The Delegation of the European Union in Namibia and its Members States in collaboration with the Local Film Industry launched the 2021 European Union Film Festival today, at the EU Residence, Windhoek. It is the fourth time that EU-Namibia is hosting the prestigious film festival, and this time around responding to the new Covid reality and organising the screenings both live and online.
Hosted under the theme, “Life is about laughter, sadness, joy, wonders, and timeless stories,” the Festival will take place over an extended period of two (2) months, every Wednesday from 6 October 2021 until 1 December 2021 at the Opera House at The Village, Liliencron Street, Eros. Entrance is Free!
Organised jointly with Goethe Institute, the Embassy of Finland, Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, the Italian Club, and the Embassy of Spain, the Festival will line up a number of award-winning European and Namibian movies. Six (6) European and three (3) Namibian movies, will be screened, covering different genres and topics with a unique story-telling approach. The Namibia movies are The White Line, Kukuri, and Kapana, and they have been generously provided by Gravel Road Distributions and Ombetje Yehinga Organisation. The Festival will kick off with the EU-selected movie “The Constitution,” next week Wednesday, 6 October 2021 at the Opera House.
H.E. Sinikka Antila, EU Ambassador to Namibia said; “Objectives of the film festival include, raising interest, awareness and educating the local audiences about European and Namibian films, as well as strengthening cooperation and communication between the EU and Namibian public & local partners.” She added, “This festival is a result of good cooperation with local stakeholders and strengthening their capacity through workshops targeting upcoming and existing filmmakers.”
The beginners training workshop on how to make videos with cell phones took place in mid-September in Oshakati, in partnership with UNAM. On the second and third training course, the EU has worked closely with the Namibia Film Commission and Filmmakers Association of Namibia to identify the training needs and gaps within the film industry and have tailored an advanced course to suit the prevailing needs. The main identified need is scriptwriting, of which a 4-day master class takes place from 11 – 14 October, targeting scriptwriters, directors, and producers.”
Ambassador Antila concluded by saying, “The Euro film festival is aligned to the cultural strategy pursued by Namibia and the EU, with the aim to promote and develop arts and culture, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and inclusivity, contributing to regional and international integration.”
The EU and its stakeholders hope that the European Cinematic experience will be enriching for our audiences, inspirational and ignite energy and innovativeness in these often challenging times we find ourselves in. We look forward to hosting you!