From heartwarming to heart-wrenching, this year’s 37th European Film Festival (EUFF) has a story for everyone. The EUFF brings the best of contemporary filmmaking from the EU to Ottawa. After two years of online showcases, the Canadian Film Institute (CFI) is thrilled to announce the return of in-person screenings.
Each of the 27 European Union member states will feature one movie with an additional film from Ukraine. According to the CFI Executive Director Tom McSorely, “We can’t wait for our audiences to experience these amazing 28 films with big image and big sound.”
From November 17 – December 3, the Ottawa Art Gallery will provide the space to meet visiting filmmakers, enjoy receptions, and interact with other cinema fans. The EUFF will be presented with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Canada and the EU Member States.
The EUFF provides not just a film festival but also a beautiful portrayal of Europe’s diverse and rich cultures. The United Nation’s Ambassador to Canada, Dr. Melita Gabrič, opened EUFF 2022, thanking Tom McSorely for keeping the festival alive during the lockdowns and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Canada, Bořek Lizec, for co-hosting the inaugural evening.
The honour of the festival’s first screening is bestowed annually to the country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This year the Czech biographical drama Havel by Slávek Horák, inspired by the life and challenges of Václav Havel, a well-known playwright, and dissident who became the president of the Czech Republic, opened the festival.
In his remarks, Ambassador Lizec describes the “magical” evening when he joined the crowds assembled in Prague in November 1989 during the Velvet Revolution (the non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia) and quoted former President Václav Havel, who famously said, “Truth and love will overcome lies and hatred.” The ambassador said, “it is sad and alarming what Russia is doing to Ukraine” and hoped that Ukraine would also benefit from a peaceful resolution to its invasion by Russia.
Other attendees include Greek director and former foreign affairs diplomat Vassilis Xiros. His film A Day in the Life of a Teddy Bear screens on Sunday, November 20 and is described as a cross-cultural relationship drama in the first-ever co-production between Greece and China.
The final day of the festival presents a fantastic opportunity to support Ukraine. All ticket proceeds from the screenings of Klondike by Maryna Er Gorbach will be sent to the UNITED 24 platform, an initiative by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to acquire emergency transport vehicles for healthcare facilities in Kramatorsk.
Individual tickets are $14. There is a 30% discount for CFI Supporter members, seniors, and students.
A 6-Film Pack is available to CFI members for $50 and non-members for $60.
If you cannot attend the festival in person, the films are also available for online screening through euffonline.ca.
To view the full EUFF schedule and order tickets, visit the website at CFI-ICF.ca/euff22.