (Was it or was it not).

That means the distribution of his film in European cinemas is secured.

On Saturday, Romania got another award – the first for a Romanian actor at the Cannes Festival. Young actress Dorotheea Petre received an award for lead female actor with her role in Catalin Mitulescu’s “Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii” (How I spent the end of the world).

Romania reported its most consistent presence at Cannes this year, with three films running in the sections Un Certain Regard, la Quinzaine des Realisateurs and la Semaine de la Critique. Romanian public television director Tudor Giurgiu’s own “Legaturi bolnavicioase” (Love Sick) will also be shown in the March du Film section.