European Union Short Film Festival
April 24 & 25, 2026
Arts Court Theatre (2 Daly Ave.)
The 2026 European Union Short Film Festival: A National Edition Across Canada
After more than a decade of success in Ottawa and a well-received first edition in Montréal, the European Union Short Film Festival enters a new phase in 2026 with a multi-city edition across Canada, taking place in Ottawa (ON), Montréal (QC), Winnipeg (MB), and Québec (QC). This expansion reflects a commitment to reaching new audiences and strengthening cultural exchange between Canada and the European Union nationwide, while anchoring the Festival in the local realities of each host city.
The Festival presents an outstanding selection of 27 short films from a wide range of EU Member States, showcased over four evenings of screenings. The programme offers a unique window into the richness of European cultures, featuring a diversity of genres and distinctive artistic perspectives.
Delivered through close collaboration between the Delegation of the European Union to Canada, participating EU Member States, Vision Méditerranéenne, the Canadian Film Institute, and local partner cinemas, this edition fully embodies the Team Europe approach, highlighting the shared commitment of European partners to culture, creativity, and intercultural dialogue in Canada.
The Festival stands as a flagship cultural initiative of the European Union in Canada, offering audiences a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary European perspectives and to strengthen connections between societies through cinema.
This edition also takes place in a particularly meaningful context, marking the 50th anniversary of the Delegation of the European Union to Canada, as well as the celebrations of Europe Month. It highlights the strength and continuity of the EU–Canada partnership, grounded in shared values.
Beyond the screenings, the Festival serves as a space for encounter, dialogue, and reflection on contemporary issues through the lens of emerging and established European filmmakers.
Long live cinema, and enjoy the Festival!
Admission is free but reserve your complimentary tickets below
Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Keep scrolling to view the four programs!
All films include English subtitles for any non-English dialogue.
45 minutes before each screening, the European Union and its Member States invite ticket holders to enjoy European delicacies, beverages, and cultural discoveries at Flavours of Europe—no separate ticket required.
Program 1
**(SOLD OUT, rush tickets may be available at the door at 6:25pm)**
Friday, April 24 at 6:30 PM (84 minutes)
5:45 PM: Flavours of Europe (with the Embassy of Lithuania, the Embassy of Luxembourg, PLUS contributions from the Embassy of Portugal and the Embassy of Croatia)
6 short films ranging from audacious speculative fiction to the humdrum of everyday struggles.
(This program is recommended for adult audiences)
On My Mind
2021 | 18 minutes | Denmark
Director: Martin Strange-Hansen
A man at a karaoke machine in a sleepy bar tries to sing the country western pop standard “Always on My Mind” for his wife. This moving, Oscar-nominated drama is inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience of profound loss.
Brown Morning / Matin brun
2025 | 9 minutes | Luxembourg
Director: Carlo Voegle
In this animated short based upon the fable by Franck Pavloff, brown animals start invading homes and taking control. Charly complies with the rules of this colorless world, soon discovering the horrors of everyday fascism.
Left-Handed Pen / Tušinukas
2024 | 18 minutes | Lithuania
Director: Adas Burkšaitis
A schoolteacher finds out that her son’s poorly written exam may jeopardise his dream of attending a prestigious university abroad. How many sacrifices is a mother willing to make to secure her child’s success?
2054 Seele
2025 | 12 minutes | Italy
Directors: Edoardo Maione, Alice Gnech
Set in the future, 2054 Seele explores a world in which artificial intelligence and social control become human rights threats.
Hurikán
2024 | 13 minutes | Czech Republic
Director: Jan Saska
Hurikán rushes out to save his favourite beer stand from closure by fetching a new keg to impress the bartender he has a crush on. In a wild Prague district, he faces robbers, cops, and his own thirst.
With Thelma / Avec Thelma
2017 | 14 minutes | Belgium
Directors: Ann Sirot, Raphaël Balboni
An Icelandic volcanic eruption has closed the airspace. Thelma’s parents are stranded abroad. While they wait for flights to resume, Jean, Vincent, and Thelma are living under the same roof.
Program 2
Friday, April 24 at 8:30 PM (87 minutes)
8:00 PM: Flavours of Europe (with the High Commission of Malta, the Embassy of Portugal, the Embassy of Austria, and more TBA)
7 short films reflecting on the human condition, contemplating what brings us together and/or tears us apart.
(This program is recommended for adult audiences)
Happy People / Boldog Emberek
2024 | 15 minutes | Hungary
Director: Balázs Budavári
In a world where a number on the neck shows how happy people are, Kristóf waits for the Annual Happiness Measurement. His examiner is shocked when she realizes he barely exceeds the minimum and may have to be reported.
Fragments / Estilhaços
2016 | 18 minutes | Portugal
Director: José Miguel Ribeiro
This is a film about how the war settles in the bodies of the people forced to live it, in their own eyes. And then, thousands of miles away and dozens of years ahead, how, like a virus, it can still infect other human beings.
This is (for) the Sea / Ovo je (za) more
2024 | 15 minutes | Croatia
Director: Renata Poljak
The idea for this inventive documentary film arises from a question: Can we heal the sea, help it, or at least play music for it—to make it feel better?
A Single Life
2014 | 2 minutes | Netherlands
Directors: Job, Joris, and Marieke
In this Oscar-nominated animated short, a mysterious vinyl record suddenly allows Pia to travel through time.
Leave Me Be, Dear / Ħallini Ħanini
2020 | 14 minutes | Malta
Director: Samira Damato
Malta, 1964. A family is thrown into financial and emotional turmoil as British influence starts to recede. To protect her mother from her father’s temper, Mariella, a mischievous little girl, plots to get rid of him.
Balconada
2024 | 8 minutes | Bulgaria
Director: Iva Tokmakchieva
A hot summer day brings several neighbours out on their balconies. During a sudden rainstorm, one of them gets a burst of inspiration, which encourages the rest to live in the moment.
The Last Bet / Die letzte Wette
2023 | 15 minutes | Austria
Director: Meike Wüstenberg
Elderly couple Ernst and Leni have a tradition: they bet on who will die first, with the last piece of chocolate as the prize. Each hopes to go before the other—but for very different reasons.
Program 3
**(SOLD OUT, rush tickets may be available at the door at 3:55 pm)**
Saturday, April 25 at 4:00 PM (93 minutes)
3:15 PM: Flavours of Europe (with the Embassy of Estonia, the Embassy of Ireland and the Embassy of Slovakia)
7 short films about new beginnings.
(This program is recommended for adult audiences)
The Fight
2025 | 8 minutes | Cyprus
Directors: Dan Pearce, Antony Petrou
An 11-year-old girl navigates the pressures of amateur boxing while carrying an unspoken weight far beyond the ring.
Kafka. In Love / lemīlējies Kafka
2024 | 10 minutes | Latvia
Director: Zane Oborenko
Based on Franz Kafka’s Letters to Milena, this clever animated short explores less known but nonetheless extraordinary and puzzling aspects of Kafka’s personality.
Big Boys Don’t Cry
2025 | 23 minutes | France
Director: Arnaud Delmarle
A sweltering summer in a small village. After three years, Lucas and his friends welcome back their best friend. This long-awaited return stirs up conflicting emotions.
Journey of the Stars / Hviezdna cesta
2025 | 8 minutes | Slovakia
Director: Klaudia Grancová
Margarétka is a 13-year-old girl, who travels home by train every evening. She gets off at a stop beyond the village. Gathering courage near the last lamp on the train station, she takes a deep breath and heads down the dark road.
Spotless / Vlekkeloos
2021 | 16 minutes | Netherlands
Director: Emma Branderhorst
When 15-year-old Ruby gets her period, she doesn’t want to ask her mother to buy her feminine hygiene products, knowing their financial situation doesn’t really allow for it. She decides to solve the problem herself.
Retirement Plan
2024 | 14 minutes | Ireland
Director: John Kelly
This Oscar-nominated short animation tells the story of Ray as he fantasizes about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has the “time.”
Baa-Baa! / Kingitus kolme O-ga
2025 | 14 minutes | Estonia
Director: Teresa Juksaar
New to the city, a family must figure out what to do with a goat that was suddenly gifted to them as part of a charity program.
Program 4
**(SOLD OUT, rush tickets may be available at the door at 6:25pm)**
Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM (89 minutes)
5:45 PM: Flavours of Europe (with the Embassy of Germany, the Embassy of Romania)
7 short films about being at war with others and ourselves.
(This program is recommended for adult audiences)
Earworm / Öronmask
2025 | 13 minutes | Sweden
Director: Patrick Eklund
In this offbeat comedy, Ulph is plagued by a severe case of earworm as Rednex’s “Cotton Eye Joe” song takes over his mind. Gradually, he spirals toward madness, with everything he experiences being tainted by the song.
Fish River Anthology / Mereneläviä
2024| 9 minutes | Finland
Director: Veera Lamminpää
It is just before closing time at the supermarket. The last customers are queuing for their turn at the fish counter, trying their best to pretend the other customers are not there. The agonizing wait offers a chance for existential reflection and a little song.
The Hour of Death / Smrtna ura
2024 | 19 minutes | Slovenia
Director: Tomaž Gorkič
Urban is a man trapped in monotonous daily patterns from birth to death. Years pass as Urban grows up and ages, with tireless repetition. Just before his death, a glimmer of the meaning of life dawns upon him.
Roberto
2020 | 9 minutes | Spain
Director: Carmen Cordoba
Roberto is a sensitive artist secretly in love with his neighbour for years, while she hides away, ashamed of her body. Through art and a fragile clothesline as their only means of communication, Roberto plans to help her.
Joy
2026 | 7 minutes | Germany
Directors: Vera Herr, Luis Schubert
Joy attends the 30th birthday party of her best friend Aron. The mood is light and carefree-until Joy grabs the microphone and exposes a buried secret.
Poplars
2025 | 11 minutes | Greece
Director: Alexandros Vounatsos
On a winter morning in 1997, a father unwittingly leads his two children on an unnatural journey into the future while struggling with his addictions.
Place Under the Sun / Loc sub soare
2024 | 20 minutes | Romania
Director: Vlad Bolgarin
In the 2000s, a pianist and his 8-year-old son struggle to secure a spot to sell vegetables at an open-air market. As the father loses hope under the weight of his circumstances, a gesture from his son restores his faith.