Clear your schedules and get your popcorn hand ready for a marathon movie extravaganza. The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) returns to Ottawa with 27 films, one for each member state, screened throughout the 10-day festival.
Sponsored by “The Charming Taste of Europe” and presented in partnership with The Canadian Film Institute (CFI), The European Union Film Festival and the European Union Delegation to Canada, EUFF is celebrating its 37th year. CFI Executive Director Tom McSorley says, “The 2023 EUFF boasts a strong line-up of diverse, diverting, and provocative films . . . we are showcasing both emerging filmmaking talents as well as recent works by established directors.”
The Spanish Film Ramona from director Andrea Bagney kicks things off on Thursday, November 16. Shot in Black and white, the movie is about a young wannabe actress who auditions for a film, but there is a twist! On Sunday, November 17, the director of the Greek film Listen, Maria Douza will be in attendance for a Q&A after the screening of her coming-of-age film about a deaf girl, and on Sunday, November 26, the proceeds from the screening of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, will benefit the Maple Hope Foundation, a Canadian not-for-profit helping people suffering from the war in Ukraine.
Twenty-four additional films will entice you, like the political drama Keep your eye on the ball from Estonia, which features the story of a young basketball team that makes it to the finals in the USSR championship despite the country’s struggle for independence. The submission for Finland, Rap and Reindeer is about a young Sami boy torn between his proud native heritage and close connection to the land and his budding musical career. This is but a taste of the contemporary filmmaking on offer from the European Union.
All the films will be screened at the Alma Duncan Salon in the Ottawa Art Gallery. Advance individual tickets, the EUFF Six-Film Pack and full festival passes can be purchased from the EUFF website. When available, single movie tickets will be for sale 30 minutes before each screening.
EUFF is so much more than an opportunity to see great films; it’s a window into the world of our shared human experience. Though the language and settings of these dramas, comedies, documentaries and thrillers may be different, we can see the common threads that we all share and garner a deeper appreciation for each other.
Our world is a big and often troubling place; EUFF offers us a chance to laugh, cry, and celebrate life while realizing that we are not so different after all.
Again this year, EUFF Online will launch after the completion of the in-person festival, from December 1 to 17, so everyone has access to these wonderful films.
Click here for the complete schedule for EUFF2023 and to order tickets.
Keep up to date by following EUFF on Facebook or visit the website, https://www.cfi-icf.ca/euff23/
