The 26th edition of the European Union Film Festival will be available in its virtual avatar from November 1 onwards– featuring award-winning European cinema that bring forth inspiring stories, all from the comfort and safety of our homes.

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It celebrates the diversity and depth of European cinema and culture and is organized by the Delegation of the European Union to India, Member States and associate countries, in collaboration with Indian and European partners.

The month-long festival features a line-up of 60 films, in 37 languages across 8 genres that explore unique stories, experiences, and histories with artistic storytelling from across 27 Member States and associate countries, celebrating the most recent cinematic triumphs at Cannes, Locarno, San Sebastian, Karlovy Vary, and Venice, amongst others.

The festival will also pay homage to legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Rayon his 100th birth anniversary, with the projection of the seminal Panther Panchali.

A special contemporary Indian section, curated by the Dharamshala International Film Festival, includes six films in four Indian official languages namely Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam and Bengali, said a statement.

EUFF will pay tribute to Europe’s extraordinary cinematic legacyby hosting, in collaboration with Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival, a unique set of fabulous films, that have been digitally restored and remastered helping bring the continents t’s formative films to new audiences and generations.

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Commenting on the significance of the EUFF, H.E. Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India, said “The 26th edition of the European Film Festival will provide viewers a window to Europe, taking them in a journey across the Continent through the eyes of our storytellers. The very positive feedback after our last edition has encouraged us to include again a section on classic masterpieces from both Europe and India. We hope you will enjoy the month-long festival.”

The festival will showcase movies from European countries, including 27 Member States, comprising Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Switzerland will be also represented at the Festival.

EUFF film curator Veronica Flora commented, “The screen is a window. Cinema is a journey. Thanks to this extraordinary form of art, we have the opportunity to look out over the theatre of the world into the abyss of the human soul. Cinema gives an insight into our generation and lets us glimpse into the future.

“Through the wide and multiform variety of films presented in this EUFF India 2021 edition, we’ll get to know stories of people standing up together for their rights to equality and freedom; listen to the voices of children fighting to go to school and hear about our generation’s increasing awareness to defend our planet in the face of climate change.”

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As a tribute to the enduring legacy of Indian cinematography and on the birth centenary of Satyajit Ray, in the section Poetry on Screen: Masterpieces of Indian Cinemathe Festival will offer viewers a deep dive into such classics as the seminal Pather Panchali and the revolutionary Kalpana by Uday Shankar. A contemporary Indian section has been especially curated by the Dharamshala International Film Festival, bringing to screens diverse in-depth stories from across the country.