Join us from 7 – 11 November 2018 and discover meaningful films from East and South-East Europe. This edition of Eastern Neighbours Film Festival in Filmhuis Den Haag brings 40 feature fiction films, documentaries, shorts, masterclasses, lectures and exciting encounters with film directors, actors, producers and musicians. Next to that, free wine tastings from region and brunch with our VIP guests Damir Imamović and Václav Neckář.

ENFF presents films from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Ukraine. Most of the selected films will have their Dutch premiere.

OPENING FILM – KORIDA
Film about the famous Bosnian bullfighting event that gathers between 5000 and 50 000 people every year, tackles with humour and charm, a hot issue of Europe today – how do we live together. Guest: director SINIŠA VIDOVIĆ

CLOSING FILM – LARKS ON A STRING
By Oscar-winning director Jiří Menzel, made in 1969 and immediately forbidden by the Czechoslovak government till 1990, when it won the main prize at the Berlinale.
Guest: actor VÁCLAV NECKÁŘ

Georgian film DEDE, an outstanding cinematic piece about a woman’s fight for freedom, set in the beautiful, breath-taking Caucasus Mountains is a multiple-awarded debut by Mariam Khatchvani. Guest: actress NADIA VIBLIANI

THE MARRIAGE, from Kosovo is a compelling drama of a gay Romeo and Juliette and its reflections in patriarchal Balkan, spiced masterly with charm and local colourful customs. Guest: director BLERTA ZEQIRI

PARADISE ‘89 from Latvia, based on true events, is a moving drama of a nine-year-old girl’s growing up, set against the background of the time when Latvia made the first steps towards independence. Guest: director MADARA DIŠLERE

THE MINER from Slovenia, reveals a real person’s life story when a Slovenian miner of Bosnian origin discovered a hidden mass grave of 4000 war refugees killed after the end of World War II.

SLOVENIAN NEW CINEMA
Next to THE MINER and two exciting shorts, we highlight IVAN by renowned theatre director Janez Burger. The winner of eight trophies at the Festival of Slovenian Film and national candidate for the Oscars.

BALKAN DARK COMEDY
THE SECRET INGREDIENT from Macedonia is an award-winning comedy of a son who gives his father a space-cake made from stolen marijuana to relieve his cancer pain, but finds himself cornered by the criminals and the nosy neighbours. Guest: director GJORCE STAVRESKI

WESTERN FROM THE EAST
COYOTE from Hungary is a dynamic, fun to watch, search for love and social justice. An excellent action drama by Mark Kostyal with amazing performances and impressive cinematography. Guest: screenwritter BALAZS LOVAS

AVANT-PREMIERES
Bulgarian film full of suspense and twists – POSOKI by Stephan Komandarev. A road movie about a Sofia taxi driver during one exciting night (Cannes 2017, Heart of Sarajevo). Croatian film ALL ALONE addresses modern fatherhood in a very sophisticated manner. This darkly humorous drama premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Guest: director BOBO JELČIĆ, editor VLADIMIR GOJUN, producer ZDENKA GOLD

TWO BOSNIAN FILMS
MEN DON’T CRY by Alen Drljevic which impressively deals with post-war traumas; and THE FROG, a remarkable psychological post-war drama based on a record breaking stage play. Guest: director ELMIR JUKIĆ

‘East’ and ‘West’ in the genre of Sevdah – A multimedia lecture by Damir Imamović, an iconic singer, musician, author and sevdah master from Sarajevo. After the masterclass on Saturday 10 November, watch film about the Bosnian blues, SEVDAH by Marina Andree Skop, followed by Q&A with the main protagonist DAMIR IMAMOVIĆ.

THE TRIAL: THE STATE OF RUSSIA vs OLEG SENTSOV, focuses on the notorious case of the Ukrainian film director who protested against annexing of Crimea and got sentenced to 20 years in jail by a Russian court on charges of terrorism.

WHEN PIGS COME, observes with humour and charm the contemporary Serbian society through the prism of a retired school teacher and her desperate struggle towards democracy. Guest: director BILJANA TUTOROV (at 2nd screening only)

HOTEL JUGOSLAVIJA, Switzerland, reflects on the Serbian society in search of new points of references. The film had its European premiere at this year’s Berlinale. Guest: director NICOLAS WAGNIÈRES

OCCUPATION 1968, 5 amazing stories, 5 directors from 5 countries; a recollection of the invasion of Czechoslovakia, seen through the memories of soldiers and officers who took part in it. Guest: director MAGDALENA SZYMKOW (at 2nd screening only)

THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING is the LUX Prize nominee and IDFA winner; Director Mila Turajlic tells the story of her mother and her struggle for democracy through a refined narrative about the family secret door. Free screening provided by European Parliament.

POLISH CINEMA PEARLS presents a collection of four brilliant documentaries in search of national identity, personal identity and the (historical) truth, all spiced with humour and charm. Films: ONE TWO ZERO, PATRIOTIC LESSON, POLONAISE and THE UGLIEST CAR.

Special screening of GÁMER, the first feature film by OLEG SENTOV, on Saturday 3 November in Het Nutshuis. Through this screening, we are focusing attention on Oleg Sentsov’s plight. His story and film are part of an in-depth program which provides an opportunity to discuss relations between Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world.

TICKETS: here
ALL FILMS: here
TIMETABLE: here
SIDE PROGRAMME: here