By Harold Kapindu
Malawi has hosted the second edition of Euro Film Festival in Lilongwe and Blantyre, courtesy of European Union (EU).
The festival which took place on Friday and Saturday also coincided with Europe Day celebrations on 9 May.
Speaking at the official opening of the festival on Friday, EU Charge d’Affaires Ms Aurelie Valtat said the Euro Film Festival is taking Malawi movie scene to the next level.
“The EU has been fervent supporter of the art scene in Malawi for many years. Art in Park, Music Crossroads, the DJ lab are some of the events and organizations that we regularly support,” she stated.
Also present at the ceremony, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife Michael Usi said the arts, heritage and tourism sector has been highlighted as one of the key areas for development in the Malawi Agenda 2063.
He further appealed to the European Union and other development partners to continue supporting various sectors as outlined in the Agenda 2063, including the arts, heritage and tourism sector.
Some of the films screened at the festival included Tiza and the Robot, The Camino Voyage, Atlantique, Tigwirane Manja, Cold Case Hammerskjold and Druk.
The festival followed a film workshop that was held on the 9th of April, 2021 at the EU Residence, in Lilongwe where over 30 Malawian filmmakers participated at, sharing ideas and learning from film making facilitators from Malawi, South Africa, Kenya and the UK.
In November 2018, the European Commission started a project to support the creation and enhance the quality of European Film Festivals organised by the delegations of the European Union.
The project is managed by a consortium formed by Goethe-Institut, Institut français and Cineuropa, the portal for the promotion of the European cinema. The initiative is operational from November 2018 to November 2022.
