Cine Europa to hold free screening of 17 European films starting September 8

For its 28th year, Cine Europa will be screening 17 films for free. 

At the press conference held at EDSA Shangri-La on Thursday, Agata Nowicka, the Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines, said the Cine Europa will feature "17 carefully selected and critically acclaimed European films" plus guest country Ukraine.

“And once again, we also welcome Ukraine as a special guest country for the third time already. And this is in solidarity with our neighbor, Ukraine, which is still facing a very difficult situation,” she added. 

Cine Europa bridges the cultural gap between the Philippines and the European Union, Nowicka said. “By doing this, we have further strengthened our two cultures, we have supported our being in the industries and the cultural communities in the country. We have definitely enriched our conversations and our collaboration,” she added. 

This year's lineup features an interesting mix of dramas, comedies, animations, and literary adaptations with themes of resilience, identity, love, family, and freedom.

Part of this year’s lineup is the critically acclaimed Romanian LGBTQIA+ film “Three Kilometres to the End of the World.” It had its world premiere in the main competition of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Queer Palm.

Consul of the Embassy of Romania to the Philippines Petrica Badea hopes this film will serve as a dialogue between the Romanian and the Philippines, two countries that "are so far away and distant" from each other. 

“The movie, the character, the pictures, the paintings — they should be seen as an important dialogue between us, as a Romanian and the Philippines,” Badea said.

Directed by Emanuel Pârvu, the film follows the life of a young man named Adi whose life unravels after a violent homophobic attack in his village.

Cine Europa takes place from September 8 to September 17 at the Red Carpet Cinemas of EDSA Shangri-La in Mandaluyong. All screenings are free on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Special screenings will also be held at the University of the Philippines Cebu, University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City and Eastern Visayas State University in Tacloban.

If you are planning to watch this year’s film fest, here is the complete screening schedule:

September 8

6:00 p.m. - “The Peasants” (Poland) 

September 12 

5:30 p.m - “The Animal” (Greece)

8:00 p.m. - “Beyond the Blue Border” (Germany) 

September 13 

1:30 p.m. - “Chiara Lubich” (Italy) 

4:00 p.m. - “Un métier sérieux (A Real Job)” (France) 

6:30 p.m. - “Nova and Alice (Sweden)”

9:00 p.m. - “Curated Theft” (Ukraine) 

September 14 

1:30 p.m. - “Dragonkeeper: Guardiana de dragones” (Spain)

4:00 p.m. - “Sea of Hope” (Czech Republic) 

6:30 p.m. - “Tarrac” (Ireland)

9:00 p.m. “Family Therapy” (Slovenia) 

September 15

5:30 p.m. “Four Souls of Coyote” (Hungary) 

8:00 p.m. - “Jipple No More” (Netherlands)

September 16 

2:30 p.m. - “The Peasants” (Poland) 

5:30 p.m. - “Je'vida” (Finland)

8:00 p.m. - “Fathers & Mothers” (Denmark) 

September 17 

2:30 p.m. - “Three kilometres to the End of the World” (Romania)

8:00 p.m. -”L'Amour et les forêts (Just the Two of Us)” (France)

— LA, GMA Integrated News