The Embassy cordially invites you to the 11th annual European Union Short Film Festival, which will take place on May 3 and 4, 2024 at Ottawa's Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daily Ave.

The festival is organized by the Canadian Film Institute in cooperation with the EU Delegation in Canada and individual EU member states. 22 EU countries are participating in this year's event. The screening of their 22 films is divided into three separate programs:

Program 1: (Mis)Communication on Friday, May 3  at 7:00 pm will present films from Italy, Ireland, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Austria, Slovenia, Romania with a tasting of their culinary specialties or drinks from 6:00 pm.

Program 2: (Mis)Fit on Saturday, May 4 at 4:00 pm will present films suitable for children from Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Cyprus with a tasting of their culinary specialties or drinks from 3:00 pm.

Program 3: (Mis)Connection on Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 pm will present films from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Lithuania, France, Croatia, Latvia and Poland with tastings of their culinary specialties and drinks from 6:00 pm.

Admission is free to all screenings.

The Czech short animated film directed by Lucie Sunková Suzie in the garden will be screened as part of the "(Mis)Fit" program on Saturday, May 4 from 4:00 pm.

It is a poetic story from magical garden about harmony, charm of differences and overcoming fear and prejudice. It is based on the successful novel by Jana Šrámková. The animated film Suzie in the Garden is created with the unusual technique of painting on glass. This ishand-crafted animation, where the whole film is created directly under the camera. The individual phases of the movement are painted with oil paints, and then, frame by frame, erased and repainted, thus acquiring their unique character. For this animation, a specially made multiplan table is used, which has three glass plates placed at a distance above each other and above them is the camera. At the very bottom is a fourth layer – a lightbox, on which a pre-painted background is placed. For the film Suzie in the Garden 90 backgrounds were used, painted on transparent paper.

Awards
Best of Tricks for Kids – Stuttgarter Kinderfilmtage – ITSF (International Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart); Golden Slipper for the Best Animated Film for Children Zlín Film Festival 2022, Children Audience Award at Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen; DAFilms Award and ECFA Award at Festival BAB for the Best Short European Film

Nominations
Czech Lion Award (March 2023), ECFA Award 2022 (February 2023)

Lucie Sunková (*1974) was born in Prague, Czechia, where she studied Vaclav Hollar Art School and FAMU (Film and TV School of Academy
of Performing Arts in Prague). She is a scriptwriter, artist, director and animator. She focuses mainly on one animation technique: painting with oil paints on glass under the camera. She writes and illustrates books for children.

FILMOGRAPHY
Havran / The Raven – 2000
Podobizna / The Portrait – 2002
Pelargonie / Geranium – 2005
Strom / The Tree – 2015
Přes hranici / The Crossing – 2021 (Head of animation department)

Suzie in the garden - teaser

More information on the festival can be found on its website.