European Film Fest returns to Trinidad and Tobago

For the 26th year in a row, the European Union missions in Trinidad and Tobago – the Embassies of France, Germany, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union Delegation – will host the European Film Festival (EFF).

This year’s event features 15 films from countries across Europe. Apart from the usual Spanish, Dutch, German and French selections, the festival will also highlight films from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ireland, Italy and Malta. The film festival begins on May 1 and will run until May 31. Films will be streamed via the FestivalScope platform, with some also available via the website of the Embassy of Spain. Access to all the films will be free of charge to the TT viewing public, said a media release.

The European Film Festival is the oldest film festival in TT, and is the cultural highlight of the EU calendar. The films to be featured in EFF 2022 will cover a number of genres and themes, all serving to offer a peek into the lives and the culture of the people of Europe. Issues such as LGBTI rights and discrimination, migration and climate change/environmental protection are among the themes explored, the release said.

The Dutch miniseries, The Swell, for example, which drew millions of viewers when it was shown in Europe, will be screened as a three-part film. The series, described as "a gripping contemporary story," explores what happens when the national flood defences of The Netherlands and Belgium start to collapse because of a violent storm. It explores the disastrous consequences of flooding and how people must cope with rebuilding not just their individual lives, but also their entire countries as well. This severe flooding, in essence, reflects what could occur in small island developing states like TT if storms and rising sea levels caused by global warming were to occur. This film is a "must-see" for the festival, the release said.

A welcome addition to the EFF, after two years of absence, is the return of movies for language students now that schools have fully reopened. In festivals past, these screenings at MovieTowne were always a popular feature. This year, however, the film will be offered online instead of at the movie theatre. Spanish language students can enjoy Campeones or Champions. This is a hilarious, yet touching film about a coach working with a group of mentally-disabled students. This film will be accessible from the website of the Embassy of Spain:
https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/puertoespana/en/Paginas/index.aspx.

Festival fans can also look forward to the return of in-person screenings, as the Spanish film, Cumple 100 Años will be shown at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) Amphitheatre, Frederick Street, Port of Spain on May 27. The screening is free and open to the public. Ticket information will be available on the website of the Embassy of Spain.

More info on films to be featured as well as the streaming links can be accessed from the Facebook and Instagram pages of the EFF (https://www.facebook.com/tnteff/, and, https://www.instagram.com/eff_tt/).

Film selections:

1. Dating Amber – Ireland

2. Easy Living – Italy

3. Extra-Curricular – Croatia

4. Luzzu – Malta

5. Oskar & Lili – Austria

6. The Father – Bulgaria

France

7. Lola

Spain

8. Azul Oscuro Casi Negro

9. Viridiana

10. Mamá cumple 100 años

11. Campeones (Vimeo)

12. El Bola (Vimeo)

Kingdom of the Netherlands

13. Als de Dijken Breken (The Swell)

14. Bride Flight

Germany

15. Kokon