For its 15th edition, the CinEast festival will be gracing cinema screens with select films from Central and Eastern Europe. Last year the focus was on Slovenia. This year, the lens will zoom in on Czechia, but you can bet there’ll be something for everyone regardless of film preferences, age or language. After all, there are nearly three weeks of pure entertainment awaiting all film, music, food and art lovers.
55 feature films and over 40 short films from 20 countries have been selected for the 2022 programme--which was presented during a press conference in the presence of Czech ambassador to Luxembourg and representatives of CinEast, Cinémathèque and Neimënster on 22 September.
In addition to screenings in several collaborating schools, the films will be shown in major cultural venues in Luxembourg City, like the Cinémathèque, Neimënster, Ciné Utopia and Kinepolis Kirchberg. Outside of the city, there will be events at the Ancien Cinéma in Vianden, Ciné Starlight in Dudelange, Kulturfabrik in Esch-sur-Alzette and also the Achteinhalb cinema in Saarbrücken.
Focus on Czechia, special Ukraine programme
"The decision to choose the Czech Republic as the focus country this year was rather organic because we have [almost] a century of diplomatic relations between the Czech Republic and Luxembourg [Czech Republic and Luxembourg will celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations in 2022].... and this year we have the presidency of the European Union," explained Bärtl.
Aside from the focus on Czechia--which will see eleven feature films, several short films, numerous guests, and three concerts dedicated to the country’s cultural scene--another attribute that stands out this year will be the special programme dedicated to Ukraine.
Viewers will be delighted to recognise scenes from the festival’s opening film Luxembourg Luxembourg, a comedy about the journey of twin brothers from Ukraine to Luxembourg by Ukrainian director Antonio Lukich, whose film is also up for the young talent award.
The special programme for Ukraine is marked by six Ukrainian features, a short films evening followed by a debate, concerts by two Ukrainian bands, invited guests from the Ukrainian film scene and two photography projects dedicated to the current war in Ukraine under the theme “Communities”. There will also be an exhibition titled “Chameleon Women from Ukraine” displaying what can be hidden behind a pretty smile.
There will be several opportunities to try out Ukrainian and Czech food throughout the festival. Funding will also be raised for an equipped ambulance to be sent to Ukraine as part of a CinEast4Ukraine charity project.
Seven feature films in competition
Several awards in recognition of outstanding work are given each year in the context of the festival. The seven films in competition this year are 107 Mothers by Peter Kerekes, Gentle by Anna Eszter Némes and László Csuja, How Is Katia by Christina Tynkevych, Moja Vesna by Sara Kern, Occupation by Michal Nohejl, Other People by Aleksandra Terpińska and R.M.N. by Cristian Mungiu.
The international jury that will select the winners of the grand prize and a special jury prize include Macedonian director Teonora Strugar Mitevska, who will be the chair, Luxembourg actor Luc Schiltz, Czech director Erika Hníková, Luxembourg producer Marion Guth and Polish director Dawid Nickel.
A critics award winner selected by three acclaimed journalists, and an audience and young talents award will be chosen by the audience and a jury composed of young students respectively. Five films will be competing for the young talents prize.
The prize-giving ceremony will take place in Kinepolis Kirchberg at 7pm on 22 October.
Luxembourg co-productions
Three Luxembourg co-productions will be shown during special screenings. These include the preview of Erik Stoneheart by Estonian director Ilmar Raag and co-produced by Paul Thiltges Distributions, Pamfir by Ukrainian film director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, and a special screening of Beanie by Slovenian director Slobodan Maksimovič--both co-produced by Luxembourg’s Wady Films.
And He Said Yes!, a short film by Luxembourg-Lithuanian artist Gintare Parulyte will be presented during one of the short film marathons. Parulyte made her first short film debut as director in 2019 and released a last year.
Themed film and special evenings
Several themed evenings can also be discovered on the programme. For example, evenings dedicated to films from Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria. Other special evenings include a women’s event, an odd movies night, a young and confused night, a Fridays for the planet special and a turbulent times evening.
CinEast 10 “coup de cœur”
Some of the favourites and “must-see” selected by the organisers this year include:
- Luxembourg Luxembourg by Lukich.
- Czech film Zátopek depicting the life of Emil Zátopek, a Czech long-distance runner who won three gold medals during the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.
- The Happiest Man in the World by Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska.
- Czech film Il Boemo about the life and work of famous Czech composer Josef Mysliveček.
- 2022 award winning Ukrainian film Klondike by Maryna Er Gorbach about an expectant couple who find themselves at the centre of an airline crash and a war.
- Arvéd by Vojtěch Mašek, a 2022 Czech psychological mystery drama.
- Long awaited Estonia-Luxembourg coproduction Erik Stoneheart about an 11-year-old boy’s fantasy journey, available in both Luxembourgish and Estonian with subtitles.
- Safe Place by Juraj Lerotić which won best first film and best actor at Locarno 2022 and best film at Sarajevo 2022.
- New documentary Visitors by Veronika Lišková about the environmental consequences of climate change.
All the short films to be presented during four short film marathons showing at Neimënster and the Cinémathèque. It includes two fictions, one animation and a documentary.
The detailed programme can be consulted on the CinEast .
This article has been edited to clarify that Czech Republic and Luxembourg will celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations this year.