Europa! Europa! Film Festival
Image: Trois Couleur Blancs (Three Colours White). Image: film still
After a successful inaugural presentation in 2022, the Europa! Europa! Film Festival returns this year with a specially curated program that incorporates 29 movies from 24 different countries including France, Italy, Romania, Spain and the Ukraine. Screening will be a selection of the highest quality movies that were praised and recommended by prominent critics and also movies which general European audiences fell in love with.
“Europa! Europa! is a celebration of the diversity and richness of European cinema,” enthused Artistic Director Thomas Caldwell. “Whether you prefer relationship dramas, police thrillers, feel-good sports films, period biopics, disaster films, or comedies, we have a film for you. Our program offers a wide range of genres and styles, catering to a diversity of tastes.”
The opening night movie is a French eco-thriller called The Blaze which follows an aging man and his son who desperately try to evade a life-threatening bushfire in the South of France. The movie stars French favourites Andre Dussollier under the direction of Quentin Reynaud. A cocktail is included upon arrival.
The closing night movie is the highly anticipated British film Allelujah, which stars an A-list cast including Judi Dench and Jennifer Saunders. The hardships of healthcare in a geriatric hospital awaiting closure are explored. A drink is also included upon arrival.
“One of the highlights of this year’s festival is the Australian premiere of the new 4K restorations of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s masterful Three Colours Trilogy,” added Caldwell. “These films perfectly embody the spirit of European cinema and exemplify our guiding programming principles: showcasing films that are multinational, arthouse alternatives to mainstream Hollywood cinema, and bold in their storytelling”.
There are many European box office hits to choose from including More Than Ever, a German drama which deals with love and looming death, and Simone: Woman of the Century, a French biopic which meticulously examines the incredible life of iconic French feminist Simone Veil, who survived the Holocaust and eventually entered politics.
Lovers of comedic feature films should be highly entertained by Luxembourg, Luxembourg, which is a dramedy from the Ukraine that centres on two men who try to reconnect with their estranged and terminally ill father. Much mayhem and laughter follows.
From France comes The Accusation, a powerful movie for discerning moviegoers that should not to be missed. The story dwells on a high profile married couple whose son is accused of raping a young Jewish girl. What life changing repercussions will this have on the entire family? Charlotte Gainsbourg delivers a compelling performance.
Festival attendees who enjoy European cinema should come along and watch several movies on the big screen at this film festival, as many may appear On Demand streaming services to watch at home but some unfortunately may never be seen in this country again.
February 16 – March 7
Ritz Cinemas Randwick, 45 St Pauls St, Randwick
www.europafilmfestival.com.au
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