Valentin Urziceanu’s debut feature, Close Enough, is ready for an international release. The picture is hybrid, made for its 80% of animation and for the remaining 20% of live-action sequences.

The story of Close Enough, penned by the director himself, promises to be “a satire about cinema, music and life.” It revolves around Giani (portrayed by Florin Mititelu), a Roma boy who, in a Europe torn apart by the Second World War, travels from Bucharest to Paris to meet his idol, Django Reinhardt, hoping to learn from him to become a great guitar player, along with the filmmaker's drama in the face of real-life constraints, all spiced with hundreds of references of the seventh art.

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Before embarking on the making of this feature, Urziceanu penned Death Whistle (an animated feature backed by the Romanian Film Center, now in post-production) and served as writer-director on several shorts such as Chororo and Dragon’s Gift. Over the last two years, he also worked for the ABIFF – Animation Bucharest International Film Festival.

Other main cast members of the animated part include Ioana Calotă, Lucian Corchis, Alexandru Ferariu, George Ioan Hodor, Ion Kivu, Adrian Dima, Mihnea Chelaru, Kristina Cepraga, Daniela Ioniță Marcu, Vasile Filipescu, Laura Anghel and Irina Ungureanu. Real-life characters are played by the director himself as the manager, Alin Vlăduca as the technician, George Lambru as the producer and Mircea Dina as the secretary.

Lorand Toth is serving as the project’s editor, whilst Norwegian composer Stian Vågen Nilsen and Romania’s KMP Studio are taking care of its score.

Talking about the scope of his film and his director’s vision, Urziceanu told Cineuropa: “Close Enough speaks about adventure, resilience and the effort to help the one next to you even at your peril, but it mainly focuses on the challenges that need to be overcome in the struggle to fulfil your dreams. As a director, I tried to make the film work on many layers, to be enjoyed by children who may be entertained by its slapstick humour, but also by adults who can recognise its cinematic references. The film often quotes classical films, both in the characters’ lines and in the framing. It was a challenge, but great fun for me, to connect, like in a mosaic, the lines of world cinema references with the circumstances depicted in Close Enough.”

Close Enough is produced by Romania’s ABI Foundation, with backing from the Romanian Film Center, OMD Romania and Publicis Groupe Media Bucharest. It had its domestic premiere on the 1^st of June, but it’s now looking for its international premiere. Mirona Radu, of Creatrix Fama Ltd., is in charge of its sales.