TASHKENT, October 23. /Dunyo IA/.  Today, 11^th European Film Festival opens in Uzbekistan, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

On the eve of the festival, official opening ceremony of the 11^th European Film Festival was held at the National Palace of Cinematic Arts of Uzbekistan. This year, festival is taking place in Tashkent and Urgench. Annual cultural event is organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan in cooperation with the Cinematography Agency under the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, with the support of the embassies of European Union Member States, cultural institutions and other European countries.

11^th European Film Festival in Uzbekistan features 11 compelling stories by directors from Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania and Slovenia. Festival programme offers audiences a diverse selection of genres, ranging from documentaries and psychological dramas to animation, biographical films and romantic stories.

Since 2013, European Film Festival has become one of Uzbekistan’s most anticipated cultural events, bringing together cinema enthusiasts year after year. Over the years, more than 120 films from nearly all European Union Member States, as well as other European countries, have been screened across nine regions of Uzbekistan. The rich diversity of European cinema has reached audiences in Navoi, Nukus, Shakhrisabz, Fergana, Jizzakh, Bukhara and other cities, consistently attracting keen interest and a positive response from the public.

From October 23^rd to 25^th, Festival programme will be screened in Tashkent at the National Palace of Cinematic Arts (formerly known as Panorama), followed by a screening in Urgench at the Khudoybergan Devonov Cinema on October 27^th.

The festival opened with the 2024 animated feature “A Boat in the Garden” (original title: Slocum et moi), a French-Luxembourg co-production directed by Jean-François Laguionie. The heartwarming film won the Pulcinella Award for Best Feature at the Cartoons on the Bay festival and was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and France’s national Lumière Awards.

Set in the early 1950s in a seaside town, the film follows young François and his parents as they embark on an unusual project: building a sailboat in their family garden. The ambitious undertaking inspires the young protagonist to dream big and imagine new possibilities, symbolising his transition from childhood to adolescence.

During the festival, British Council in Uzbekistan will present a series of short films for students at Uzbekistan State World Languages University (UzSWLU) and at the MOK HUB cultural space.