The GOODS from The Cinematheque

Vancouver, BC | Experience “Europe Without the Jetlag!” The Cinematheque’s 19th Annual European Union Film Festival is proudly presented with the Vancouver consulates and the Ottawa embassies of the member states of the European Union, with support from the Delegation of the European Union to Canada. This annual showcase of acclaimed new and recent films from across greater Europe includes award winners, domestic blockbusters, festival circuit faves, and official Oscar submissions. Comprised of entries from 23 European Union member states, this year’s festival promises a dynamic and entertaining celebration of the diversity, creativity, and accomplishments of contemporary European filmmaking. There are four film highlighted below, but the full schedule with complete details can be found here.

Image (Belgium 2014)
Set on the mean streets of Brussels, with a focus on the notorious suburb of Molenbeek – the area that is now internationally notorious after recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. This fast-paced Belgian drama has attracted Hollywood attention for the Brussels-based directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

Underdog (Sweden 2014)
A top-prize winner at the Chicago International Film Festival, the superb feature-film debut of novelist-turned-director Ronnie Sandahl is a doomed amour story set against the backdrop of Sweden’s economic crisis. “An emotionally engaging ride … an assured big-screen bow for both director and star” (Hollywood Reporter).

In the Crosswind (Estonia 2014)
A festival darling that garnered prizes galore, writer-director-virtuoso Martti Helde’s astonishing first feature recalls the haunting history of Stalin’s “ethnic cleansing” of Estonia with a beautiful painterly arthouse film. “One of the most courageous and intrinsically detailed feature debuts we’ve ever seen” (IndieWire).

Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest (Finland 2016)
Sámi filmmaker Katja Gauriloff’s sublime documentary, “set in the interface of truth and fiction,” spins an enchanting tale in which a Swiss writer discovers the myths and legends of Finland’s indigenous Sámi people. “Delightful and distinctive …Enchanting is indeed the operative word for Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest” (Variety).

DETAILS

1131 Howe Street | Vancouver, BC
Telephone: 604-688-8202
Website: www.thecinematheque.ca | Facebook | Twitter | Issu

GALLERY

Key People

Jim Sinclair – Executive + Artistic Director
Kate Ladyshewsky – Managing Director

About The Cinematheque

The Cinematheque is a charitable cultural organization that brings the Essential Cinema Experience to Vancouver audiences. Home to one of the largest and most extensive programs of curated films in North America, The Cinematheque presents over 500 screenings annually including retrospectives of great directors’ works, new features from Canada’s hottest young filmmakers, prestigious internationally touring exhibitions, plus guest appearances, lectures, special receptions, and much more.

The Cinematheque is also home to the West Coast Film Archive, a collection which holds 2000+ works on 16mm and 35mm film, the Film Reference Library, and an award-winning Education Department that works with youth, educators, and the community-at-large year-round to provide digitial filmmaking programs, critical media literacy workshops, and educational film screenings.

PRESS

“Going to The Cinematheque is the closest thing to visiting Manhattan without leaving Vancouver …. Its program is as innovative and entertaining as any you’ll find in New York.” David Spaner, The Province

“For the true cinema lover who appreciates foreign and independent retrospectives, restorations, experimental films, and rare or obscure works, the Cinematheque is a necessity.” Craig Takeuchi, The Georgia Straight

“Cinémathèques now take on a job parallel to what museums do with painting and sculpture.  They assemble, sort, analyze and exhibit the culture of the world.”  Robert Fulford, The Globe & Mail