Dracula (2025 film)

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Dracula
Dracula 2025.jpeg
Promotional poster
Directed by Radu Jude
Screenplay byRadu Jude
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMarius Panduru
Edited byCătălin Cristuțiu
Music by
  • Wolfgang Frisch
  • Hervé Birolini
  • Matei Teodorescu
Production
companies
  • Saga Film
  • RT Features
  • Nabis Filmgroup
  • Paul Thiltges Distribution
  • Romanian National Film Center
Distributed byIndependenţa Film (Romania)
Release date
  • 10 August 2025 (2025-08-10)(Locarno)
Running time
170 minutes
Countries
  • Romania
  • Austria
  • Luxembourg
  • Brazil
Languages
  • Romanian
  • English
  • German
Budget1.5 million [1]

Dracula is a 2025 comedy-drama film written and directed by Radu Jude. The film title is inspired by Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker's Dracula . Set in contemporary Transylvania, it explores the legend of Dracula through Romanian lenses. [2] [3]

Contents

The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 78th Locarno Film Festival on 10 August 2025, where it was nominated for Golden Leopard. [4]

Cast

Production

Principal photography began on 7 July 2024 on locations in Transylvania, Romania. [5] [6] [7] Made with a budget of €1.5 million, the project was shot over 29 days in various picturesque locations, including medieval fortresses in Sighişoara and Bucharest. [1]

In an interview to the Variety Jude said, "If Kontinental '25 is my answer to Roberto Rossellini, let’s say that Dracula is my love letter to Ed Wood" (referring to the American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novelist). [8]

Release

Dracula premiered at the 78th Locarno Film Festival on 10 August 2025, and competed for the Golden Leopard. [9] [10] It was also presented in the Icon section at the 30th Busan International Film Festival on 18 September 2025. [11]

The film also made it to the Currents Selections of the 2025 New York Film Festival, where it will have its New York Premiere in October 2025. [12] On 2 October 2025, it will be presented in Altered States section of 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival. [13] In October, it will also compete in the 58th Sitges Film Festival in the 'Oficial Fantàstic Competició' section, vying for the various awards given in the section. [14] [15] The film will be screened in The Essentials for its Quebec Premiere at the 2025 Festival du nouveau cinéma on 13 October 2025. [16]

It will also be screened in the Spotlight Comedy section of the 61st Chicago International Film Festival on 24 October 2025. [17]

1-2 Special acquired North American rights to the film. [6]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipientResultRef.
Locarno Film Festival 16 August 2025 Golden Leopard DraculaNominated [8]
Junior Jury AwardsSecond Prize [18]
Sitges Film Festival 19 October 2025 Best Feature FilmPending [19]

References

  1. 1 2 "Radu Jude poised to make Dracula great again at Locarno". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 10 July 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  2. Leffler, Rebecca. "Luxbox takes on international sales to Radu Jude's offbeat comedy drama 'Dracula'". Screen. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  3. "Dracula". Locarno Film Festival . 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  4. Mona Tabbara (8 July 2025). "Locarno unveils 2025 line-up including premieres of Radu Jude's 'Dracula', Kamal Aljafari's 'With Hasan In Gaza'". ScreenDaily . Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  5. "Dracula: Independent Feature Film". Crew United. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  6. 1 2 Goodfellow, Melanie (8 July 2025). "1-2 Special Takes North America For Radu Jude's 'Dracula' Ahead Of Locarno Debut". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  7. Ruimy, Jordan (8 January 2025). "Radu Jude Releasing Two Films in 2025, Including 'Dracula'". World of Reel. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  8. 1 2 Marta Balaga (8 July 2025). "Radu Jude, Abdellatif Kechiche Head to Locarno as Swiss Fest Announces Lineup, An 'Ambitious and Exciting Edition'". Variety . Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  9. Szalai, Georg (8 July 2025). "'Dracula' by Radu Jude, David Lynch-Exec Produced 'Happy Worker' Set for Locarno Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  10. Del Don, Giorgia (9 July 2025). "Locarno announces the selection of its highly anticipated competition". Cineuropa . Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  11. "Selection List : Icon". BIFF. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  12. Zilko, Christian (7 August 2025). "NYFF Reveals 2025 Currents Lineup, Including New Films by Tsai Ming-liang and Radu Jude". IndieWire . Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  13. "Altered States". Vancouver International Film Festival . 27 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  14. Popp, Olivia (11 September 2025). "Sitges gets ready to thrill and chill with its 2025 line-up". Cineuropa . Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  15. "We Complete the 2025 line-up: Guillermo del Toro, Yorgos Lanthimos, Park Chan-wook, Carmen Maura, and Other Big Names in Contemporary Fantastic Genre". Sitges Film Festival . 10 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  16. "Dracula". Festival du Nouveau Cinéma . 23 September 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  17. "Dracula". Chicago International Film Festival . 18 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  18. Georg Szalai (16 August 2025). "Locarno Film Festival Top Award Goes to 'Two Seasons, Two Strangers' by Sho Miyake". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  19. "We Complete the 2025 line-up: Guillermo del Toro, Yorgos Lanthimos, Park Chan-wook, Carmen Maura, and Other Big Names in Contemporary Fantastic Genre". Sitges Film Festival . Archived from the original on 14 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.