The European Film Festival returns for its 25th edition which will take place in a hybrid format, both physically, at the cinema, between December 10-12, and online, between December 15-18.

The film selection is curated by Andrei Tănăsescu, the artistic director of this year’s edition. The festival will include, in addition to screenings, live talks with filmmakers and film critics.

“We are happy that, despite all instability and uncertainty of any kind, we could organize a (concentrated) edition of the European Film Festival in 2021. We will celebrate this important anniversary edition – physically, at the cinema, together with movie fans in Bucharest, but we also extend the access to this extremely valuable content to audiences from all over the country through an online screening session, and we hope to reach as many viewers as possible,” says Anca Hrab, EFF coordinator, ICR.

With its 25th edition, the EFF “proposes a deeper understanding of our humanity through impressive cinematic experiences that have enjoyed a significant echo in last year’s international festival circuit.” (Andrei Tănăsescu)

The program includes two documentaries, The Monopoly of Violence (dir. David Dufresne, the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs Award at Cannes 2020), and Walchensee Forever (dir. Janna Ji Wonders). The two feature films propose two different lines of inquiry, one based on questioning the legitimacy of the power of control and repression in the state-citizen relationship, and the second on exploring the personal history and family heritage of five generations of women.

To the Moon (dir. Tadhg O’Sullivan, the Giornate degli Autori Award at Venice 2020), the third film in the program, is a poetic ode to the Moon and its impact on our lives, spun from fragments of film archives, pieces of literature and music dedicated to this celestial body.

The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson’s latest and long-awaited film in Romania, concludes the festival’s selection with a story full of humor and ingenuity, complemented by a remarkable cast. Among the leading actors, we have Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, Frances McDormand, Léa Seydoux, Adrien Brody, Benicio Del Toro.

The European Film Festival will take place at Cinema Elvire Popesco, between December 10-12, and online, on Eventbook.ro, between December 15-18. For more info, visit the festival website or follow their Facebook page.

Melissa Antonescu

Writer, photographer and videographer. For Films in Frame she writes news about the latest happenings in the film world and brings to the readers' attention the productions that can be seen at the cinema. When she's not writing articles, she's photographing people in a small studio or searching for new cake recipes.