24th European Union Film Festival to be held in Mumbai from 20th to 26th September 2019

Mumbai:20/9/19:Delegation of the European Union and embassies of EU Member States in partnership with Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is organising the 24th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) during September 20-26, 2019 at the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai. The festival brings together a boutique of the latest 23 award-winning films from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Director, writer and producer, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Chargé d’affaires, Delegation of the European Union to India, Mr. Raimund Magis together inaugurated the festival today at the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai. ‘Backstage’, a 90 minute Slovakian film was screened after the inauguration to kick-start the weeklong festival. The inaugural film tells the story of a talented dance group striving for a breakthrough in the show business.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said: “The EUFF is about diverse cultures and exchange among peoples, how people think in different parts of the world, how they feel and the social and cultural interpenetration of values. There is a lot to learn from each other.” He appealed to invest in tomorrow, to facilitate younger generation, especially students of film journalism. He expressed that youngsters would have fresh, unbiased and a very different perspective and original ideas to tell stories from this part of the world, and we must encourage and facilitate youngsters to take this dialogue and interaction further. He congratulated the organizers for the wonderful initiative and extended his best wishes.Speaking about the film festival, Raimund Magis, said, “We are glad to showcase Europe’s rich cultural diversity and its dynamic and engaging cinematic landscape in Mumbai. Mumbai is a diverse city replete with cultural flavours and the theme of the films will be well appreciated by Mumbaikars. This year, we bring an array of films exploring themes of self-discovery, dreams of a better future, nostalgia for the past and human endurance in the face of psychological and situational barriers – universal themes cinemagoers everywhere can identify with”.

Films to be screened at the EUFF are:

Austria /Styx; Belgium /King of the Belgians; Bulgaria /Bubblegum; Cyprus /Rosemarie; Czech Republic/ Tender Waves; Denmark /The Charmer;Finland/Laugh or Die; France/Hope; Germany /Me and Kaminski; Greece/Little England; Hungary/The Troupe; Ireland/Black 47; Italy/Drive Me Home; Latvia/ Return of Sergeant Lapins; Lithuania /Ashes in the Snow; Malta/Of Time and the Sea; Netherlands/ Tulipani: Love, Honour and a Bicycle; Portugal /Diamantino; Romania /Beside Me; Slovakia /Backstage; Spain/ María (and Everybody Else); Sweden/ Drifters; Switzerland/ #Female Pleasure.