Days of European Film Begins Its 24th Annual Outing Today

This year’s Days of European Film will present some 50 films from different parts of Europe and, like every year, will offer the most interesting films of the current European cinema divided into traditional and new sections.

The festival opened yesterday with the Spanish film Smoke & Mirrors by the director Alberto Rodríguez. This suspenseful spy film received a number of awards, including the Silver Shell at the San Sebastián Film Festival for the best acting performance in a leading role for Eduard Fernández and the Feroz Zinemaldia Award for the best film.

Three films, which were co-produced by Czech producers are worth mentioning. DEF will present the opening night of a film titled The Chronicles of Melanie by the screenwriter and director Viesturs Kairišs who will be a guest of the festival along with the Czech producer Julietta Sichel

Moře z Sines

Another film is Ministry of Love by the director Pav Marinković. Together with him, the actor Slobodan Milovanović and the sound engineers Ludvik Bohadlo and Jan Paul will visit the festival in person.

Czech-Slovak film Little Harbour by Iveta Grófová will also be presented. This film received the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, given by a jury composed of children within the Generation Kplus section. The film will be personally presented by Iveta Grófová, the director, and Matěj Hlaváč, the music composer.

Yallah! Underground, a documentary about an alternative music scene in the Middle East, will be presented by the director Farid Eslam.

Other guests of the festival include Giancarlo Soldi, an Italian director, will also arrive and personally present his documentary Five Wor(L)ds, which reveals the artistic worlds of five major Italian creators who have all received the golden Oscar statues.

Suicide Shop

Jazz drummer Günter “Baby” Sommer who is the protagonist of the music documentary Als Mensch ein Solist will also make an appearance. The audience can look forward to his concert that will take place in the Royal club on Saturday.

The film festival will present the most interesting works offered by European cinema recently and will screen about 50 European films divided into both traditional and new sections.

In the selection of the delicacies of European cinema, the audience can look forward to the Greek film Chevalier, directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari. It is a peculiar film written by the most prominent contemporary Greek screenwriter Efthymis Filippou who regularly cooperates with Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, Dogtooth).

Me and Kaminski

Another distinctive film in this section is Me and Kaminski, a new film by Wolfgang Becker, the author of Good Bye, Lenin!, once again with Daniel Brühl in the leading role. The last year’s big winner of the Spanish Goya film awards, Truman by the director Cesc Gay, will also be presented.

Days of European Film and recognised Prague chefs bring screenings inspired by the Cinema Cuisine trend in the special section called Film Flavour.

A rich program for children and families including screenings of animated films and workshops will take place throughout the festival.

The concept of Cinema Cuisine consists in combining the screening of a film and a culinary experience. On the unique premises of Royal cinema, a pop-up restaurant will be set up and its menu will correspond to the theme and settings of the film. The price of 500 CZK per person includes a delicious three-course menu, wine, water and a film.

The audience can find the detailed DEF programme for each town, the list and descriptions of sections, a catalogue for download, news, information on ticket sale, information on special events, etc., at www.dnyevropskehofilmu.cz.

[Reprinted from a press release.]