European Film Festival 2009

The European Union member states represented in Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Norway, and the co-organizer Alliance Française de Colombo, present the "European Film Festival 2009".

The festival will be held from the 7th to 15th of November with screenings each day at 5pm and 7pm. The main film festival (9 films of 35mm) will take place at the BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall) while the fringe festival (DVD screenings of 21 films) will take place simultaneously at the British Council, Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française.

A selection of short films directed by young Sri Lankan film makers will be presented before the screening of each feature film.

European Film Festival 2009 will also be a great occasion to screen, as an exclusive preview for the opening night, Lester James Peries' masterpiece Gamperaliya (1963) which has recently been restored and screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2009 under the section 'Cannes Classics'. The Embassy of France is proud to have obtained for this occasion one of the only two existing copies in the world.

This event will be a great opportunity for movie lovers in Sri Lanka to enjoy a collection of various, contemporary and classic European films. This festival is a shared international cultural experience that aims to promote a friendly relationship and to increase the mutual understanding between European Nations and Sri Lanka.

European Film Festival is a joint cultural event organized by the Alliance Française de Colombo and the Embassy of France, the Consulate of Belgium, the Embassy of Switzerland, the Embassy of Italy, the Embassy of Norway, the Embassy of Sweden, the Embassy of The Netherlands, the Consulate of Spain, Consulate of the Slovak Republic, the British Council, the Goethe-Institut in association with Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), The Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage and National Film Corporation (NFC).