EUFF 2023: A cinematic celebration of Europe in the heart of Delhi

The 28th edition of the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) kicked off in the national capital over the weekend.

The festival, which is being hosted at the Indian Habitat Center, The Instituto Cervantes, and the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, has a repertoire of 28 films in 25 languages from 28 European countries.

Highlighting a ‘Window to Europe’, the festival offers a unique cultural perspective, particularly focusing on women in cinema, with 18 films directed by women.

The 10-day event, organized by the EU delegation to India and its member states, seeks to strengthen cultural connections between India and Europe.

“Europe and India share a common love story with cinema and story-telling. No wonder that the EUFF has established itself as a meeting place for people sharing a common passion for cinema,” Hervé Delphin, the ambassador of the EU to India, said.

Veronica Flora and Valerio Caruso, the curators of the festival, shared how cinema has an incredible knack for transcending borders, delving into the depths of reality “through all our senses, bringing us closer to one another, and taking us on a journey into the enigmatic threads that weave our lives together.”

“In addition to the cinematic journey, the festival offers an opportunity to the audience to interact with and explore the art of storytelling with exceptional European and Indian filmmakers and artists,” Flora said.

The “free for all” festival also shared the schedule for the screenings on their Instagram page:

“From comedy to drama, sci-fi to romance, animation to suspense, we’ve got you covered at the 28th #EUFF2023! Join us at different locations in this beautiful city as we release our exciting roster of movie screenings – your very own #WindowToEurope!

Watch films in over 25 languages, all subtitled, for FREE at the 28th #EUFF2023. Seats are available on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis – No registration needed!”

 

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Films, such as ‘Tori and Lokita’, which were honored at the Cannes film festival with the Special 75th Anniversary Award, will be screening at the festival on Sunday.

The festival will close with the screening of the acclaimed Irish masterpiece, ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ the winner of the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards.

The film, based on two close friends who reach a point of no return as one of them abruptly ends their friendship, was also nominated for the Academy Award in nine categories, including Best Picture.

In its second leg, the festival will kick off in Chennai between 19-28 January 2024.