European Union Short Film Festival
May 26 & 27, 2023
at Ottawa Art Gallery, Alma Duncan Salon
Welcome to the 10th edition of the European Union Short Film Festival!
The Canadian Film Institute, the EU Delegation to Canada, and the participating EU Member States invite you to join us as we celebrate not only short film production in the European Union but also that the EUSFF has reached the decade mark. The tenth edition features 22 films from 22 EU countries.
This year, there are three separate programs presented on the big screen in the Ottawa Art Gallery’s magnificent Alma Duncan Salon. The 2023 selection includes short dramas, documentaries, animation, and experimental films.
Half an hour before each screening enjoy European food and drinks provided by the EU embassies at the Tastes of Europe Reception.
Again this year, as is customary at the EUSFF, admission to all the screenings is free!
We hope you’ll enjoy these 22 examples of the range and diversity of short films being created across the European Union. And, of course, we look forward to seeing you in November at the upcoming 38th edition of the European Union Film Festival.
Tom McSorley
Executive Director
Canadian Film Institute
Admission is free!
Keep scrolling to view the three programs!
Thank you to our festival partners
Pre-ordering your tickets is recommended (to help the venue predict attendance) but tickets are not required to enter the screening.
All films include English subtitles for any non-English dialogue.
Each screening runs approximately 70 - 80 minutes.
We strongly encourage patrons to wear masks at our events.
Program 1: The Roles We Play
Friday, May 26 • 7:00 pm
We play the roles given to us and we play the roles we give ourselves.
Fibonacci
2020 | 8 minutes | Czech Republic
Director: Tomáš Hubáček
A beautiful intersection of numbers, people, and landscapes.
Sierra
2022 | 16 minutes | Estonia
Director: Sander Joon
To win the race for his father, a son will become a different part of the team.
Yes
2013 | 9 minutes | Hungary
Director: Géza M. Tóth
Yes, the woman says, yes.
Cradle (Cântec de leagăn)
2020 | 4 minutes | Romania
Director: Paul Muresan
A dark domestic story of protection and abuse.
Airborne
2021 | 8 minutes | Poland
Director: Andrzej Jobczyk
A plane crash is not the end, but the beginning of new life.
Danube traces, digital wideness and other things
(Donauspuren,
digitale Weite und andere Dinge)
2020 | 5 minutes | Austria
Director: Carola Dertnig
History clashes with modernity in this poetic perfomance piece.
Cyclists
2018 | 7 minutes | Croatia
Director: Veljko Popović
Two cyclists battle for ultimate glory, as well as the woman they love.
Huldra
2021 | 15 minutes | Sweden
Director: John Boisen and Björn Fävremark
A modern horror adaptation of an old Scandinavian folktale.
Program 2: The Friends We Make
Saturday, May 27 • 4:00 pm
Making friends, be they human or animal, is the best part about growing up.
(This program is appropriate for children.)
Luce and the Rock
2022 | 13 minutes | Belgium
Director: Britt Raes
A small community is rocked by an unexpected and misunderstood visitor.
The Parrot Lady
2020 | 7 minutes | Cyprus
Director: Michalis Kalopaidis
An old woman cares for her birds when no one cares for her.
Hugo & Holger (Hugo og Holger)
2019 | 14 minutes | Denmark
Director: Teddy Halkier Kristiansen
Hugo dreams of a pet dog but comes home with an elephant.
Connected
2022 | 9 minutes | Slovakia
Director: Peter Kolos
A young woman discovers an important animal connection.
Hedgehogs and the City
2013 | 10 minutes | Latvia
Director: Evalds Lacis
A group of animals find a way to live in the money-driven city.
Winter Lake (Talvinen järvi)
2019 | 15 minutes | Finland
Director: Petteri Saario
Two cousins go camping and learn about the cycles of nature in the wild.
Program 3: The Care We Give
Saturday, May 27 • 7:00pm
When we care for others, we mustn’t forget to care for ourselves.
Sand Mother (Madre Arena)
2014 | 13 minutes | Spain
Director: Didi Rodan
The choice of motherhood and the connection between mother and child.
It Doesn't Have to Be Today (Muss ja nicht sein, dass es heute ist)
2022 | 7 minutes | Germany
Director: Sophia Groening
Friends help find just the right words for a text message.
A Night at the Cemetery (Mia nyhta sto nekrotafeio)
2021 | 11 minutes | Greece
Director: Stelios Polychronakis
A widow honours and remembers her husband at his tomb.
4 Beats (4 Battiti)
2017 | 10 minutes | Italy
Director: Natalia Piervincenzi
A man is haunted by four beats and a lost loved one.
La vita nuova
2022 | 4 minutes | France
Director: Arthur Sevestre
An intimate moment of care in a bustling city.
Cherries (Uogos)
2022 | 15 minutes | Lithuania
Director: Vytautas Katkus
A father tries to connect with his son while picking cherries.
The Bull (Bik)
2019 | 12 minutes | Slovenia
Director: Bojan Labovic
A man's priorities are shaken when a bull gets loose from the abattoir.
For the Birds
2022 | 9 minutes | Ireland
Director: Ciaran O'Connor
Meet Esther, her pigeons, and her story of motherhood, sin, and secrets.