The sixth edition of the European Film Festival in Mauritius: 5 dates, 5 locations, 10 films, 7 European Union (EU) Member States to celebrate Europe Day!
This sixth edition of the European Film Festival Mauritius, organised from 3 to 30 May 2025 to mark Europe Day and the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, featured films from seven EU Member States, various film genres as well as a ' clin d'oeil' to Mauritius-Europe collaboration in cinema. Freedom, resilience, solidarity and exchange were the key words of the Festival that has gathered 500 spectators in 5 locations of the island. Each screening had a specific theme, from Ukraine and German-speaking films to EU-Mauritius cooperation in cinema.
The Ambassador, H.E.Mr Oskar Benedikt stated : ' The European Film Festival aims to bring Europe closer to citizens through free screenings of films across Mauritius. Several evenings, several places, different themes.'
The opening night took place in the magnificent garden of the Château de Labourdonnais with the screening of the Hungarian short film 'Under the volcano' and the visually stunning French feature film ' Le Règne Animal', selected in the ' Un Certain Regard Section ' of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
The second screening was dedicated to Ukraine. Several members of the Ukrainian Association of Mauritius, wearing the traditional shirt (vyshyvanka), gathered to watch the Ukrainian short film 'It's a date' by Nadia Parfan and the Polish feature film 'Under the volcano' by Damian Kocur about a Ukrainian family stranded in Tenerife, Spain when Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine. While addressing the audience, Mr Marios Vitos, Head of Political, Press and Information Section at the EU Delegation stated that this 'special Ukraine' screening was a sign of our solidarity with Ukraine and its people. The President of the Ukrainian Association of Mauritius said : ' We are deeply grateful to the European Film Festival for dedicating a screening to Ukraine as an act of cultural solidarity. Seeing 'It's a Date' by Nadia Parfan included in the program, and especially 'Under the Volcano', which portrays the abrupt loss of home and normality experienced by a Ukrainian family, brought a meaningful feeling to our community: the feeling of being seen. At a time when the war in Ukraine risks fading into background noise for much of the world, creating space for Ukrainian stories – especially far from Europe – is powerful. It helps preserve memory, affirm identity, and remind us that behind every headline are human lives.'
On the programme of the third outdoor screening, two German-speaking films including 'The Endlosen' (Germany, 2024), and a feature film 'Mermaids don't cry' (Austria, 2022) from the catalogue of the Goethe Institute-Institut français-Cineuropa Consortium.
For the fourth screening at the Pointe Canon Open Air Theatre in Mahebourg - a small village on the South East coast of the island, an important historical and cultural place for Mauritians - the Festival put a focus on Mauritius-Europe cooperation in cinema with the short film 'Bann Vag Laliberte' by Mauritian film director Christopher Amurat and Spanish producer Javier Olivas and the Belgian feature film 'Mo'Zar, Mon Style' by Sebastien Peretti about Nolwenn, a Mauritian girl who joins Mo'zar Espace Artistic to learn piano. Two powerful stories with two young Mauritian main characters about resilience and hope. The screening was followed by a small concert by several students from Mo'zar Espace Artistic that provides musical training to children in Roche Bois, an impoverished suburb of the capital-city that has acquired a negative reputation.
The final screening started with a short film 'Pie dan lo' by Mauritian film director Kim Yip Tong about the oil spill caused by the wreck of the Wakashio. Accompanied by her team, she gave a short presentation about their work and replied to questions from the audience concerning the techniques used to produce the 13-minute film depicting one of the most traumatic natural disasters in the country's history. The short film was followed by ' Angelo dans la forêt mystérieuse', an animation film for the young audience coproduced by France and Luxemburg.
A number of organisations have supported the Festival including the Embassy of Austria in Kenya, the Institut français de Maurice, the Goethe Institute - Institut français - Cineuropa consortium as well as a number of local partners, in particular the Ministry of Arts and Culture and the Film Classification Board.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles.
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