The European Union Film Festival Announces Diverse Lineup of Award-Winning Films From 28 Countries

The Annual European Union Festival of Toronto (EUFF) will present a powerful lineup of unique and multicultural films from all 28 EU member countries, November 9 - 23, 2017 at the Royal Cinema. Hosting this Festival is a great opportunity for Toronto, which is one of the most diverse and multicultural cities in the world. These award-winning and critically acclaimed selections will address some of the most pressing topics affecting European and Canadian society today.

The Festival opens with the emotionally gripping feature film, Gozo, directed by Miranda Bowen (Malta). Gozo is the tragic tale of a young British couple who move to Gozo, a tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Malta, where cracks begin to destroy their homespun paradise.

Ten feature films will also be making their Canadian premieres at EUFF, notably the 2016 Sundance Award-winning Belgica by Felix van Groeningen (Belgium), the story of two brothers, who learn that running a business is more complicated than they realized and their personal lives begin to suffer; Les Ogres, the critically acclaimed debut film by Léa Fehner (France), based on the director's own childhood and starring her father, mother, and sister, along with movie greats Marc Barbé and Adèle Haenel; Night of a 1000 Hours by Virgil Widrich (Austria), winner of the Busan 2016 Flash Forward Audience Award, about a murder, an illicit love affair and a game of false identities; Boy on the Bridge directed by Petros Charalambous (Cyprus), the Hellenic Film Academy 2017 Best Newcomer and Los Angeles Greek Film Festival 2017 Best Performance winner, about a murder investigation in a small Cypriot village that exposes a dark family secret; Germany's critically acclaimed Goodbye Berlin by Fatih Akin, the story of an unlikely friendship between two young boys dealing with the current realities of poverty and immigration; and The Citizen by Roland Vranik (Hungary), which follows Wilson Ugabe, who, after losing his entire family in Guinea-Bissau to the horrors of war and making the perilous journey to Europe as a political refugee, settles for a sedate life as a security guard in a shopping center.

Eight films will be premiering in Toronto for the very first time, including the Award-winning Adult Life Skills by Rachel Tunnard (UK), winner of the Nora Ephron prize at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and winner of the 2016 London Critics Circle best debut film Award; Emilia directed by Donatas Ulvydas (Lithuania), about the fight for freedom in Soviet-repressed Lithuania in the spring of 1972; and Holy Mess by Helena Bergström (Sweden), about an unusual three-way couple expecting a child.

Other highlights include the North American premiere of the Polish romantic comedy Volta, by iconic Polish director Juliusz Machulski and starring Robert Wieckiewicz; Slovakia's The Teacher, which received 9 nominations and winner of Best Score at the Gijon International Film Festival 2016; Finland's critically acclaimed Little Wing by female director Tyttö nimeltä Varpu, about the solo road trip of a 12-year-old girl.

Closing this year's Festival is The Dissidents by Jaak Kilmi (Estonia), about three Estonian men who flee the Soviet Union in search of a better life, but quickly realize that reality is different from what they have seen on TV.

Rounding out the selection, and for the second year in a row, EUFF will feature six compelling student short films from the EU and screened in front of select features, including A Night in Tokoriki (Romania), My Friend the German (Germany), Suriyan (France), Schoolyard Blues (Sweden), About the Birds and the Bees (Finland), and A Long Shot (Ireland).

EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP:

FEATURES

OPENING NIGHT FILM
Gozo Miranda Bowen, Malta, 2016

11th A grade Michaela Komitova, Bulgaria, 2015
Canadian Premiere

Adult Life Skills Rachel Tunnard, UK, 2016
Toronto Premiere

Amerika Square Yannis Sakaridis, Greece, 2016

Back Home Andrei Cohn, Romania, 2015
Canadian Premiere

Belgica Felix van Groeningen, Belgium, 2016

Boy on the Bridge Petros Charalambous, Cyprus, 2016
Canadian Premiere

The Chess Player Luis Oliveros, Spain, 2017
Toronto Premiere

The Citizen Roland Vranik, Hungary, 2016
Canadian Premiere

The Commune Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark, 2016

Emilia Donatas Ulvydas, Lithuania, 2017
Toronto Premiere

The Fury (The Hellcat) André van Duren, Netherlands, 2016
Toronto Premiere

Goodbye Berlin Fatih Akin, Germany, 2016
Canadian Premiere

Holding Hands Gianni Amelio, Italy, 2017

Holy Mess Helena Bergström, Sweden, 2015
Toronto Premiere

Life is a Trumpet Antonio Nui?, Croatia, 2015
Toronto Premiere

Little Wing Selma Vilhunen, Finland, 2016

Mammejong Jacques Molitor, Luxembourg, 2014

Mellow Mud Ren?rs Vimba, Latvia, 2016

My Name is Emily Simon Fitzmaurice, Ireland, 2015

Night of a 1000 Hours Virgil Widrich, Austria, 2016
Canadian Premiere

Nightlife Damjan Kozole, Slovenia, 2016
Toronto Premiere

Les Ogres Léa Fehner, France, 2015
Canadian Premiere

The Teacher Jan H?ebejk, Slovakia, 2016

St. George Marco Martins, Portugal, 2016
Canadian Premiere

Volta Juliusz Machulski, Poland, 2017
North American Premiere

The WOLF from Royal Vineyard Street Jan N?mec, Czech Republic, 2016
Canadian Premiere

The Dissidents Jaak Kilmi, Estonia, 2017
North American Premiere

For EUFF's 2017 full line up with synopses please visit: euffto.com

About the European Union Film Festival: The European Union Film Festival (EUFF), a not-for-profit organization, strives to reflect the excellence, innovation, and diversity of European cinema in Toronto, one of the world's most multicultural cities. Founded in 2004 as a salve to Hollywood monotony, 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 disparate 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, United Kingdom. EUFFTO.COM

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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