New Delhi: Minister of State (I/C) for Information & Broadcasting and Sports & Youth Affairs, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurated the European Union Film Festival here today. Shri Amit Khare, Secretary Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India; Mr. Raimund Magis, Deputy head of Delegation of the European Union to India; Ms. Katarina Tomkova, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Slovak Republic; Producer of the opening Slovakian film Little Harbour Ms. Katarina Krnacova, Additional Director General, Directorate of Film Festival Shri Chaitanya Prasad and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. The opening ceremony was followed by the screening of Slovakian movie “Little Harbour”.
Speaking on the occasion, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore said that the charm in watching the film is in seeing the story as well as meeting people and that is the essence of film festival. Though people across the border vary by skin color, culture they are one people. He also said that watching films breaks these barriers and story gets communicated to people of any country. He said that even if language of the film is not understood the emotion in the film is understood through the body language.
The European Union Film Festival 2018 brings to the city a selection of some of the finest and most riveting films coming out of Europe today. With a selection of 24 latest European films from 23 EU Member States, this years’ film festival brings some unusual stories for the world cinema enthusiasts. The European Union Film Festival is organized by Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India partnering with the Delegation of the European Union and embassies of EU Member States in various city film clubs.
The festival will traverse through 11 cities in India including New Delhi, Chennai, Port Blair, Pune, Puducherry, Kolkata, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Thrissur, Hyderabad and Goa from 18th June till 31st August. Celebrating diversity, the EUFF will screen movies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
As a special attraction this year, audience, students and filmmakers will get an opportunity to interact with Katarína Krnáčová (Slovakian producer), Paula Ortiz (Spanish Director), Salvatore Alloca (Italian Director), Yannis Korris (Greek Director), Douglas Boswell (Belgium Director) and Ádám Fekete (Hungarian Actor) who are travelling to India for the festival. Indian actress Neena Kulkarni who has worked in the Luxembourg movie being screened at the film festival will be attending the festival in Goa.
23rd European Film Festival has some unusual stories to tell: the lines of reality are blurred when the cyber world comes to life; a play done by a motley cast of antiheroes provides an opportunity for redemption; a man stuck in an unhappy marriage practices unusual ways to assert his freedom; a music critic finds his father irksome when they both begin to compete for the attention of an attractive psychotherapist; and three Kurdish siblings come together unexpectedly in a hair-raising journey during which they are pursued by angry relatives. These are just some of the curious themes of the European Union Film Festival of 2018.
Paula Ortiz (Spanish Director), Salvatore Alloca (Italian Director) will be present during their respective movie screenings.
The award winning film Little Harbour is inspired by true events about two children whose innocent play changes their lives forever. It’s a story of children who feel safer in the streets than at home, about children seeking out sturdy lifeboats that cross between the world of fantasy and the harsh reality of life. The ten year old Jarka lives with her mother, who is not yet ready to be a Mum. She spends most of her time alone. Pushed by her desire for love and to form a fully functional family, she finds herself substituting as a mother to two babies.
Film will be with English subtitles. Entry will be allowed for 18+ and will be on a first come, first served basis.
The films to be screened at the EUFF are – The Magic of Children (Austria); Labyrinthus (Belgium); Viktoria (Bulgaria); Cowboys (Croatia); Boy on the Bridge (Cyprus); Tiger Theory / Teorie Tygra (Czech Republic); Walk with me / De Standhaftige (Denmark); Land of Mine / Under Sandet (Denmark); The Man Who Looks Like Me / Minu Näoga Onu (Estonia); Unexpected Journey (Finland); 9 Month Stretch / 9 Mois Ferme (France); House without Roof / Haus ohne Dach (Germany); Kissing? / Ontos Filiounte? (Greece); Kills on Wheels (Hungary); Taranta on the Road (Italy); The Lesson / Izlaiduma Gads (Latvia); When You Wake Up (Lithuania); A Wedding / Noces (Luxembourg); Letter for the King (Netherlands); A Brave Bunch (Poland); Mother Knows Best (Portugal); Little Harbour / Piata loď (Slovakia); The Bride / La Novia(Spain) and Eternal Summer (Sweden).
Synopsis of the movies to be screened
Schedule of the movies in New Delhi
Profiles of the visiting Directors / Producers / Actors
About the European Union (EU):
The EU, which consists of 28 countries, has the world’s largest economy and its third largest population, after China and India. Though richly diverse, the countries that make up the EU (its ‘Member States’) are all committed to the same basic values: peace, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. They have set up common institutions so that decisions on matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level. By creating a frontier-free single market and a single currency (the euro) which has been adopted by 19 Member States, the EU has given a significant boost to trade and employment. It is also at the forefront of policies on sustainability.
