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News Releases
No. 100/05
November 9, 2005
AFI SILVER THEATRE AND EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES
PRESENT WASHINGTON DC’S 18th ANNUAL EUROPEAN UNION FILM
SHOWCASE, NOVEMBER 8–22
2005 EU SHOWCASE PRESENTS 25 OF EUROPE’S BEST
INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNERS, FESTIVAL FAVORITES AND BOX
OFFICE HITS
The American Film Institute (AFI), in conjunction
with the Cultural Counselors of the European Union
Member States, presents the 2005 European Union Film
Showcase at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
from November 8-22. Now in its 18th year, this popular
and prestigious annual event brings some of the best new
European films to DC-area audiences.
The
2005 EU Showcase will include films representing all
25 countries in the recently-expanded European Union. AFI Silver will show a total of 24 feature films, plus
the omnibus VISIONS OF EUROPE, which includes 25 short
films—one film representing each of the EU Member
States. Included in this shorts program are works by
Hungary’s Béla Tarr, Finland’s Aki Kaurismaki and the
UK’s Peter Greenaway. The collected films represent both
a unique vision of life from each country and an overall
mosaic of the present-day European Union.
The United Kingdom, current holder of the
EU Presidency,
is represented with both the Opening Night and Closing
Night films. The Washington, DC, premiere of TRISTRAM
SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY will open the festival.
Michael Winterbottom’s (24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE) hilarious
film-within-a-film adaptation of Laurence Sterne’s comic
masterpiece features an outstanding cast including Steve
Coogan, Rob Brydon, Gillian Anderson, Jeremy Northam and
Stephen Fry.
Closing the EU Showcase will be the Washington, DC,
premiere of Stephen Frears’ (HIGH FIDELITY, DANGEROUS
LIAISONS) MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS. The film features
Dame Judi Dench as the remarkable Laura Henderson, the
true-life eccentric widow who re-invigorated London’s
West End during World War II. The cast also includes Bob
Hoskins, Christopher Guest and Will Young (UK’s first
“Pop Idol”). AFI thanks Picturehouse Films and The
Weinstein Company, respectively, for making each of
these presentations possible.
Other Showcase highlights include:
• Germany’s 2005 Official Oscar Selection SOPHIE SCHOLL:
THE FINAL DAYS, directed by Marc Rothemund and starring
Julia Jentsch (THE EDUKATORS) (Silver Bear, Best
Director and Actress, 2005 Berlin Film Festival).
• Germany’s THE FOREST FOR THE TREES (Special Jury
Award, 2005 Sundance Film Festival).
• Italy’s THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE (winner of 5 Donatello Awards, including Best Film, Director, Actor,
Screenplay and Cinematography).
• Italy’s COME INTO THE LIGHT (Best Actor, Luca Zingaretti, 2005 Karlovy Vary Film Festival).
• A Netherlands/Hungary co-production, EL PERRO NEGRO:
STORIES FROM THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR, (Best Documentary
Feature, 2005 Tribeca Film Festival), presented by
SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Film
Festival.
• Poland’s MY NIKIFOR, (Best Film, Director and Actress
Awards, 2005 Karlovy Vary Film Festival).
• Spain’s UNCONSCIOUS (Nominated for 5 Goyas;
Official Selection, Toronto and Sundance International
Film Festivals), starring Leonor Watling (Pedro
Almodovar’s TALK TO HER).
• Sweden’s 2005 Official Oscar Selection, ZOZO.
A full schedule of festival screenings, tickets and
information about the 2005 EU FILM SHOWCASE will be
available online beginning October 28 at
www.AFI.com/Silver.
Tickets for the 2005 EU SHOWCASE will also be available
at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center box office
during normal box office hours. Recorded programming
information is available at 301.495.6700; general
theater information at 301.495.6720.
AFI’s European Union Showcase is supported by KSI, Inc.
and Brainbox. AFI thanks the cultural counselors of the
EU Member States for their invaluable assistance and
expresses its deep gratitude to the Honorable Sir David
Manning, British Ambassador to the United States, and to
the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, Washington, DC. Special thanks to US
British Council and The Silver Spring Foundation for
their invaluable help.
For further information, please contact: Sandi Auman
(202.862.9541).
Further Contact Information
Press and Media Relations
Delegation of the European Commission
2300 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
http://www.eurunion.org/PressRoom
Tel: 202-862-9552
Fax: 202-429-1766
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