Mila Filipova explores the award winning selection of International films shown at Kinofilm fest 2021.

Riz Ahmed shines as a hearing-impaired drummer in an understated drama about struggling to accept a dramatic change in one’s way of living

The Dig humanises the groundbreaking archaeological discovery of the Sutton Hoo burial sites and is a heart wrenching account of friendship and love

A cartoonish Twist is far from updated in this confusing heist film that portrays Bill Sykes as a predatory lesbian

Dragon Rider is a German take on the concept of humans and dragons coexisting in one world, but fails to add anything innovative to it

‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ featuring great performances by Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis is a powerful exploration of artistry, race, inequality and the American dream

After a period away from the big screen, Fincher returns with a rich and thoughtful account of the career of Citizen Kane writer Herman J. Mankiewicz in Mank

Even though it has two iconic actresses at the centre, Hillbilly Elegy is unable to engage with the big ideas at its centre due to dull writing and bad characterisation

Another Round is an excellently crafted piece of work, amusing and fun at times but sincere and serene at its core.

Set to the backdrop of an isolated Canadian bar, The Oak Room, starring Breaking Bad’s R J Mitte, is an unusual exploration of storytelling, violence and the genre of horror itself

Jon Stevenson’s directorial debut Rent-A-Pal is an intriguing character study ultimately let down by its underdeveloped script and weak ending, writes Ross McFadden

The Painted Bird is a visually stunning but emotionally empty tale of brutality in a lawless time, writes Michal Wasilewski

This Is Not Berlin is a sensual portrait of Mexico’s underground scene amid the social and political turmoil of the 1980s, writes Michal Wasilewski

Loop is an unoriginal take on time travel films and is better suited to the teenage audience of streaming services than film festivals, writes Michal Wasilewski

Chris Thomas’ Let’s Roll is a hilarious and heartwarming look at resilience and overcoming adversity surrounding the infamous Gloucester cheese rolling competition

And Then We Danced is a deeply emotional, subtle romance which avoids preachiness and pretentiousness by conveying its message through music and dance, writes Michal Wasilewski

Oh, Sorry is a eloquently written and performed short film that beautifully captures the grieving process and the acceptance that follows, writes Lily Rosenberg

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2000 directorial debut Amores perros provides a look into the class structure in Mexico City that is still relevant today, writes Zofia Gryf-Lowczowska

Although Charlie Buhler’s pandemic-based Before the Fire may seem perfectly timed, it fails to recreate even a bad apocalypse film, writes Michal Wasilewski.

Calm with Horses blends a gripping underworld story with a personal drama to create universal moral dilemmas, writes Michal Wasilewski.