European Union Film Festival launches 26th annual Vancouver edition at The Cinematheque, November 16 to 30

Spanish romantic comedy Ramona opens the festival, and Ukrainian comedy Luxembourg, Luxembourg closes

SPONSORED POST BY The Cinematheque

Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

The European Union Film Festival, The Cinematheque’s perennial showcase of contemporary European cinema, returns this fall for another best-of-both-worlds hybrid edition from November 16 to 30.

This 26th installment of the festival in Vancouver features in-theatre offerings from all 27 European Union members. A selection of films will also be available to rent online following the conclusion of the in-person festival.

Kicking off the festival on November 16 at 7 pm is Spanish director Andrea Bagney’s sparkling debut feature Ramona, largely shot in black and white in a stylistic nod to the French New Wave of the 1960s. After living abroad for several years, Ramona and her boyfriend Nico return to Madrid, where she hopes to restart her film acting career.

Anxious on the evening before her first audition, Ramona encounters a charismatic older man named Bruno. After a few drinks at a bar, they quickly become friends—and perhaps more. Cue the comedy, drama, and awkwardness when Ramona discovers that Bruno is directing the very same film for which she’ll be auditioning.

Ramona.

The festival closes on November 30 at 7 pm with a fundraiser screening for Ukraine, organized in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada. Proceeds from the presentation of Antonio Lukich’s celebrated comedy Luxembourg, Luxembourg will benefit the Maple Hope Foundation, a Canadian not-for-profit organization committed to helping people suffering from the war in Ukraine.

A delightfully droll comedy, Luxembourg, Luxembourg follows twin brothers Kolya and Vasya as they learn that their long-absent father is gravely ill. They set out on a pan-European journey from Ukraine to Luxembourg to visit him one last time. Having left the siblings when they were children, the father is regarded by Kolya as something of a romantic hero figure, while Vasya thinks he’s nothing but a deadbeat dad. Their journey is one thing—the reunion, quite another.

Organized in partnership with the Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa, the European Union Film Festival in Toronto, and the embassies, consulates, and cultural institutes of European Union member states, the festival is the European Union’s longest-running cultural activity in Canada.

Details and tickets for each film can be found here.

Post sponsored by The Cinematheque.