Press Release
THE 20th EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL
Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Fresh Round of Award-Winning Films
Singapore, April 22, 2010 – Following its sell-out success last year, the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) returns once again to bring Singaporeans on a mesmerising visual odyssey through Europe, offering a unique perspective into the rich and diverse cultures of the European Union through the Silver Screen. One of Singapore’s longest-running film festivals, the EUFF celebrates its 20th anniversary with an exciting cinematic showcase of critically acclaimed European films that have won awards and nominations in prestigious festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, and even includes an Oscar nominee.
This year also sees the EU continuing its efforts in encouraging cinematic exchange and fostering closer cultural exchange between Europe and Singapore. The 20th EUFF will partner Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film and Media Studies to screen some of its students’ best short films before the start of selected feature films. This will give these promising young filmmakers a chance of a lifetime to see their works on the big screen – next to those of acclaimed international directors – and offer the Festival’s Singaporean and European audiences a glimpse of some of the brightest young cinematic talents in Singapore today.
H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Antonio Sánchez Jara, representing the rotating Presidency of the European Union, says, "The EUFF has shown many European films over the past 20 years, but the richness and diversity of European culture ensures that we have a fresh and exciting range of films to share with our Singaporean audience every year." He adds, "This year, we’ve selected some truly compelling films across a broad spectrum of genres that will appeal to both Europeans and Singaporeans of all ages, and open a window for them to experience the many different parts of Europe."
The 20th EUFF will feature 17 critically acclaimed and award-winning films from some of the European Union’s member countries. They will offer intimate insights, quirky perspectives, romantic musings, and breathtaking panoramas of the landscape, life and culture in Europe. Highlights of the festival include: the opening film and gala premiere (one week ahead of its commercial launch) of Broken Embraces (Spain) by famed director Pedro Almodóvar and starring Penelope Cruz; The Father of my Children (France) – winner of the ”Un Certain Regard” Special Jury Award at Cannes Film Festival 2009; Unmade Beds (UK) – nominated for the Grand Jury Prize l in the category of World Cinema (Dramatic) at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival; and The Secret of Kells (Ireland) – Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film in 2010.
The Festival will be officially opened on 6 May 2010 at Golden Village VivoCity by Guest-of-Honour Mr Sam Tan, Parliamentary Secretary for Information, Communications and the Arts, and will run until 16 May 2010.
About the EUFF
The European Union Film Festival is an annual event that showcases a collection of films which draws on the diverse and rich culture of Europe. The film festival, now in its twentieth year, is a window into the intriguing world of European cinema. The films showcased in this festival may belong to a specific country, but they are all representative of Europe’s common cultural heritage. The richness of Europe’s culture is world renowned. Language, literature, performing arts, visual arts, architecture, crafts, broadcasting and of course, cinema all celebrates Europe’s cultural diversity and history.
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