European Union Film Festival comes to Toronto!

22 films from 21 different countries - free admission for all.

The Studio invites you all to the European Union Film Festival, opening in Toronto this week. The Festival opens with The Barons, a film out of Belgium, opening on Thursday, November 18th at 8:30pm @ The Royal, 608 College Street.

The Festival runs from November 18-30, and features national and international award-winning films from all over Europe.

Some of our favorites?


Austria: The Robber // Der Rauber

 Johann's obsessive search for excitement leads him to a life of crime in this drama inspired by a true story.  As a talented long distance runner, he frequently competes in marathons and is hooked on the endorphin rush and thrill of competition. For Johann, nothing comes close to matching the lift he gets from running until he discovers  a new hobby - robbing banks.  Johann committs a series of hit and run bank heists, less interested in the money than the way danger makes him feel. Johann becomes increasingly addicted to bank robbery and takes bigger risks, sometimes hitting as many as three banks in a day.

The Robber Trailer 

Estonia: Disco and Atomic War // Disko ja tuumasoda
Winner of the Best Documentary prize at the Warsaw International Film Festival, this witty, charming, and provocative film recounts how in the mid 1980’s, the nation of Estonia still lay firmly in the grip of the Soviet Union, and the repressive authorities controlled virtually all aspects of Estonian life. The totalitarian government’s power was derived in no small part from their ability to censor cultural life and keep Western culture on the other side of the border. Rock and Roll was but a rumour and the only television shows on the air were dreary propaganda. But one day everything changed. Just a few miles across the border in Finland, a huge new television antenna was built that broadcast western signals in all directions--including directly into the heart of the Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. 


Greece: Small Crime //Μικρό Έγκλημα

Leonidas, a young police officer, has been assigned to a remote island in the Aegean. He longs to solve important crimes, but all he does is put up “No Nudism” signs. When Zacharias is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, Leonidas’s boss thinks the deceased was drunk and fell by accident, but Leonidas thinks otherwise. Angeliki, a beautiful TV host, arrives and joins Leonidas in his search. In the process, Leonidas finds out that everyone in the small town has their own version of the truth about the death of Zacharias.




Lithuania: Vortex // Duburys

An adaptation of the 2003 novel of the same name, Vortex recounts the story of life in Lithuania after World War II. Although his childhood is filled with sadness, Juozas reaches adulthood with his optimism intact. Following military service, he moves to the city, where he ultimately becomes involved in a love triangle, with tragic consequences.


 Poland: All Will Be Well // Wszystko Bedzie Dobrze


In life, there are some fundamental questions -- such as the belief in God. These important questions are paramount in the story of two very different individuals. One is a talented twelve-year-old long distance runner, who possesses a strong religious faith. The other is an alcoholic primary school physical education teacher who discovered the boy’s talent. The teacher is driven by a desire to come closer to God, though an open declaration of faith is tantamount to weakness in his mind. Together, they make a pilgrimage to a place that is sacrosanct for Catholics, a journey that will be a test of character for both.




Portugal: How to Draw a Perfect Circle // Como Desenhar um Circulo Perfeito

In a house that seems to belong to the Lisbon of long ago, twins Guilherme and Sofia grow up sharing experiences and slowly discovering their sexuality. Guilherme finds himself unable to deal with Sofia’s emotional distance and relationships with other boys. He runs away to his father’s house where he discovers that life cannot be contained within a perfect circle and returns home. When the twins finally meet again, love finally takes shape. How to Draw a Perfect Circle is intimate and silent in style, creating a cloistered universe, where everyday situations become infused with a strange beauty. 


How to Draw a Perfect Circle Trailer


Slovakia: Music // Muzika

Living on the border of an “evil” capitalist country, in the middle of nowhere, a young man dreams that music will help lead to a happy life. Instead, he gives up on music and his dreams along with it. This film explores life in Czechoslovakia during the 1970s and 1980s for a group of friends, including their desire for what they hold most dear... freedom.




Slovenia: Landscape No.2 // Pokrajina st. 2

The burglars Sergej and Polde steal a valuable painting – Landscape No. 2 - from a wealthy general. During the theft, Sergej also steals a mysterious document dating from the end of World War II. The general orders his henchman to recover the stolen painting and the document, no matter what it takes.

EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL 2010 - FESTIVAL SCHEDULE 

See you there!