Editor

In only one day the 4th edition of the Eastern Neighbours Film Festival opens the curtain in Utrecht, the Netherlands. With a total of 31 films from 9 countries the festival introduces some of the latest films from East and South Eastern Europe, from countries that are not yet members of the European Union. Also rare and yet unseen material can be found among the selection. The festival runs from October 26 - 30, 2011.

Special guest at ENFF is European Shooting Star 2011 Marija Skaricic, who stars in MOTHER OF ASPHALT (by Dalibor Matanic, Croatia 2010). Other film makers presenting their work at ENFF include Huseyin Karabey, producer of the opening film DO NOT FORGET ME ISTANBUL. ENFF also introduces new names to local audiences, such as Nejra Hulusic Latić from Bosnia and Herzegovina with the film HER CINEMA LOVE, or Juraj Lerotić from Croatia with Then I see Tanja. Since films from Kosovo are still a rarity today, ENFF is especially proud to show the Kosovar animation THE BRIDGE from Jeton Neziraj, who is also known as a theatre director in the Balkans.

Special programs

Besides the regular film program, the festival organizes a workshop for young film makers. Under the mentorship of documentary film maker Goran Devic from Croatia and Dutch fiction film maker Eddy Terstall, aspiring film directors will learn how to deal with sensitive subjects, political issues and justice as part of their documentary works.
Testing new forms of communication, the interactive project UBER LIFE by Lazar Bodroza, a young Serbian film maker, explores multiple forms of storytelling. Shaped as a fairytale, the audience can decide in which direction a narrative shall develop.

A special highlight of the festival is the screening of WHO'S THAT SINGING OVER THERE? (directed by Slobodan Šijan, Yugoslavia 1980), considered by many as the best and funniest film ever made in the Balkans.

A Focus on Turkey

Programs of this year's festival include a Spotlight on Turkey, which also features a retrospective of films by Reha Erdem. Highlights are films from Istanbul, such as ECUMENOPOLIS: City Without Limits by Imre Azem, or the opening film DO NOT FORGET ME ISTANBUL, in which six successful directors came together to present their perspective of contemporary Istanbul - a city for once seen by the eyes of non Turkish film makers. Other countries represented at ENFF 2011 are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Please see the festivals website for full line up: http://www.fest21.com/www.enff.nl

About ENFF

ENFFs mission is to present the exciting films from East and South East European countries that are not members of the European Union. Recent films are presented alongside with classics that are hardly known outside of their country of production. The non-competitive festival wants to make people understand each other's culture better and give an inside view into the mentality and history of our neighbours. Most of the selected films will have their Dutch premiere at ENFF.

ENFF takes place at the Louis Hartloper Complex in Utrecht. After the festival the films will be screened in other Dutch cities such as Amsterdam, The Hague, Leeuwarden, Zevenaar and Leiden. More information at http://www.enff.nl/.