For more than four decades, Hyderabad Film Club (HFC) has been bringing together lovers of world cinema in Hyderabad. Until now, over cinema talk and hot chai , movie buffs would watch international films and specially curated films in different languages at Sarathi Studios. This year however, it is different as the Festival (from November 5 to 30) rings in its silver jubilee edition digitally. “Had there been no pandemic, we would have also been showing European films,” says film club’s secretary SS Prakash Reddy.
Hosted jointly by the Delegation of the European Union to India, its member states and partner countries, the Festival celebrates and bolsters the EU-India cultural partnership, says a release. Curated by Veronica Flora with Valerio Caruso, director of Cineuropa, the virtual festival that began streaming on November 5 brings critically acclaimed films that explore unique stories, experiences and histories with artistic storytelling from across 27 member states and partner countries including Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden and Spain and celebrating the most recent cinematic triumphs at Cannes, Locarno, Venice, Berlin and and San Sebastian.
Divided into four sections comprising contemporary European cinema, masterpieces, shorts on climate change, and a tribute to Indian cinema, each section has a selection of award-winning films and critically acclaimed performances.
A series of workshops, masterclasses, artist talks, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions with prominent film directors, actors, and cinematographers of the European film fraternity are also lined up.
Says curator Veronica Flora, “The European Union Film Festival aims to be a magic mirror we can use to get through the current challenging times. This year, the Festival will showcase the variety and complexity of European Union's culture through innovative film programming, opening paths for further people-to-people and cultural relationships and the wealth of its millennial culture. We hope this virtual Festival will contribute to make the film sector a key driver for dialogue, especially in the current situation where culture and creativity have become more important than ever.”
The Festival also offers viewers a look into the classic and contemporary in the Poetry on Screen section: Satyajit Ray and Chaitanya Tamhane, featuring the iconic Aparajito and the award-winning Court .
The access to the virtual film festival is free .Audiences can register through the delegation’s website (visiteuffindia.com) and social media channels. Once registered, viewers can log in and watch movies at their own pace.
