HE 28TH EDITION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL (EUFF) IN DELHI HOSTED A SPECIAL SECTION, ‘BACHPAN’, FOR ITS YOUNG AUDIENCE IN COLLABORATION WITHSIFFCY, A SMILE FOUNDATION INITIATIVE

EUFF curated a special storyboard workshop with Jitendra Mishra, an independent filmmaker, producer, and festival director of the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY).

The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) hosted a special section, BACHPAN, in collaboration with Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY), a Smile Foundation initiative. The workshop was attended by over 80 children from the Smile Foundation who had the rare opportunity to learn from masters in cinema about one of the most important aspects of filmmaking: storyboarding.

Speaking about the workshop, Jitendra Mishra, Festival Director of SIFFCY, said, “It is a privilege to host BACHPAN, a specially curated section in collaboration with the European Union Film Festival. Films are a child’s window to the world, and through BACHPAN, we hope to broaden the perspective of our young audiences. The workshop was focused on the art of storyboarding, one of the most important tools for taking the first step towards visualising a narrative. A powerful storyboard can help bring the narrative alive and leave a strong impact on the audience. Our workshop also introduced children to some techniques to aid the process of storyboarding while keeping them engaged and entertained as they learned the art of expression and creativity from some of the best global talent.”

The section, BACHPAN, began with the screening of two specially curated films, She-Hero from Slovakia and Icarus and the Minotaur from Luxembourg. Directed by Mira Fornay, She-Hero follows the journey of Romy as she roams alone through the forest on the outskirts of town in search of her escaped pet, Mimi. Directed by Carlo Vogele, Icarus and the Minotaur showcases the precious bond of friendship between Icarus and his ‘monster’ friend. The film culminates in a tragic choice for young Icarus between light and darkness.

Speaking on the special curation for the BACHPAN, Veronica Flora, Curator at EUFF 2023, said, “Cinema is a journey we undertake, where the narrative takes us into a world of alternate reality while also offering a glimpse of the larger world beyond our borders. The 28th edition of the European Union Film Festival features carefully curated films that offer audiences the opportunity to explore new emotions, diverse cultures, and the essence of humanity. The films for the specially curated section, BACHPAN, will resonate with our younger audience and compel them to think about and appreciate similarities across diverse cultures.”

The 28th edition of the film festival continues to captivate audiences in New Delhi across three prominent venues—the India Habitat Centre, Instituto Cervantes (Spanish Cultural Centre), and The Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan—running until December 10th, 2023. The Chennai chapter of the 28th edition, which follows Delhi screenings, will start from January 19th to 28th, 2024.

This year, the festival has an excellent line-up of films that have won accolades at top film festivals worldwide, including Cannes, the Academy Awards, the Venice Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, and IFFI, among others. Rich in genre, the EUFF brings some of the best stories and creators from Europe to the Indian audience.

The ‘free for all’ festival, organised by the Delegation of the European Union to India, Embassies of EU Member States, and regional partners, brings to its audience an incredible cinematic experience with 28 films in 25 different languages from 28 European countries.