Celebrating youth and diversity at the 20th edition of the European Film Festival in Argentina

24.01.2025 Strategic Communications

With the slogan "Stories That Move Us”, the 20th edition of the 2024 European Film Festival (ECE) in Argentina offered a powerful exploration of themes that are central in EU and LAC audio-visual creations: the challenges faced by younger generations, diversity, identity and equality.

In cooperation with top festivals like BAFICI (Buenos Aires Festival of Independent Cinema) and FICPBA (International Film Festival of the Province of Buenos Aires), the event screened 20 films from 17 European Union countries, watched by 5500 people in 10 locations and online. The linked Short Film Contest aimed at young filmmakers received more than 200 submissions.

European Union, 2025

The screenings were complemented by three special events: collaborations with two of Argentina's most renowned festivals, BAFICI (Buenos Aires Festival of Independent Cinema) and FICPBA (International Film Festival of the Province of Buenos Aires), showing the potential of co-creation with locally well-established initiatives.

Moreover, the ECE in 2024 developed a Short Film Contest aimed at young filmmakers aged 20 to 35. Young filmmakers portrayed, with their specific angle and visual taste, topics that concern young people, showcasing the richness of Argentine culture and talent of independent filmmakers.

Above: recap of the Short Film Contest for Youth aged 20 to 35 - EUFF Argentina, also available in Spanish.

The short film contest, launched in August 2024, invited Argentine directors aged 20 to 35 to submit original works focusing on youth-related themes. Out of more than 200 submissions, a team of Argentine curators preselected 15 standout short films. An international jury composed of prominent industry experts then reviewed these finalists: Tim Redford (Clermont-Ferrand), Enrico Vannucci (Locarno), and Anne Gaschütz (FILMFEST DRESDEN). The final three winners were announced in November 2024.

Organized by the European Union in Argentina, the festival received support from the embassies and cultural institutes of 17 EU member states, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Sweden. Furthermore, over 25 institutions across Buenos Aires and other regions collaborated to host the festival, including Argentina's Ministry of Culture and its counterparts at provincial levels, as well as the prominent BAFICI and FICPBA festivals.

Encuentro de Cine Europeo leaflets on a table

European Union, 2025

This collective effort underscores the importance of cultural exchange and the role of cinema in fostering understanding and dialogue. Through initiatives like the European Film Festival, Argentina continues to enrich its cultural landscape, bringing audiences closer to the heart of Europe and its stories, while it allows Argentinean talents to outreach wider audiences and showcase their filmmaking skills.

Background

ECE is linked to the values and objectives of the initiative EU-LAC Cinema: promoting audio-visual cooperation on youth, gender and diversity (#EULAC #Cinema). It is part of the EU-CELAC Bi-regional Roadmap 2023-2025, presented last year at the Summit between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Brussels. This roadmap is an important milestone ahead of the forthcoming EU-CELAC 2025 Summit in Colombia.