The Delegation of the European Commission to China announced on April 21 that an EU film festival will be held in Beijing from May 11 to 16.

It will feature nine movies made in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and the UK. All will be shown in their original language versions with Chinese and English subtitles.

The film festival is the first of its kind in Beijing and has been organized with the support of the French Cultural Center, where they will be shown, and the Luxembourg Presidency of the European Council.

It is the first time that such a rich variety of European films will be presented to the Chinese public, giving an extraordinary insight into Europe's diverse cultures and social lives.

The Hundred Steps, directed by Marco Tullio Giordana, won Best Screenplay at Venice in 2000 and Song for a Raggy Boy, directed by Aisling Walsh, won the Golden Swan and Best Film awards at Copenhagen in 2003.

The festival forms part of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations. From May to September, a series of events will be held including Europe Street in September, featuring performances, food, tourism, arts and culture from the 25 EU member states.

(Delegation of the European Commission to China April 29, 2005)