The European Film Academy has introduced the Month of European Film as a season dedicated to European cinematography and awards.
Starting from Nov. 13, Month of European Film will celebrate the diversity of European cinema for four weeks, until the grand finale on Dec. 10 with the European Film Awards. Across Europe, thanks to the Academy’s partner, Europa Cinemas, leading cinemas in 35 different countries will showcase European films, presenting special programs, events and dedicated retrospectives. At the same time, the global streaming platform MUBI will present a special focus on European films, allowing cinephiles from all over the world to participate.
There will be many different initiatives: some cinemas will offer retrospectives on famous European directors such as Lars von Trier (in Prague, Czech Republic), Jacques Tati (in Kolding, Denmark), Jonas Mekas (in Prishtina, Kosovo and Tel Aviv, Israel), Pier Paolo Pasolini (in Bucharest, Romania) and Agnès Varda (in Ferrol, Spain).
Several countries will focus on certain cinematographies, such as for the Italian retrospective in Kiev, Ukraine; the French film festival in Glasgow, Scotland, and Berlin, Germany; the Hungarian film week in Bucharest, Romania; the Ukrainian and Spanish film festival in Wroclaw, Poland; the Hungarian films and a Francophone film festival in Prishtina, Kosovo; and the Nordic film retrospective in Tel Aviv, Israel.
In addition, starting Nov. 14, the global streaming platform MUBI is offering 100 European films, from classics to major contemporary films, in original language.
“With European Film Month, the Academy is launching a new network. A large part of this network is made up of cinemas that curate smart programs with selected films that respond to the curiosity and tastes of their local audiences. Programs that help rediscover European film culture. For the first time, all these efforts and initiatives are linked together over a long period through Month of European Film, carefully orchestrated by the Academy,” says Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO and director of the European Film Academy. “What Europe lacks is a strong awareness of the richness and vulnerability of its cinema and, with it, a willingness and dedication to respect and protect it. We are convinced that strengthening the visibility of European films that present our stories and our History should not be done only at the national level. This is a European demand and need, which can only be successfully answered together, by further joining forces. For us, this initiative is a first step. The Academy will work harder and harder in the upcoming years.”
