01/11/2023 - The European Film Academy celebrates the second edition of the initiative, with a record participation of 75 cinemas in 40 countries

After a successful pan-European launch in 2022, the European Film Academy presents the 2023 Month of European Film as Europe’s own film and award season. Starting on 1 November, it celebrates the diversity of European film for six weeks until its grand finale on 9 December with the European Film Awards in Berlin. Across Europe, thanks to the Academy’s partner Europa Cinemas, flagship cinemas in 40 countries from Iceland to Greece, from Portugal to Georgia – including capital cities, small towns and national cinema networks – highlight European films, presenting special programmes, events and dedicated retrospectives. At the same time, the global arthouse streaming platform MUBI presents a special focus on European films, and for the first time, the VOD portal DAFilms highlights a selection of European documentaries, both allowing film lovers around the world to participate.

During the Month of European Film, there will be a multitude of different initiatives. Instead of a uniform catalogue, each participating cinema is creating a unique program according to their expertise and catering to their audience’s taste. All participating cinemas screen European films, many of these films included in the annual Academy Selection that is announced every year in various parts as of August. The programmes also include the films nominated for the 2024 LUX Audience Award (read news). Various screenings all over Europe are introduced by filmmakers and by enthusiastic members of the European Film Academy.

One of the highlights of the Month of European Film will be the Young Audience Film Weekend (4-5 November), during which the launch of the European Film Club will take place, followed by “Europe’s Biggest Watch Party” of the film Everything Will Change [+see also:
film review
interview: Marten Persiel
film profile]. During the weekend, the three films nominated for the annual Young Audience Award will be announced. The Month of European Film will also see the European Arthouse Cinema Day on 12 November, a project organised by CICAE, the international confederation of arthouse cinemas.

During the Month of European Film, many of the participating cinemas will focus on younger audiences. For example, in Tirana (Albania), this means involving the young film-lovers from the Tirana Film Club during every screening and discussion, having them lead the Q&As and comment about the films after each screening. Audience engagement in general also plays a major role for all participating cinemas. For example, a screening is followed by a community dinner and a conversation, in an evening focusing on brain injury, art and the struggle to find a way back to life (in Frederikssund, Denmark), and a special LGBTQIA+ event around a screening (in Lugano, Switzerland). All the information on the events can be found here.