The European Film Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary!
The European Film Festival, a must-attend annual event for short film fans, launches its 40th edition in Lille, from April 5 to 10, 2024.
Bringing together short films from all over Europe, the Festival reveals young talent and promotes the freedom and creativity of the short film format. Each year, many of the films in competition are selected by a professional jury and go on to be nominated for the most prestigious film awards, such as the Oscars and César.
A rich and diverse program
Over the course of six exciting days, the public will be able to attend a multitude of events: daytime screenings, themed evenings combining short films and activities in unusual locations, as well as a conference and the final of the screenplay contest. The three partner cinemas, UGC Ciné Cité, Majestic and Univers, will be hosting the screenings, while the Place du Vieux Marché aux Chevaux will be transformed into a lively village, offering activities for all cinephiles. The screenings will be an opportunity to discover the selection of the European Film Festival: 55 unique works from all over Europe (17 countries represented), selected from 2300 short films, will compete in the Official Competition or the Other Views Competition.
A memorable 40th anniversary edition of the Festival
The Festival will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a spectacular opening ceremony on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 8pm, at the UGC Ciné Cité. This kick-off event will take place under the bewitching theme of "La fête au cinéma": the event will be the occasion to enjoy a unique ciné-concert presented by the Orchestre Universitaire du Conservatoire de Lille.
To celebrate this anniversary edition, a special Best Of session will also be on the program. This screening will highlight the richness of the short films that have passed through the Festival, through five short films that have received the Grands Prix in the past, the most prestigious award in the competition.
This 40th edition of the European Film Festival comes to an end on Wednesday, April 10 at 8pm with the closing ceremony. On this final evening, the winners of the Official Competition, the Autres Regards Competition and the Screenplay Competition will be revealed.
Outstanding guests honored at the César, Oscars and Cannes Film Festival
For this anniversary edition, we are honored to welcome Emmanuelle Bercot as Guest of Honor. A six-time César-nominated French director, screenwriter and actress, Emmanuelle Bercot brings her expertise to this anniversary event. As a filmmaker, she has won acclaim for works such as Backstage (2005) and La Tête haute (2015), the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, she received the Prix d'interprétation féminine at Cannes for Mon Roi, and co-wrote Polisse, winner of the Prix du Jury in 2011. Her remarkable career, punctuated by cinematic successes, has made her a key figure in the world of cinema.
This year, the jury that will judge the various short films and award the prizes is made up of eminent personalities from the film industry. Marilyn Lima, with her debut in Bang Gang (2015) and her success in Skam France (2018-), embodies the versatile youth of cinema. Likewise, Axel Auriant, who came to prominence on the theater stage before going on to shine in award-winning productions such as Jamais contente (2017) and Skam France (2018-), brings a vibrant presence to the jury. Nathalie Saugeon, for her part, offers a valuable perspective as an accomplished screenwriter and playwright, having contributed to such acclaimed works as Mignonnes (2020) and Roberto le Canari (2018). Christophe Chauville, head of publishing at L'Agence du court métrage and coordinator of Bref magazine and its online platform Brefcinéma, will take on the role of Media Jury. His contribution to several magazines, books and encyclopedias on cinema, as well as his involvement in the short fiction film pre-selection committee for the César 2024 awards, confirm his significance within the jury.
Attractive prices for all
To make culture accessible to all, the Festival offers attractive rates, as well as reduced prices for minors, students, senior citizens and jobseekers. The "Pass Culture" is also valid.
Screenings are €7 (€5.5 with reduced price), the Nuit De La Peur is €6.5, and the opening and closing ceremonies are €6 (€5 with reduced price). The Competition Pass, including all competition screenings and ceremonies, is 28€ (24€ with reduced price), and the Festival Pass, including the Competition Pass and the three thematic parties, is 40€ (30€ with reduced price). Theme parties are €7.5 (€5.5 concessions). Last but not least, the conference and screenplay competition finals are free!
Don't miss this exceptional cinematic event!
Join us as we celebrate creativity, innovation and passion for cinema at the 40th Lille European Film Festival. Book your tickets now on our website (https://eurofilmfest-lille.com) or visit our stand at Place du Vieux Marché aux Chevaux or UGC Ciné Cité from April 5 to 10 to get your tickets.
