Designed to “celebrate the dynamic of European film culture,” the Month of European Film, kicking off 13 November and presented across 35 countries, will comprise “Europe’s own film and award season,” as it celebrates the diversity of European film for four weeks until the grand finale on 10 December with the European Film Awards in Iceland.
Through the Academy’s partnership with Europa Cinemas, “flagship” cinemas in 35 countries will highlight European films, presenting special programmes, events and dedicated retrospectives. At the same time, the global streaming platform MUBI will present a special focus on European films, “allowing film lovers around the world to participate,” the Academy writes.
“What Europe is missing is a strong awareness of both the joint richness and the vulnerability of its own cinema and with it, the will and dedication to respect and protect it. We are convinced that strengthening the visibility of European films which feature our very own European stories and history shouldn’t be done only on a national level. This is a European question and need, one that can only be answered successfully together, by further joining forces. For us, this initiative is a first step. The Academy will be increasingly committed to this in the coming years,” says Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO and Director of the European Film Academy.
The Month of European Film kicks off on 13 November with the European Arthouse Cinema Day, a project organised by CICAE, and the European Film Academy’s yearly Young Audience Award. “Instead of a uniform catalogue, each participating cinema is creating a unique program according to their expertise and catering to their audience’s taste,” the Academy writes.
Knol comments: “Our goal in the future is to create more visibility for films from the annual Academy Selection as well as for the nominated films to a larger audience and to our members during the Month of European Film.”
There will be many different initiatives, the Academy notes. Many movie theatres will show retrospectives of renowned European filmmakers such as Lars von Trier (in Prague, Czech Republic), Jacques Tati (in Kolding, Denmark), Jonas Mekas (in Prishtina, Kosovo and in Tel Aviv, Israel), Pier Paolo Pasolini (in Bucharest, Romania) as well as Agnes Varda (in Ferrol, Spain). The cinema in Kolding, Denmark, will also have special screenings of European short films for people living with dementia, while the cinema in Kecskemet, Hungary will have screenings alongside an exhibition of movie poster interpretations pai nted by young students. More initiatives and events can be found at www.monthofeuropeanfilm.eu.
From 14 November the global streaming platform MUBI will feature 100 European films from classics to “truly great” new films, in the original language. “The European Film Academy is delighted to broaden its partnership with MUBI to celebrate the Month of European Film,” writes the Academy.
The Month of European Film culminates on 10 December in the 35th European Film Awards in Reykjavik. The ceremony includes the announcement of the nominations for the LUX Audience Award, bringing European films right back to the public and involving them in the vote for the winner.
After a Berlin pilot last year, The Month of European Film will continue to grow every year to include more and more places and ways for film-enthusiasts to join in this great celebration of European films, the Academy underlines.
