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    • New Talents Open Call
      Eastern Neighbours Film Festival (ENFF) began in The Netherlands in 2008 with the idea to offer Dutch and international audiences a unique glimpse into the cinema of their neighbors from Eastern and Southern Europe. This annual event presents the most recent, exciting, and thought‐provoking films, from countries with small, but often powerful film industries, that… Read more: New Talents Open Call
    • ENFF 2023 On Demand!
      Unable To attend the festival in person? No problem! From November 27th to December 3rd, we’re thrilled to bring you a curated selection of this year’s films available for online viewing! Catch our captivating Opening Film Ivan’s Land, or the touching Closing Film Seventh Heaven. Or explore a collection of shorts from the New Talents Competition! Follow along… Read more: ENFF 2023 On Demand!
    • What’s up in Slovak Cinema? A conversation with Monika Lostakova
      We talked with Monika Lošťáková about contemporary Slovak cinema.
    • ENFF and the Eastern European Film Festival Network!
      The Eastern European Film Festival Network brings together five film festivals dedicated to promoting and showcasing Eastern European cinema, alongside one partner organisation.
    • Masterclasses
      Through these masterclasses we approach two memory in film from different angles: memories from a personal or collective recollection through archive material.
    • Work in Progress
      In Work in Progress, emerging filmmakers and artists will present their works in development to the audience and engage in discussions with Dutch experts.
    • Festival Timetable Available!
    • Check out the catalogue for our 2023 edition!
    • Music at ENFF
      Every year, ENFF brings special musical guests who bring beauty to the program and further represent the rich cultures of their countries to a Dutch audience.
    • Film Marathon
      Join us for the Film Marathon, a new concept in which we merge two components, Short Films, Big Stories, and New Talents Competition into a whole-day screening of short films!

Every year, the Eastern Neighbours Film Festival presents the best films from Eastern and Southeastern Europe, from countries with a small but strong film production. This year the festival will take place from 4 – 15 November, for the first time online via film platform Picl. This year’s selection includes 20 films from about 15 countries and the program is now online.

Dutch Premieres

The 12th edition of ENFF shows several Dutch premieres, including the Croatian family drama Mare by Andrea Štaka. Mare had its world premiere at the Berlinale 2020 and protagonist Marija Skaricic won the award for best actress at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Another Dutch premiere is the Schindler’s List of Croatia: The Diary of Diana B. by Dana Budisavljevic. This unknown but true heroic story about one of the greatest relief efforts during WW2 won four awards at Croatia’s oldest film festival.

The most surprising film and Dutch premiere this year is Stories From the Chestnut Woods. This stunning film debut by Gregor Bozic is a fairytale lament at the Slovenian-Italian border. This film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, won the award for best first feature film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and received no less than eleven awards at Slovenia’s national film festival.

Awardwinning Highlights

Almost all the films within the program have been awarded various prizes. The compelling Serbian family tragedy Father by Srdjan Golubovic is on the shortlist for the ‘European Oscars’ and received the Panorama Audience Award for best feature film during the Berlinale 2020. Golubovic is regarded as one of the leading directors of Eastern Europe.

The Croatian documentary Srbenka by Nebojsa Slijepcevic still provokes controversy in it’s home country. Slijepcevic exposes the hatred within the ethnic groups in Croatia and courageously exposes the wounds of post-war society. The film has won more than 20 awards over the past two years, including the Doc Alliance Selection Award in Cannes and the Heart of Sarajevo for best documentary. Srbenka is now broadcasted in German cinemas.

Program and Tickets

The full ENFF film selection will be available via Picl from November 4 onwards. Special offer: watch 3 films online and get 1 for free! Per film you pay 8,50 Euro, which gives you 48 hours access to the film. The ticket income per view goes to Eastern Neighbours Film Festival and Filmhuis Den Haag. So with each view you support the festival and the film theater. Having problems with purchasing the tickets? Contact us at pr@enff.nl

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