13th European Union Film Festival in India from April 1

New Delhi, Mar 27 (UNI) An exclusive collection of well-known contemporary films from Europe, showcasing the continent's resplendent culture and art, will be screened in five Indian cities as part of the European Union (EU) Film Festival during April 1-30.

EU member-states, embassies and the Delegation of the European Commission are collaborating with a range of local partners to organise the 13th European Union Film Festival in New Delhi (April 1-8 April), Chennai (April 7-17), Kolkata (April 10-16), Kozhikode (April 17-20) and Pune (April 24-30).

In celebrating the culture and art of several European countries, especially through the moving image, the EU hopes to emphasise the importance of culture, particularly in light of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, 2008.

An official of the EU said the Union's multifaceted relations with India encompass a dialogue between modern nation states built upon ancient civilisations, enriched with myriad cultures, religions, ethnicities, and languages.

''Culture has become an essential component of the EU-India relationship. The EU Film Festival is a step in celebrating the diversity of our cultures, both in India and in Europe, in the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue,'' the official said.

The EUFilm Festival is now part of the EU-India strategic partnership established at the 6th EU-India Summit in September 2005. In this edition of the EU Film Festival, the inspiring diversity in the contemporary European film industry is showcased through an array of films, each one representing a different Member State that includes national and international hits with gripping thrillers, finger-on-the-pulse comedies and forceful modern-day dramas.

This year the EU Film Festival showcases a package of 21 films from 20 EU Member States. The films being screened have in general been widely acclaimed in Europe and some have been awarded prestigious prizes in recent years.

The films that will be screened are Short Circuits (Slovenia), I Am (Poland), Kids in da Hood (Sweden), FC Venus (Finland), Waiter (Netherlands), On the Other Side of the Bridge (Austria), Yella (Germany), After the Wedding (Denmark), Its Spring in Prague Every Year (Czech Republic), Two Syllables Behind (Slovak Republic), and You and Me (France).

Among the other flicks in the package are Ultranova and Long Weekend (Belgium), Eighth Day of the Week (Hungary), Last of the High Kings (Ireland), Golden Beach (Estonia), Occident (Romania), Bye Bye Blackbird (Luxembourg), Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive (UK), Honey and Wine (Cyprus) and Fiction (Spain) The Festival is being staged in conjunction with the Delhi Government, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi; Nandan West Bengal Film Centre, Kolkata; Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Kozhikode; National Film Archive of India, Pune and ICA Foundation in Association with South India Film Chamber of Commerce, Chennai.

The support has slo been extended by Alliance Francaise de Delhi, Corporation of Kozhikode, Max Mueller Bhavan (Pune), Alliance Francaise de Poona and British Library (Pune).

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