Cine Europa continues to excite Filipino audiences
Cine Europa, one of the biggest film festivals in the Philippines, continues to excite its Filipino audiences. Cine Europa was inaugurated recently by Mr Jérôme Rivière, First Secretary of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines, Ms Lala Fojas, Vice-President, Shangri-La Plaza Corporation and Mr Ted Granados, Executive Director, Film Development Council of the Philippines in Shang Cineplex, Shangri-La Plaza Mandaluyong City.
The festival which has marked its18th year has definitely endeared itself to its thousands of Filipino audiences.
For the past 18 years, Mr Jérôme Rivière, First Secretary of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines said that Cine Europa has been a lasting gift of the European Union to share its culture and heritage with the Philippines.
Cine Europa has gone bigger from showing 11 films in 1998 to 23 movies in 2015. These films come from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Fojas said that the festival has played a significant role in the lives of the Filipinos.
She said that stories in Cine Europa often tell us something about ourselves as much as it does its characters.
"We revel in stories of adventure and misadventure, often rooting for the valiant protagonist. Whether it’s to fight for equality or for love, to protect one’s own beliefs or to go against them, to pursue one’s passion or an unrequited love".
"It is not only despite of but especially because of our limitations that we are all driven by our need to become something more than ourselves and, in the process, emerge as better and stronger persons".
Granados described the festival as bridging the cultural divide between and among Filipinos and Europeans.
“These are films without borders and share common humanity," he said.
The festival travels to other provinces to reach out to more Filipinos:
- Iloilo City Cinematheque, September 29 to October 4;
- Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu City, October 9 to 11;
- Zamboanga Cinematheque, October 13 to 18;
- University of the Philippines, Tacloban City, October 21 to 25;
- Film Development Council of the Philippines, Davao City, November 3 to 8;
- Visayas State University, Leyte, November 10 to 15 ;
- Liceo De Cagayan University, Cagayan De Oro; November 18 to 22 ;
In this year's festival, the Embassy of Poland based in Kuala Lumpur, for the first time, will participate with their two famous movies – Miasto 44 (a story of love, friendship and pursuit of adventure during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising) and Ida ( a story of a novitiate nun in 1960s who discovers a dark family secret dating back to the Nazi occupation).
Meanwhile, Finland returns this year with its entry, "Naked Harbour", a film about how hope conquers love.
Another special highlight in this year's festival is the arrival of Lenka Kny, director and Alesh Hudsky, producer of "Christmas Miracles in Prague" from the Embassy of the Czech Republic. Both are expected to hold a series of lectures in October as her hilarious and popular movie showcasing the miracles of the Infant Jesus, is screened.
Cine Europa 18 is organised by the European Union Cultural Group in Manila and EU Cultural Institutes accredited to the Philippines including the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, photo by Manuel GenerosoNorway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, Instituto Cervantes de Manila, British Council, Goethe-Institut, Philippine-Italian Association, and Alliance Française.
Cine Europa partners include: the Shangri-La Plaza Mall (Manila), Film Development Council of the Philippines, Arts Council of Cebu and Liceo de Cagayan de Oro (Mindanao), the Visayas State University in Baybay and University of the Philippines - Tacloban. Philstar.com is the online media partner of Cine Europa.
Other partners who have played a very important role in the film festival are: JEC Philippines, Institut Francais, the Norwegian Film Institute and the Swiss Cultural Fund – Philippines.
