.jpg)
.jpg)
21 films screened virtually at the 33rd edition of the European Film Festival in Jordan
By Israa Radaydeh, Jordan News
- +
- -
The 33rd edition of the European Film Festival (EUFF), which is
considered the longest-running foreign film festival in Jordan, will launch
Sunday virtually. It will launch with the screening of "Rocks," a
coming-of-age drama that explores modern girlhood amidst immigrant communities.اضافة اعلان
A story about a teenager forced into adulthood abruptly, "Rocks" follows a student from east London as she's faced with sudden and terrifying responsibilities. Rocks, the protagonist, discovers her mother is not returning after leaving their flat to 'clear her head.' As a result, Olushola (or Rocks to all her friends) is left to care for her little brother Emmanuel. With nothing but a quickly disappearing bit of cash and a pet frog, the siblings go on the run, desperate to evade social services at all costs. Crafted from a screenplay by playwrights Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson and directed by Sarah Gavron, "Rocks" is a realist wonder that soars because of its earnest performance.
The festival is funded by the Jordanian EU Delegation. It's organized by the EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in Jordan, 28 EU embassies inside and outside Jordan, five EU cultural and language institutes, and many local partners. Since its creation, the festival has been the EU's primary event on the cultural calendar.
Virtual 33rd edition of EUFF
This year's edition will be free of charge and screened virtually under the patronage of HRH Princess Rym Ali. The festival will screen 21 films.
The EUFF returns for its 33rd edition starting September 12–22, in partnership with the Royal Film Commission (RFC) and the Greater Amman Municipality.
The festival can be enjoyed on www.euffjordan.com. This year's festival is being held virtually in hopes of allowing more people to enjoy the featured European Award-winning productions and critically acclaimed participating films, safely from the comfort of their homes, joined by friends and families.
All screened films will have English and Arabic subtitles available to merge the Jordanian and European communities and open up space for intercultural cooperation, exchange, and dialogue over their shared values.
The festival will feature the first-ever novel adaptation workshop to be held in the Middle East in partnership with the RFC. The workshop will target professional film scriptwriters and equip them with creative strategies and skills that will enable them to create screenplays based on novels.
This workshop aims to revolutionize the filmmaking industry across Jordan and the Middle East.
The festival program will also feature several workshops, masterclasses, and Q&As hosted by the participating film actors and producers, both virtually and physically, to transfer their knowledge and experience in filmmaking to aspiring filmmakers in Jordan.
"We are very excited to celebrate the 33rd edition of the EUFF, which is an excellent platform for European culture, history, and traditions. We have also built on last years' experience by bringing the festival virtually to film enthusiasts and making it accessible all over the country. We are looking forward to another exceptional year, with a wide variety of films. Hopefully, in the future, we will be able to embrace a hybrid form of celebrating European film and culture and reaching larger numbers of film enthusiasts all over Jordan," said EU Ambassador in Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou. "The festival is a thrilling opportunity to discover Europe's people, landscapes, and traditions, and to marvel at productions that never reach commercial cinemas!"
The EUFF's closing ceremony will include the announcement and screening of the winners of the two film competitions; the Short Film Competition, which is geared towards professional film creators, and the Mobile Film Competition, which is geared towards amateurs.
Recommended films to watch at the EUFF
Once Were Rebels
Once Were Rebels film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Johanna Moder
PG 18+
Two urban couples in their 30's decide to help Pavel, a Russian friend in trouble, escape to Austria. Though initially thrilled by the adventure, they soon find the foundations of their friendships and relationships are threatened.
Emma Peeters
Emma Peeters film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nicole Palo
PG 18+
After 10 years of struggling in Paris, Emma Peeters has to face the facts: she will never be an actress. So she decides to commit suicide on her 35th birthday. That is when she meets Alex, a funeral home employee.
Loving Carmen
Genre: Documentary
Director: Nayo Titzin
PG 13+
The documentary "Loving Carmen" builds on the earliest studies of Carmen in art, literature, music, and cinema. The film shows the recording industry's history at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries and presents multiple rare archive images of the play.
Master Cheng
Master Cheng film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Drama
Director: Mika Kaurismäki
No warning
Following the death of his wife, professional chef Cheng travels with his young son to a remote village in Finland to connect with an old Finnish friend he once met in Shanghai.
OECONOMIA
OECONOMIA film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Documentary
Director: Carmen Losmann
No warning
An exploration of the complex rules of modern capitalism. The relationship between debt accumulation and the concentration of wealth is explained within an episodic narrative structure.
Mom and Other Loonies in the Family
Mom and Other Loonies in the Family film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Drama
Director: Ibolya Fekete
No warnings
The movie presents the stories of four generations of women in Hungary through the 20th century. Despite harsh times of war, revolution, and poverty, the family can maintain their good humor and strength.
Buladó
Genre: Family/Drama
Director: Eché Janga
PG: 18+
As the different mentalities of rational father Ouira and spiritual grandfather Weljo start to clash, eleven-year-old Kenza is determined to find her path into adult life. A magical-realism film placed on a junkyard in Curaçao.
I Never Cry
Genre:Drama/Comedy
Director: Piotr Domalewski
PG: 15+
Olka must travel to Ireland to bring her father's body back to Poland after he died working at a construction site. However, never mind her dad; Olka wants to know if he saved money for the car he had promised. Dealing with foreign bureaucracy in her own street-smart way, Olka learns that her biggest dream was not a car but getting to know her dad.
Graduation
Graduation film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre:Crime/Drama
Director: Cristian Mungiu
PG: 18+
Romeo Aldea thinks of ways to solve the situation after an attack before a college entrance exam jeopardizes his daughter's future. Still, none of them follow the principles he taught his daughter.
Saint George
Genre: Drama
Director: Marco Martins
PG: 18+
Jorge, an unemployed boxer, accepts a job with a debt-collection agency, which drags him into a world of violence and crime.
Don't Forget to Breathe
Don’t Forget to Breathe film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Drama
Director: Martin Turk
PG: 18+
Klemen adores his older brother, Peter. But, when Peter becomes distracted with his affair with the beautiful Sonja, Klemen is angry that he's been cast aside. At the same time, he struggles to ignore his growing obsession with Sonja's feminine sensuality.
The Guide
Genre: Drama/History
Director: Oles Sanin
PG: 15+
American boy Peter and blind minstrel Ivan are thrown together by fate amidst the turbulent mid-1930s Soviet Ukraine.
7 Hours to Win your Heart
7 Hours to Win your Heart film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Giampaolo Morelli
PG: 15+
Valeria is an implacable teacher of picking up single men, a beautiful and determined woman disillusioned about love. One day she met Giulio, who is struggling to regain his ex with her help.
Read more in Trending
A story about a teenager forced into adulthood abruptly, "Rocks" follows a student from east London as she's faced with sudden and terrifying responsibilities. Rocks, the protagonist, discovers her mother is not returning after leaving their flat to 'clear her head.' As a result, Olushola (or Rocks to all her friends) is left to care for her little brother Emmanuel. With nothing but a quickly disappearing bit of cash and a pet frog, the siblings go on the run, desperate to evade social services at all costs. Crafted from a screenplay by playwrights Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson and directed by Sarah Gavron, "Rocks" is a realist wonder that soars because of its earnest performance.
The festival is funded by the Jordanian EU Delegation. It's organized by the EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in Jordan, 28 EU embassies inside and outside Jordan, five EU cultural and language institutes, and many local partners. Since its creation, the festival has been the EU's primary event on the cultural calendar.
Virtual 33rd edition of EUFF
This year's edition will be free of charge and screened virtually under the patronage of HRH Princess Rym Ali. The festival will screen 21 films.
The EUFF returns for its 33rd edition starting September 12–22, in partnership with the Royal Film Commission (RFC) and the Greater Amman Municipality.
The festival can be enjoyed on www.euffjordan.com. This year's festival is being held virtually in hopes of allowing more people to enjoy the featured European Award-winning productions and critically acclaimed participating films, safely from the comfort of their homes, joined by friends and families.
All screened films will have English and Arabic subtitles available to merge the Jordanian and European communities and open up space for intercultural cooperation, exchange, and dialogue over their shared values.
The festival will feature the first-ever novel adaptation workshop to be held in the Middle East in partnership with the RFC. The workshop will target professional film scriptwriters and equip them with creative strategies and skills that will enable them to create screenplays based on novels.
This workshop aims to revolutionize the filmmaking industry across Jordan and the Middle East.
The festival program will also feature several workshops, masterclasses, and Q&As hosted by the participating film actors and producers, both virtually and physically, to transfer their knowledge and experience in filmmaking to aspiring filmmakers in Jordan.
"We are very excited to celebrate the 33rd edition of the EUFF, which is an excellent platform for European culture, history, and traditions. We have also built on last years' experience by bringing the festival virtually to film enthusiasts and making it accessible all over the country. We are looking forward to another exceptional year, with a wide variety of films. Hopefully, in the future, we will be able to embrace a hybrid form of celebrating European film and culture and reaching larger numbers of film enthusiasts all over Jordan," said EU Ambassador in Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou. "The festival is a thrilling opportunity to discover Europe's people, landscapes, and traditions, and to marvel at productions that never reach commercial cinemas!"
The EUFF's closing ceremony will include the announcement and screening of the winners of the two film competitions; the Short Film Competition, which is geared towards professional film creators, and the Mobile Film Competition, which is geared towards amateurs.
Recommended films to watch at the EUFF
Once Were Rebels
Once Were Rebels film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Johanna Moder
PG 18+
Two urban couples in their 30's decide to help Pavel, a Russian friend in trouble, escape to Austria. Though initially thrilled by the adventure, they soon find the foundations of their friendships and relationships are threatened.
Emma Peeters
Emma Peeters film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nicole Palo
PG 18+
After 10 years of struggling in Paris, Emma Peeters has to face the facts: she will never be an actress. So she decides to commit suicide on her 35th birthday. That is when she meets Alex, a funeral home employee.
Loving Carmen
Genre: Documentary
Director: Nayo Titzin
PG 13+
The documentary "Loving Carmen" builds on the earliest studies of Carmen in art, literature, music, and cinema. The film shows the recording industry's history at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries and presents multiple rare archive images of the play.
Master Cheng
Master Cheng film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Drama
Director: Mika Kaurismäki
No warning
Following the death of his wife, professional chef Cheng travels with his young son to a remote village in Finland to connect with an old Finnish friend he once met in Shanghai.
OECONOMIA
OECONOMIA film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Documentary
Director: Carmen Losmann
No warning
An exploration of the complex rules of modern capitalism. The relationship between debt accumulation and the concentration of wealth is explained within an episodic narrative structure.
Mom and Other Loonies in the Family
Mom and Other Loonies in the Family film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Drama
Director: Ibolya Fekete
No warnings
The movie presents the stories of four generations of women in Hungary through the 20th century. Despite harsh times of war, revolution, and poverty, the family can maintain their good humor and strength.
Buladó
Genre: Family/Drama
Director: Eché Janga
PG: 18+
As the different mentalities of rational father Ouira and spiritual grandfather Weljo start to clash, eleven-year-old Kenza is determined to find her path into adult life. A magical-realism film placed on a junkyard in Curaçao.
I Never Cry
Genre:Drama/Comedy
Director: Piotr Domalewski
PG: 15+
Olka must travel to Ireland to bring her father's body back to Poland after he died working at a construction site. However, never mind her dad; Olka wants to know if he saved money for the car he had promised. Dealing with foreign bureaucracy in her own street-smart way, Olka learns that her biggest dream was not a car but getting to know her dad.
Graduation
Graduation film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre:Crime/Drama
Director: Cristian Mungiu
PG: 18+
Romeo Aldea thinks of ways to solve the situation after an attack before a college entrance exam jeopardizes his daughter's future. Still, none of them follow the principles he taught his daughter.
Saint George
Genre: Drama
Director: Marco Martins
PG: 18+
Jorge, an unemployed boxer, accepts a job with a debt-collection agency, which drags him into a world of violence and crime.
Don't Forget to Breathe
Don’t Forget to Breathe film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Drama
Director: Martin Turk
PG: 18+
Klemen adores his older brother, Peter. But, when Peter becomes distracted with his affair with the beautiful Sonja, Klemen is angry that he's been cast aside. At the same time, he struggles to ignore his growing obsession with Sonja's feminine sensuality.
The Guide
Genre: Drama/History
Director: Oles Sanin
PG: 15+
American boy Peter and blind minstrel Ivan are thrown together by fate amidst the turbulent mid-1930s Soviet Ukraine.
7 Hours to Win your Heart
7 Hours to Win your Heart film poster. (Photo: Handout from EUFF)
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Giampaolo Morelli
PG: 15+
Valeria is an implacable teacher of picking up single men, a beautiful and determined woman disillusioned about love. One day she met Giulio, who is struggling to regain his ex with her help.
Read more in Trending
NEWS RELATED TO