Romanian Films Selected for Cannes Festival

The first film selected, 'Comoara' ('The Treasure') is directed by director Corneliu Porumboiu, who in 2006 won Cannes' Golden Camera prize for best first film with his '12:08 East of Bucharest' feature.

The movie stars both professional and amateur actors, focusing on two men who have surprising adventures as they attempt to find treasure.

The second one, 'Un Etaj Mai Jos' ('A Floor Below'), is a feature-length movie, directed by Radu Munteanu, which examines the inner life of a witness to a crime.

Both movies are to be released this year in Romanian cinemas.

Recent years have seen a renaissance in Romanian cinema. The Communist past, the 1989 revolution and the turbulent transition to democracy have all been themes in the country's new wave of films.

Young directors have been sharing their experiences and memories in a way that critics find honest and realistic.

In February, film director Radu Jude won the Silver Bear for best director at the Berlin Film Festival with his historical drama about prejudice against Roma people.

'Child's Pose', directed by Calin Netzer, also won the Golden Bear prize for best film at the 2013 Berlin film festival.

In 2012, the low-budget film 'Beyond the Hills', directed by Cristian Mungiu, won two prizes at the Cannes film festival.

In 2007, a drama also directed by Mungiu entitled '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' (also known as '432') won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Mungiu also won the award for best director that year.

Two years earlier, the movie 'The Death of Mr Lazarescu' by Cristi Puiu, dubbed one of the year's ten best films by the New York Times, won Cannes' Un Certain Regard prize.

The 68th Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 13-24.