Month: May 2016

Ukraine and Moldova – Neighbours in Focus (European Film Festival 2015)

During the European Film Festival 2015, the EUNIC Bucharest Cluster has supported a special two-day focus on the filmmaking from the Ukraine and Republic of Moldova. With the contribution of several cultural institutes (the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Czech Center, the French Institute, the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Polish Institute) and with the support of the UNDP regional office for Europe and Central Asia, 7 productions were screened at Cinema Elvire Popesco.

This event aimed to improve the presence of the Ukrainian and Moldavian film industry on the international stage, but also to reinforce the EU cultural initiatives in these the non-EU member countries, in order to offer best practices to the EUNIC Cluster in Ukraine and to support the creation of a new EUNIC Cluster in the Republic of Moldova. Indeed, their strategical position represents a major issue within the European Neighborhood Policy.

The focus was targeted towards a large audience in Bucharest, from young people to elder movie fans. With a number of almost 250 spectators in total, the goal was reached (as it also was during the Cronograf festival in Republic of Moldova and the Molodist international festival in Ukraine). This was achieved thanks to a good communication strategy, achieved both internally, externally, among the media partners but also nearby the general public, though printed and electronic materials, but also posts and updates on the social media sites. Furthermore, most of the movies were accompanied by Q&A sessions, with the presence of the following producers:

  • The Gipsy Baron: producers Michaela Ronzoni, Antony Jacobson, Oleg Diordiev
  • Chisinau and Kiev: producers and directors: Miroslaw Dembinski and Miroslawa Dembinska
  • Arrivederci: director and producer: Valeriu Jereghi

On the 11th of May, a discussion panel on film production took place in collaboration with UNATC and the internet platform All About Romanian Cinema. Around 50 persons participated at the panel, along the guests: Michaela Ronzoni, Antony Jacobson, Oleg Diordiev, Olga Zhurzhenko, Miroslaw Dembinski, Miroslawa Dembinska, Valeriu Jereghi, Cristina Flutur, Alex Traila and Ada Solomon.

Through this special focus, we haven’t only accentuated the presence of EU cultural initiatives in the Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova by offering a common platform of communication on filmmaking through the European Film Festival, but we also gave them the opportunity to present some of the best productions made in these countries situated at the borders of the European Union.

European Film Festival 2016, the 20th edition

European Film Festival takes place between 5-29 of May 2016. The Festival is organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute, with the support of the Representation of the European Commission in Romania, under EUNIC Bucharest’s aegis.

The screenings is hosted by six cities in Romania. Four of them are competing for the title of 2021 European Cultural Capital: Bucharest, Baia Mare, Cluj, Timisoara. Other two cities, Hunedoara and Tîrgu Mureș, are traditional partners of the Festival.

The European Film Festival is a project initiated in 1996, by the Delegation of the European Commission in Romania, in order to celebrate Europe’s Day, on 9th of May. After 2007, when Romania joined the European Union, the Festival was taken over by the Romanian Cultural Institute, which organized it every year since then, the 2016 edition of the Festival being a celebratory one, the 20th.

The Festival offers its audience all kind of films, as European Union’s diversity is illustrated at its best by the multicultural, savory and whimsical European cinematography. The selection was performed by the organizers with the assistance of the Embassies of EU Member States, with the Cultural Institutes and Centers, and supplemented with valuable contributions from distributors of European films, Independența Film and Transilvania Film.

This year’s selection is the richest: 85 films, originating from 27 countries. This year’s edition includes also 4 thematic sections: Shakespeare 400 benefited from the support of the British Council. 10 Friends of EFF – a section created with the generous contribution of 10 directors, honorary ambassadors of the Festival in the latest 10 years. LUX Film Prize and Escape in Europe sections were developed with the assistance of the European Parliament Information Office in Romania and the Festival One World Romania.

Partners: the Filmmakers Union of Romania, the Romanian National Film Archive, Elvire Popesco Cinema Partners in local editions: Baia Mare: Baia Mare 2021 Foundation, Baia Mare City Hall Cluj-Napoca: Cluj 2021 Association, Cluj-Napoca City Hall Hunedoara: Corvin Castle Museum, Faculty of Engineering, Hunedoara City Hall Timișoara: Timișoara City Hall, Timișoara Culture Hall, Ambasada – project initiated by CASA PLAI Association Tîrgu Mureș: K’arte Association, ARTA Cinema, Tîrgu-Mureș City Hall.