Artistic traditions and customs - Canadian drama "Sweetland" kicks off Emden Film Festival.
The 34th International Film Festival in Emden, a Nordic seaport city, kicked off last Wednesday. Festival director Edzard Wagenaar mentioned a "huge international cinema program" for the week-long event, saying that the festival, which typically showcases Northwest European cinema, is extending its focus to cinematic works beyond the Atlantic. "For the first time in the festival's history," declared Wagenaar, "we'll be screening films from Canada."
In line with this, the event's launching featured the European premiere of the Canadian movie "Sweetland" by director Christian Sparkes. The attendance included around 800 film enthusiasts, and Sparkes joined them for the premiere. The movie is a poignant portrayal of a Newfoundland resident, who refuses to leave his remote fishing village in the face of its dissolution. This movie's Emden screening was also streamed online in a local Emden cinema.
The 2020 festival showcases 51 long and 34 short films in its listing. Anticipated attendees include renowned performers like Nina Petri, Oliver Mommsen, and Lars Eidinger. While Eidinger will bag the Emden Acting Award at the Film Prize Gala on Sunday, 9th of June, 18 films are vying for the cherished Bernhard Wicki Score prize, which bears an endowment of 15,000 euros. With eight competitions, an overall award worth 65,500 euros will be distributed.
The Lower Saxony State Chancellor, who is also the chairperson of Nordmedia's Film Promotion Agency, Jörg Mielke, mulled over the "family-friendly" atmosphere of the festival, noting that it has now become one of Germany's ten largest film festivals in terms of visitor numbers. Throughout the years, it draws A-list actors and filmmakers to the East Frisian lands. "This speaks to the festival's prestige," commented Mielke. The organizers project a projected footfall of 20,000 visitors again, as in the last edition of the event.
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The Canadian drama "Sweetland" served as the focus of the festival's international cinema program, extending its reach beyond Northwest Europe and into Atlantic cinema. Emden Film Festival, held in the Nordic seaport city of Emden, attracted around 800 film enthusiasts for the European premiere of "Sweetland". The German city of Norderney, located in Lower Saxony, is also part of the festival's attractions, with its Festival Theater hosting the online stream of "Sweetland". Renowned performer Lars Eidinger is set to receive the Emden Acting Award at the Film Prize Gala during the festivals, along with other anticipated attendees like Nina Petri and Oliver Mommsen. The festival's prestige is showcased by the presence of A-list actors and filmmakers in the region, making it one of Germany's ten largest film festivals in terms of visitor numbers.
