JOIN USThe 21st European Union Film Festival debuted in Bengaluru and there is an exciting variety on offer for movie buffs.
The festival is organised by the Delegation of the European Union and embassies of the EU member states in partnership with Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, British Council and Suchitra Film Society.
The travelling festival premiered in Bengaluru with a screening of the French film ‘L’illusionniste’, an animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet that has won many international awards.
The movie revolves around a French illusionist who finds himself out of work and travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman. Their ensuing adventure forms the crux of the story.
Many more such interesting ideas will be showcased in the film collection. Perennial themes like the redemption of love, the resilience of youth and family based stories will be presented in a new light with a cast of characters that includes revolutionaries, ghosts, spirited children and flamenco artistes.
The festival features films from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Says Anand Varadaraj, CEO of Bangalore International Short Film Festival, “It is a beautiful idea as we get to see the best cinema from even the lesser-known countries. All the stories are beautiful and will bring out the emotional connect between people.”
The audience is also delighted to be able to view the festival again after a gap of a few years.
Given the variety, the viewer group is varied, between 18 to 80 years. This includes regulars, Europeans living in the city, youngsters studying cinema, journalists and
movie lovers who are curious about such less accessible movies.
Says Amal, a movie aficionado, “Award-winning movies show more reality than the commercial ones. There is also technical perfection and a completely different way of storytelling than what we are used to seeing here. They show us a lesser-known face of Europe.”