European Film Festival returns to Kingdom with ‘enriched programme’

AMMAN — The European Film Festival (EUFF) is returning to Amman for its 29th edition, which will run from November 23 to December 2 at the Haya Cultural Centre, said European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) project manager, Gaelle Sundelin.

Held annually to “strengthens the ties between the European and Jordanian cultures by providing a window on the European culture for the local audience “, the event is coming back for a “bigger and bolder” edition this year, according to Stephane Delaporte, Director of the French Institute in Jordan.

Since last year, the EUFF, which is organised by the EU Delegation in Jordan and EUNIC, has become a “full blown festival” featuring a number of cultural activities alongside the movie screenings, the organisers said at the presser announcing the event.

The 2017 edition will feature 21 movies from 20 European countries, with a record number of films subtitled in Arabic, marking a high increase from last year’s total of 11 movies.

Free daily screenings will be available for the public at 6 and 9pm, in the longest-running foreign film festival in the Kingdom.

“Cinema is probably one of the most accessible artistic outlets to show the diversity of Europe, especially through the different genres which all reflect various characteristics of European countries. That is why it is important for us to keep this festival free of charge to make it affordable and attractive to the largest audience possible,” Antonio Lazaro, EUNIC president told The Jordan Times. 

“This year holds many surprises, as we have a lot of fun activities on top of the film productions which include dance performances, concerts and European receptions,” , Sundelin said, noting that the event will offer cinephiles the chance to meet with noted directors, actors and producers on the sidelines of the screenings.

“It has become much more than a film festival. We are going to conduct debates, workshops and masterclasses with professionals from the industry in order to engage the local audience in an interactive learning environment,” said Sundelin, noting that the week will kick off on Thursday with a dancing show gathering foreign and local DJs at the Kick Bar in Shmeisani.

“We, as humans, need to dream, to tell stories that preserve our heritage and traditions and we also need to create in order to open new horizons,” said Delaporte, noting that the public will have the chance to get involved and become his/her own filmmaker and designer through a mobile phone film competition and a poster competition open to all.

The European Day of Languages will conclude the celebrations on December 2, offering participants a full immersion experience into the European lifestyle with cultural and traditional activities such as drawing, reading and cooking, according to the organisers.

The award-winning movies to be screened include productions from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, according to the EUFF website.

More information on the festival can be found on www.euffjordan.com