“Europe on Screen” Film Festival goes online for its 20th edition
“Europe on Screen” Film Festival goes online for its 20th edition
The 20th edition of the European Union (EU) Film Festival “Europe on Screen” (EOS) will be held online via Festival Scope from 16 to 30 November 2020. This makes it the first major foreign film festival in Indonesia to launch a digital version.
The EOS 2020 online edition will for the first time allow a nationwide reach for all films. It will also continue to bring an array of the finest contemporary European films. Forty European feature films from 25 countries and 1 short film compilation – from EOS Short Film Pitching Project 2019 winners – can be accessed from the safety and comfort of home during COVID-19-related restrictions.
“The Europe on Screen 2020 Film Festival is special. Because, for the first time in the festival’s 20 years’ history, Europe On Screen will host all its screenings virtually in an online platform to adapt to the present circumstances. Of course, we will miss the silver screen and the bustle of the crowd entering the movie halls. But, we will compensate for that with a selection of the best and latest films Europe has to offer, and with an even wider geographic reach: from Sabang in Aceh all the way to Merauke in Papua, covering 34 provinces,” said H.E Vincent Piket, EU Ambassador to Indonesia.
“Although it is being held online, audiences can still watch our films together. The only difference is they need to set schedules beforehand to watch the same film, from the safety of their respective homes,” said Nauval Yazid, EOS Festival Co-Director, during the press conference. “An online festival opens the possibility for everyone in Indonesia to watch Europe on Screen, anytime and anywhere”.
The online platform, Festival Scope, is specialised and designed to host screenings of online film festivals. The platform has been used by the most prestigious international film festivals, such as Venice, Helsinki, and many others. To watch the films, audience will need to sign up for a Festival Scope account and have the latest version of device operating system and browser. Free tickets will be available on the screening date and each film will have a limited number of tickets.
Swoon, a 2019 feature film from Sweden directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, will open the festival. The film, which took home the Guldbagge Awards 2020 for best costume design and best music winner, is based on the real history of the iconic Grona Lund amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. The festival will be closed with Cologne Film Festival’s Best Feature Film nominee in 2018, How About Adolf?, a German comedy film by Sönke Wortmann.
EOS continues to support for Indonesian filmmakers through the Short Film Pitching Project (SFPP) programme, where emerging filmmakers could present their short film ideas and win partial funding from EOS. “Diversity in narrative storytelling and innovation in technology to make short films consistently grow each year in the SFPP programme and international film industry,” said Meninaputri Wismurti, EOS Festival Co-Director. “We have received 170 submissions and have shortlisted 9 finalists. The finalists will soon pitch their ideas virtually to a 3-member jury panel. From the 9 finalists, 3 winners will be selected,” she added.
The shortlisted finalists for SFPP 2020 are:
- Kaum - Bayu Topan – Banyuwangi
- Two Suicide Bombers and A Godot (Bom Bunuh Diri dan Godot) - Carya Maharja & Radisti Ayu Praptiwi - Jakarta
- Setengah Lima - Jatmiko Wicaksono & Abiyoso – Tanjung
- Kacamata (Glasses) - Guns Gunawan & Mariah Kibtia – Jakarta
- Seseorang Yang menutupi Layar - Nashiru Setiawan – Malang
- The Great Eclipse of The Heart - Fadel R & Yanuar Priambodo – Jakarta
- Kepada Istriku (Marta, I’m Home) - Patrick Warmanda & Robert Darmawan – Jakarta
- Can I Get Some Those Packages? - Gemilang Cahaya Adibrata & Shahabi Sakri – Jakarta
- Bicycle With Thief - Abel Fattim Diawara & Jeremy Randolph - Tangerang
The 3-member jury panel for this year’s SFPP are:
- Lucky Kuswandi, a film director. One of his short film was nominated in Cannes Film Festival 2015 and won the Citra Award for best short film in the same year.
- Tumpal Tampubolon, a screewriter and director. He won the Citra Award for best original film scenario in 2014 and enrolled in Berlinale Talents in 2009.
- Yulia Evina Bhara, a film producer. She was for nominated best short film in Venice International Film Festival 2016.
Audience can watch the SFPP judging sessions online on 23 and 24 November 2020.
Prior to the festival, EOS 2020 will hold workshops and webinars with European filmmakers in online pre-festival events, namely:
- 9-12 November 2020 - an intensive script writing workshop with Domenico La Porta, script writer and editor-in-chief of Cineuropa
- 13 November – a webinar titled “How To Hold Online Film Festival” with Festival Scope
Nine webinar sessions will be held during the festival in the Film Talks programme. Audience will have the opportunity to join Q&A sessions with European film professional such as:
- on film restoration with a representative from Institut national de l'audiovisuel
- with directors of EOS closing and opening films, and
- with SFPP 2019 competition winners.
For more information, visit our website: www.europeonscreen.org