International Film Festival Rotterdam's blog

The 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam will be closed, Saturday evening February 5, with the screening of David O'Russell's The Fighter, winner of two Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale) and Best Supporting Actress (Melissa Leo).
Prior to the screening the IFFR announces the winners of the UPC Audience Award (Best Festival Film 2011) and the Dioraphte Award (Best Hubert Bals Fund Supported Film 2011) as the result of audience votes.

The Fighter replaces, as was announced earlier, The King's Speech as IFFR's Closing Night Film 2011. The screening of The Fighter takes places Saturday 5 February from 09.00 pm at the Grand Auditorium of festival location ‘de Doelen'. Tickets are available through www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com and at the Festival Box Office in ‘de Doelen'.

In The Fighter, Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale) is a former boxing hero that squandered his talents and threw away his shot at greatness. Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), his half brother, is the struggling journeyman who spent his life living in his big brother's shadow.
The Fighter is inspired by the true story of two brothers who, against all the odds, come together to train for a historic title bout that will unite their fractured family, redeem their pasts and, at last, give their hard-luck town what it's been waiting for: pride.

The Fighter will be released in Dutch theatres on March 24 2011 by A-Film Distribution.