Initiated and co-presented by Film ETC Association (recently renamed Insula 42), in partnership with leading American film organizations, Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema is the leading comprehensive U.S. festival dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the best in Romanian contemporary cinema.

From its start in 2006, the Romanian Film Festival in New York was nourished by the belief that Romanian cinema deserves to be exposed on a sustainable basis to American audiences. Under the leadership of cultural entrepreneur Corina Șuteu, with Mihai Chirilov as artistic director and Oana Radu as festival manager, the festival has been growing by leaps and bounds, becoming a fixture on the city’s cultural scene, and helping “define and establish the southeastern European country as a stronghold of socially incisive, independently minded personal cinema” (Wall Street Journal).

With each edition, it attracted a larger and dedicated following and built strong recognition among US film professionals. The festival has also enjoyed consistent media coverage, from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to The Village Voice, Time Out New York, Variety, and Indiewire.