The Swedish film entries to this year’s Cine Europa 10 held in Philippines were a huge success. Judging from the laughters of those who saw Jalla! Jalla! and the appreciating comments from those who saw Fanny and Alexander, the Swedish Embassy is proud to say that Swedish films once again gained international accolade.
Cine Europa has become a popular returning event in the cultural life of the Philippines. To celebrate Cine Europa’s 10th year and the Treaty of Rome’s 50th year, the range of movies this year was larger than ever. Classical and contemporary films from 15 different European countries were shown for almost a month in the cities of Cebu, Davao and Manila respectively.
Cine Europa continues to be a gift of the European Union to the Filipino people as admission to the screenings were free on a first-come, first-served basis. The festival got a record number of visitors, almost 42,000 patrons! The Swedish film entries attracted a good number of moviegoers which is almost double the number of spectators from last year.