The RIFF Winter Festival kicks off on Thursday, in honor of the European Film Awards. The best EFA films of 2020 according to RIFF.
A selection of films nominated for this year's European Film Awards will be shown on RIFF's streaming service, riff.is, from next Thursday and for 11 days, i.e. from December 10th - 20th. Six different films will be shown; a comedy, a thriller, a drama, an animation and a documentary, but the films will appeal to different age groups, young and old alike. They have one thing in common: they have received well-deserved attention recently and most of them are competing for the coveted EFA award that will be presented on December 12th in Berlin. These are undoubtedly among the best films competing this year, in the opinion of the RIFF directors and they come from, among others, France, Denmark, Romania, the Netherlands, Italy and Iceland. The Icelandic film Echo by Rúnar Rúnarsson was among 32 films in the previous pre-selection for this year's EFA award.
This is a unique opportunity to see these films and ticket prices are very reasonable. The films that RIFF will be showing at the winter festival dedicated to EFA are:
THE BIG HIT by Emmanuel Courcol. France. | Nominated for Best Comedy at the EFA 2020
A gifted actor, Etienne, who regularly struggles with a lack of work, runs a prison drama workshop where he gets the inmates to stage Samuel Becket's Waiting for Godot.
WATCH NOW ON RIFF HEIMA – THE BIG HIT
CALAMITY by Rémi Chayé. France, Denmark. | Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the EFA 2020
In the United States in 1863, 12-year-old Martha and her family set off west in a large wagon train in search of a better life.
WATCH NOW ON RIFF HOME – CALAMITY
COLLECTIVE by Alexander Nanau. Romania, Luxembourg. | Nominated for Best Documentary at EFA 2020
An investigative journalist uncovers a massive fraud scheme in the Romanian healthcare system. This is a film about power, corruption and lies in the inner circle. A great film about journalism at its best.
WATCH NOW ON RIFF HEIMA – COLLECTIVE
Echo by Rúnar Rúnarsson. Iceland, France, Switzerland. | Nominated for best film EFA 2020
Iceland during Advent. The film shows 56 scenes, both sweet and bitter, from our modern life here in Iceland.
INSTINCT by Halina Reijn. Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany. | Nominated in the Discovery of the Year categories at EFA 2020
Psychological thriller. Despite her extensive experience and knowledge, a highly regarded psychologist is blinded by love for a sex offender she is treating.
WATCH NOW ON RIFF HOME – INSTINCT
MARTIN EDEN by Pietro Marcello. Italy, France, Germany | Nominated for Best European Film, Best Actor and Best Screenplay at the EFA 2020
Martin falls in love with Elena, a wealthy and well-educated woman. He dreams of becoming a writer who fights for social justice, but he also realizes that it will be difficult if he wants to get the buttonhole.
WATCH NOW ON RIFF HOME – MARTIN EDEN
Since 1988, the European Film Awards have been presented annually at a gala ceremony to highlight the masterpieces produced by European filmmakers each year. This year, the ceremony will be held electronically from Berlin, rather than from Iceland as planned. It is hoped that it will be held with pomp and pageantry in Iceland at Harpa in 2022, if all goes to plan.
Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson:
"We were looking forward to welcoming our foreign guests this year and showing them everything we have to offer. But this is the best option in the current situation in light of the pandemic. It is gratifying that an agreement has been reached that the European Film Awards will be held in Reykjavík after two years. We can then focus entirely on preparing a magnificent festival and side events that we can use in marketing the cultural city of Reykjavík, but no less for the benefit of Icelandic filmmaking and creative industries in general."Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education and Culture:
"We will hold a magnificent and diverse festival program in honor of European films, it just won't happen this year - as these are unusual times that call for flexibility. This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Icelandic film culture and the film industry in this country and we will make good use of it."
