The European Union Delegation in Namibia, in collaboration with the Namibian Film Industry, on Tuesday launched the 2022 European Union Film Festival in the capital on Tuesday.
The festival, themed ‘Youth in Diversity: Our Shared Roots for a Better Future,’ will take place every Wednesday from 05 October 2022 to 30 November 2022 at The Village Opera House.
The 2022 EU Film Festival will feature a number of European and Namibian films, screening a total of 18 films, nine feature films and nine local short films.
Speaking at the event, Sinikka Antila, EU Ambassador to Namibia, stated that the EU and its member States are excited to host the EU Film Festival in Namibia again this year, following the success of the festival last year.
She stated that the EU hopes to raise interest, awareness and educate local audiences about European and Namibian films, as well as strengthen cooperation and communication between the EU and Namibian public and the local partners, through this festival.
“This festival is the result of good collaboration with local stakeholders and building their capacity through workshops aimed at upcoming and established filmmakers,” she explained.
According to Florence Haifene, Secretary of the Namibian Film Commission (NFC), the NFC has facilitated and provided short opening films from local film producers that are diverse, while also speaking to Namibian societal realities.
“As the country’s film regulatory body, we are delighted to participate in this edition of the EU Film Festival once more. Events that promote Namibian content produced by our film practitioners are always welcome,” she said.
Aside from film screenings, the festival will host a four-day video production workshop in Keetmanshoop from 11 to 14 October, which will be funded by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and hosted in collaboration with the University of Namibia’s Southern Campus.
The workshop will teach the fundamentals of filmmaking, scriptwriting and film editing, with the goal of empowering participants to capture and tell their own stories from their own point of view.
Namibian partners in hosting the festival include the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology, the Namibia Film Commission, the Namibia Filmmakers Association, Camel Eye Productions and Jam Events.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
