The opening event brought together representatives from European countries, filmmakers, and engaged audiences to promote European cinema, exchange cultural experiences, and strengthen international relations. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, the film that was screened at the event, won the European Film Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2023 and was selected by Estonia as its Oscar entry for Best International Feature.

“This year is special for the European Film Festival, as for the first time since 2020, we have the opportunity to hold a traditional offline screening. It is truly an exclusive event made possible thanks to the partnership with the Embassy of Estonia in Ukraine,”

said Rémi Duflot, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine. He also expressed his gratitude to the embassies of Spain, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Lithuania for their support of the festival.

EUFF 2024 will take place online across Ukraine from 18 to 24 November. The EUFF 2024 programme comprises two carefully curated selections: the main programme and a special selection of films presented by the EU member states’ embassies. The films will be shown in their original language with Ukrainian subtitles.

The main programme showcases six films awarded at international film competitions in recent years such as Dangerous Gentlemen (Poland), The Girl From Tomorrow (Italy), Trained to See: Three Women and the War (Germany, Italy), Il Boemo (Czech Republic), My Love Affair With Marriage (Luxembourg, USA, Latvia), and Banel and Adama (France, Senegal, Mali). Detailed descriptions of the films and the complete programme are available on the EUFF website.

In addition, the festival includes a curated selection from the EU member states embassies, featuring highlights such as External Action (Embassy of Spain), Even Pigs Go to Heaven (Embassy of Croatia), A Letter to Ukraine (Embassy of Lithuania), Bon Voyage, and Kauwboy (Embassy of the Netherlands). 

Ando Rehemaa, Senior Advisor of the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Ukraine, emphasized the importance of cultural dialogue:

“This film festival is about understanding differences, about listening to the stories of various European countries to make it easier to reach consensus. By watching these diverse stories with openness and trying to understand different perspectives, we can live together as respectful, friendly neighbours, as we do here in Europe – we Estonians, and you Ukrainians.”

The European Film Festival (EUFF) is organized by the EU Delegation to Ukraine in partnership with European cultural institutions Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, and Cineuropa.

Background:

The EU Delegation to Ukraine has the status of a diplomatic mission and is one of more than 130 EU delegations in the world. The European Film Festival is a global cultural project implemented by the EU Delegations around the world to promote European values and raise awareness of current issues important to European societies. The goal of the festival in Ukraine is to introduce Europe and its culture to Ukrainians through cinema.