Film enthusiasts gathered at the India Habitat Centre on Thursday for the opening ceremony of the 29th edition of the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) which kickstarted with the screening of "La Chimera", an Italian film by renowned writer-director Alice Rohrwacher.
The film gala was inaugurated by EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin, along with Italian actor Yile Yara Vianello; Andrea Anastasio, director of the Italian Cultural Institute; and Lithuanian director Tomas Vengris.
Organised by the European Union, in collaboration with EU Members States and regional partners, the festival is billed as an annual celebration of European cinema. This year's edition will screen 26 award-winning films in 31 languages, offering a window into the society, culture, and people of the continent.
The festival is being held at three prominent venues in New Delhi -- India Habitat Centre (IHC), Instituto Cervantes, and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan.
Delphin praised India for its long tradition of cinema.
"People here love cinema and so do we in Europe, so bringing the best of European filmmaking to India is really something that helps to project Europe's richness, diversity, culture and storytelling to Indian audiences that we know can connect to cinema," the EU ambassador to India told PTI.
"The EU film festival is now in its 29th edition. Over time, it has established itself as part of the art scene and the cultural landscape in India. It has become a period, a place of meeting and an exchange of experiences between professionals," he added.
"La Chimera", which competed at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, is a period comedy drama, following the story of a British looter who gets involved in an international network of stolen Etruscan artefacts during the 1980s.
The movie features Josh O'Connor with Carol Duarte, Vincenzo Nemolato, Alba Rohrwacher and Isabella Rossellini in supporting roles.
The EUFF lineup also includes "What A Feeling" (Austria), "Five & A Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius" (Lithuania), "Stairway To Heaven" (Estonia), "Death is a Problem for the Living" (Finland), "Jim's Story" (France), "The Last Ashes" (Luxembourg), "Blood on the Crown" (Malta), "Afire" (Germany) and "How is Katia?" (Ukraine).
Festival curator Veronica Flora said she was honoured to show some of the most extraordinary movies from European filmmakers to Indian audiences.
"I have tried to show a wider representation of filmmakers and auteurs. We have a lot of female filmmakers and we are trying to touch upon different dimensions of life in Europe and how they resonates with people in India. We are far (away from each other), but we are similar," she told PTI.
Apart from New Delhi, the EUFF will also be held in Kolkata and Hyderabad.
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