Czechs to kick off 10th European film fest

      One of the Czech Republic's most iconic films, Short Cuts, will open the European Film Festival tonight at 7pm at the National Cinema Centre in Ha Noi.
The movie, directed by Jiri Menzel was first released in 1980 to much critical acclaim. It was based on Bohumil Hrabal's novel by the same name, and tells the story of a young boy growing up near a brewery in Nymburk, a small town close to Prague.
The film won the Special Mention Award in 1981 at the Venice Film Festival.
More European films than ever before will be screened at the fest, marking the tenth year it has been held in Viet Nam. Fourteen countries will participate, contributing one film each.
The films will be screened from May 11 to 21 in Ha Noi and from May 21 to 30 in HCM City.
Kids' choice
The only movie for small children is Mozart in China from Austria, produced last year by director Bernd Neuburger. The movie tells the story of a marionette named Mozart that comes alive at night. It accompanies a young Austrian boy and his Chinese friend on holiday.
It will be shown on May 15 and 16 at 7pm and 10am in Ha Noi.
Another highlight is the Danish movie Fighter, shown with support from the Danish Film Institute. The movie won many international prizes at Barcelona Sitges International Film Festival 2008 and Lubeck, Nordische Filmtage 2008. The movie will be shown on May 16, 17 at 10am and 3.30pm.
The programme also includes French movie Roman de gare; German movie Four Minutes; Italian movie Caravaggio; Polish movie The Extras; and Romanian movie The Rest Is Silence.
Organised by the Delegation of the European Commission to Viet Nam, the embassies of EU member states and European Cultural Institutes in collaboration with the Viet Nam Cinema Department, the festival promises to be a major cinematic event in the cultural calendars of Ha Noi and HCM City.
Held for the first time in 2000, the European Film Festival is recognised as one of the most successful multi-cultural events in Viet Nam. Last year, the event reached about 8,000 audiences in both Ha Noi and HCM City.
The European Film Festival will take place at National Cinema Centre, 87 Lang Ha Street, Ha Noi and New Galaxy Cinema; 230 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1, HCM City.
All films will be screened in two shows with a Vietnamese voice-over. Free tickets can be picked up at Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street and British Council, 20 Thuy Khue, Street, Ha Noi.
In HCM City, tickets are distributed at the Goethe Institute, 335/4 Dien Bien Phu Street, British Council, 25 Le Duan and New Galaxy 230 Nguyen Trai.