The summer always starts with a fresh week of inspiration from TIFF 2016 in Cluj Napoca, probably the most creative place in Romania. Some of the best designers, photograpers & painters started out in this lovely old town. The city becomes crowded with actors, directors, writers, lifestyle art & culture bloggers and journalists, architects, designers and all sorts of creative, free-spirited people who work in the movie-making industry, in the press or are just movie aficionados and fans.
Whether you’re going out to eat or just working in a coffee shop, there’s big chances you will see a huge actor or director sitting at the table next door. I’m not talking about celebrities, I’m talking about artists that create the kind of movies that inspire anc change lives. Although there’s a lot of well know people this year as well.
Here you can find FIVE things to do while at TIFF 2016 – besides watching movies, of course.
1. Sophia Loren at TIFF 2016
Sophia Loren from the Philippe Halsman’s Jump Book (The Bible of Jumping)
2. Cofeee shops


3. The live music concerts at TIFF 2016:
4. The Cluj-Napoca Botanical Garden
Seriously, if you’re in Cluj, you need to check out the garden in the summer, it’s in full bloom and it looks and smells like heaven. It’s best to do it in the afternoon when the sun starts setting. It will make the festival experience a bit more chilled-out and green. It’s relaxing, especially in the Japanese garden. And if it’s raining, it’s even more special. I have a tradition of going there with my friend, Cristina Bazavan. So I’m going there in two days, when she’ll be at TIFF and we’ll take our laptops and work there. Or just enjoy a few quiet hours in the garden.
Here’s a few photo she took of me two years ago.