European Union Film Festival returns to Toronto with a wide variety of films screening from November 8th-22nd at the Royal Cinema.
Toronto — The critically acclaimed European Union Film Festival returns to Toronto with a
wide variety of films screening from November 8th-22nd at the Royal Cinema. Award winningfilms
will make their debut at the festival, representing a rare opportunity to see these movies on
the big screen. With genres spanning drama, comedy, romance and more, there is something for
everyone at the EUFF.
Opening the festival this year is the submission from Bulgaria, OMNIPRESENT. Directed by
Ilian Djevelekov, this film follows a man who becomes obsessed with spying on his friends,
family, and coworkers through hidden cameras. OMNIPRESENT was the Bulgarian entry
for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards 2018.
Marking their Canadian premiere will be 9 feature films, notably Hungary’s THE WHISKEY
BANDIT, a thrilling cops and robbers story of a bank robber with a taste for celebrity;
Lithuania’s MASTER AND TATYANA, a documentary about Lithuanian photographer Vitus
Luckus, who rebelled against the traditional confines of his country to forge his own powerful
artistic style; and The Netherlands’ TONIO, based on A.F. TH van der Heijden’s autobiography
of the loss of his son and his struggle to overcome his grief.
Making their Toronto debut will be 5 films, including Germany’s WELCOME TO
GERMANY, a comedy about a German family who take in a Nigerian refugee, only to find that
their country is not as accepting as they believed; Slovakia’s THE LINE, a tense thriller about a
cigarette smuggler trying to stay ahead of the law; and Latvia’s entry for the Best Foreign
Language Film at the 2017 Academy Awards, THE CHRONICLES OF MELANIE, about a
woman clinging to her humanity after being deported to Siberia and facing an uncertain future.
And debuting in North America: Poland’s TITANIUM WHITE, a mystery about a criminal
conspiracy surrounding the last works of Caravaggio, and Finland’s WONDERLAND, a
dramedy about a group of strangers with nowhere to go on Christmas, who end up at the same
farmhouse with unexpected results.
Also playing are Ireland’s THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER, about an unconventional
friendship between a bipolar rock drummer and a 17-year-old with Asperger Syndrome,
Romania’s OCTAV, about a man near the end of his life who gets a chance to relive his past
when his memories come to life, and The United Kingdom’s I AM NOT A WITCH, a dark,
satirical fairy tale about a young girl accused of witchcraft. The film was both the British entry
for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards 2018, and the 2018 BAFTA
winner for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer.
Closing the festival is MADEMOISELLE PARADIS, Austria’s submission, which transports us
to Rococo Vienna and the blind pianist Maria Theresia Paradis, whose talent, while
extraordinary, prevents her from living the normal life she craves.
European Union Film Festival Feature Films:
A Serious Game, Directed by Pernilla August. Sweden, 2016
A Syrian Family, Directed by Philippe Van Leeuw. Belgium, 2017
Fairytales for Ema, Directed by Rudolf Havlík. Czech Republic, 2016
I am not a Witch, Directed by Rungano Nyoni. United Kingdom, 2017
Kazantzakis, Directed by Iannis Smaragdis. Greece, 2017
Life Beyond Me, Directed by Olivier Peyon. France, 2017
Limestone Cowboy, Directed by Abigail Mallia. Malta, 2017
Little Tito and the Aliens, Directed by Paola Randi. Italy, 2017
Mademoiselle Paradis, Directed by Barbara Albert. Austria, 2017
Master and Tatyana, Directed by Giedre Zickyte. Lithuania, 2015
Mother Knows Best, Directed by Nuno Rocha. Portugal, 2016
Octav, Directed by Serge Ioan Celebidachi. Romania, 2017
Omnipresent, Directed by Ilian Djevelekov. Bulgaria, 2017
Rusty Boys, Directed by Andy Bausch. Luxembourg, 2017
Slovenia, Australia and Tomorrow The World, Directed by Marko Nabersnik. Slovenia, 2017
Sunrise in Kimmeria, Directed by Simon Farmakas. Cyprus, 2018
The Bride, Directed by Paula Ortiz. Spain, 2015
The Chronicles of Melanie, Directed by Viesturs Kairišs. Latvia, 2016
The Days That Confused, Directed by Triin Ruumet. Estonia, 2016
The Drummer and the Keeper, Directed by Nick Kelly. Ireland, 2017
The Eighth Commissioner, Directed by Ivan Salaj. Croatia, 2018
The Line, Directed by Peter Bebjak. Slovakia, 2017
The Whisky Bandit, Directed by Nimrod Antal. Hungary, 2017
Titanium White, Directed by Piotr Smigasiewicz. Poland, 2017
Tonio, Directed by Paula van der Oest. The Netherlands, 2016
Walk With Me, Directed by Lisa Ohlin. Denmark, 2016
Welcome to Germany, Directed by Simon Verhoeven. Germany, 2016
Wonderland, Directed by Inari Niemi. Finland, 2017
For EUFF’s 2018 full line up with cast details and full synopses please visit: euffto.com
About the European Union Film Festival
The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) is a not-for-profit organization which strives to
reflect the excellence, innovation, and diversity of European cinema in Toronto, one of the
world’s most multicultural cities. Founded in 2004 under the playful moniker “Eh! U Meet the
Europeans” as a celebration of a diverse but joint cultural expression, this free festival has grown
to showcase dozens of contemporary films drawn from each of the EU’s member countries. The
EUFF is a unique festival and the only one in the world to bring together diverse EU Consulates
and local cultural institutes for collaboration. Represented countries include: Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and The United Kingdom.
General Admission to EUFF events is FREE. Availability works on a first-come, first-served
basis. Advance $10 reservations are available at euffto.com.
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Maude DeMarco 11/2/2018 |
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