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JURY
GRAND COMPETITION JURY
Priit Pärn / Estonia, winner of Animafest Grand Prix in 2012, 1996 and 1998, and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008
David O’Reilly / Ireland, animation director and Golden Zagreb 2010 award winner
Dennis Tupicoff / Australia, screenwriter, director, producer and animator
Mirna Belina / Croatia, one of the founders and programmers of 25FPS International Experimental Film and Video Festival
Lea Zagury /Brazil, co-founder and director of Anima Mundi Festival
STUDENT COMPETITION AND COMMISSIONED FILM COMPETITION JURY
Andreas Hykade / Germany, director, Golden Zagreb 2012 award winner, Animafest jury 2010 special mention winner
Marc Bertrand / Canada, producer at NFB
Margit Antauer / Croatia, long-time Animafest director (1992-2006), Zagreb Concert management producer
GRAND COMPETITION SELECTION COMMITTEE
Marco de Blois, animation programmer and curator at Cinematheque Quebecoise in Canada
Duscha Kistler, long-time art director of Fantoche International Animated Film Festival in Switzerland
Vanja Hraste, programme curator at Croatian Film Clubs’ Association
STUDENT COMPETITION AND COMMISSIONED FILM COMPETITION SELECTION COMMITTEE
Vanja Andrijević, producer and general manager at Bonobostudio, Croatia
Andrea Martignoni, composer and sound designer, Italy
Miloš Tomić, multimedia artists and animator, Serbia
COMPETITION PROGRAMME
GRAND COMPETITION
Earlier this year in Zagreb, the Grand Competition international selection committee gathered and diligently viewed all the entries submitted for this year’s Animafest official selection. Out of 824 films they selected 32 of them for the Grand Competition and 26 for the Grand Panorama. Animafest’s programme will also present a respectable number of films from China and Japan, seven of which in the Grand Competition. Atsushi Wada and his Great Rabitt, the Golden Bear winner for best short film at this year’s Berlinale, are also arriving to Zagreb. China is represented by Xu An and Xi Chen with Grain Coupon, a story taking place at the time of Cultural Revolution, touring all of this year’s European festivals. European animation is represented in the Grand Competition by the latest works of acclaimed animators such as Animafest Grand Prix winner Georges Schwizgebel (Romance, Swiss-Canadian co-production), Rosto (dark and fantastic 30-minute The Monster of Nix) and Evert de Beijer (Get Real!). The always interesting and welcome guest is the Estonian school, whose most important envoy is this year’s jury member Priit Pärn. This time it will be represented by Kaspar Jancis and Vladimir Leschiov with Villa Antropoff and Ülo Pikkov with the puppet film Body Memory. The competition also includes The Mask, the latest work by the masters of puppet animation, Quay brothers. Probably the most bizarre film of the festival is Bobby Eah, an apocalyptic, grotesque horror story by British filmmaker Robert Morgan. There are also two Croatian films among the 32 international entries: The Flower of Battle by Simon Bogojević Narath and Why Elephants? by Marko Meštrović. Grand Competition films are screened at Europa and Cineplexx Kaptol Centre cinemas.
STUDENT COMPETITION
Freshness and youth at the 40th Animafest will surely come in the shape of the Student Competition, which this year counts 33 films. The selection committee named Turku Art Academy from Finland the best animation school in 2012. In the Student Competition it will present three of its latest hits: Swarming by Joni Männistö, Who Dares? by Sanni Lahtinen and Rosy Cheek by Heta Bilaletdin. The acclaimed Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg from Ludwigsburg also brings us three films, including Heavy Heads, a film that earned its author Helena Frank the award for best Danish new talent and official selection at Berlinale 2011. Student Competition also presents Crossed Sild, a Norwegian film by two local filmmakers, Ivana Bošnjak and Lea Vidaković. Japanese animation will be represented by Masaki Okuda and his Gum Boy. Estonia sent two films that brilliantly take on the potential of puppet-animation: Erik Alunurm’s Breakfast on the Grass, certain homage to the eponymous film by Priit and Olga Pärn, edited by the famous couple; and Fly Mill by Anu-Laura Tuttelberg. The Student Competition films are screened at Tuškanac cinema.
COMMISSIONED FILM COMPETITION
Among the filmmakers represented on the list of Commissioned Films is the favourite of Zagreb audience, the Brit Phil Mulloy. His animations often appear in TV series and he made as many as four trailers for the Dutch Animation Festival. Is seems as though Mr. Christie, the main character of the award-winning The Christies (2006), is Phil Mulloy’s undying source of inspiration, as it also appears as the motive of his trailers. On the opposite side of the spectrum there are works by Italian artist Virgilio Villoresi. His commissioned works are a true homage to motion, colours and human bodies in all details. The only representative of Croatian animation in the Commissioned Film Competition is the young animator and student Alen Vuković. His trailer for the feature film Koko and Ghosts by Danijel Kušan was voted the best commissioned film at this year’s Days of Croatian Film. Mizai Mizue, a representative of new Japanese abstract animation, takes part in both Grand Competition and Commissioned Film Competition. And And is a music video for the star of Tokyo’s independent scene Toru Matsumoto. The Commissioned Film Competition Programme is screened at Cineplexx Kaptol Centre cinema.
FILMS FOR CHILDREN COMPETITION
The anniversary edition of the World Festival of Animated Film Animafest Zagreb will give special attention to its most cheerful audience – the children. Animafest and the Children’s Programme partner, Zagrebačka banka’s children savings programme Pčelica, will turn Kaptol Centre’s Cinplexx during the six festival days into a children’s movie theatre and inevitable place of entertainment and animation experience for the youngest population. Throughout the day, from 1am to 6pm, films suitable for children will be screened. In addition to the films, the children will get the chance to discover the magic and pleasure of creativity in Animafest’s special Pčelica centre. All day long they can learn about animation through play, workshops and special exhibitions. For those families who live further off Kaptol Centre’s Cineplexx, Animafest traditionally organises free weekend screenings of animated films at cultural centres around Zagreb. Parents with children can look forward to Animafest family pass at the price of 100 kuna for the entire programme. The pass is valid for one parent and a child. Films for Children Competition is screened at Cineplexx Kaptol Centre cinema.
GRAND AND STUDENT PANORAMA
In addition to competition programmes, festival panoramas also offer magnificent titles that deal with current issues in a particular way and provide us with a broader insight into the latest animated production. The selection of Grand Panorama even includes films by animation greats and previous festival edition prize winners such as Koji Yamamura and Regina Pessoa. Portuguese filmmaker Regina Pessoa arrives with her latest work made out of objects, sand and salt, Kali the Little Vampire. Muybridge’s Strings is the latest work by Japanese Koji Yamamura, the winner of 2004 Animafest Grand prix for Mount Head. The bona-fide Oscar-nominated filmmaking duo Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis are presenting their newest work Wild Life. 66314, the latest work by renowned Japanese filmmaker Isamu Hirabayashi, who earned a Golden Bear nomination for his film Aramaki in 2010, was inspired by Japanese earthquake, Tsunami and nuclear disaster. After an extremely successful graduation film Stand Up and debut film Family Portrait, John Pierce has a new film to raid festivals with – The Pub. Croatia will be represented by Dalibor Barić and his New Hippie Future (Grand Panorama) and Petra Zlonoga with Foxes (Student Panorama). The Grand and Student Panorama films are screened at Europa and Tuškanac cinemas.
CROATIAN PANORAMA
The quantity and quality of films selected by Animafest’s art director Daniel Šuljić inspires optimism and joy. Most of these films have been frequent guests at international film festivals, winning many awards: Dove sei, amor mio by Veljko Popović participated at around 50 festivals and earned five awards, including a Special Mention at Sarajevo Film Festival; Father by a group of authors (including Veljko Popović), which will be screened in Annecy this year in May, already won a Special Mention at the Croatian Animated Film Festival and Oktavijan for the best animated film at the Days of Croatian Film. Cat by Goran Stojnić, a film made in the rare technique of oil on glass, will also travel straight after Animafest to Annecy, where it will be screened in the festival’s official selection. A combination of stop-motion and drawing is what Marko Tadić used for his mystical and imaginary world with two moons in We Used to Call It: Moon. Tadić also write the music for his work, while Irena Jukić-Pranjić’s Ornament of the Soul will be interesting to local public also because of the music composed by Darko Rundek. The Croatian Panorama is screened at Tuškanac cinema.
MASTERS OF ANIMATION
MASTERS OF ANIMATION – YOJI KURI
Members of Animafest Council: Darko Kreč (president), Pavao Štalter, Vesna Dovniković, Milan Blažeković, Marko Meštrović, Željko Sarić and Nikica Gilić decided to present the lifetime achievement award to one of the most important Japanese animation artists, a pioneer of independent animated film and one of the first animators who made a name for himself in the West as well: Yoji Kuri. Yoji Kuri belonged to the so-called Japanese group of three animators (Sannin no Kai in Japanese), alongside Yanagihara Ryohei and Manabe Hiroshi, equivalent to the Three Tenors. Yoji Kuri was called Pavarotti and we can call him Animafest’s godfather because he was present at the ASIFA session when Zagreb was licensed to establish Animafest. Through several selections we will have a unique opportunity to see most of his films, of which some have never been screened in Croatia or in Europe. In addition to the insight into this exceptional filmmaker’s work, Animafest visitors will have a chance to talk to this master of animation and see the documentary film Here We Are with Yoji Kuri by Ryô Saitani. A selection of Yoji Kuri’s films is to be screened at Tuškanac and Europa cinemas.
MASTERS OF ANIMATION – GRAND PRIX 1972-2012
Among the programmes reminiscing the 40 years of existence of this world-acclaimed festivity with nostalgia and pride, there is Grand Prix 1972-2012, enabling us to see all the winners of Animafest’s Grand Prix. They include some of the most renowned world animators who often visited Zagreb, with a film or without it. Such as the Russian Yuri Norstein, the winner of two Grand Prix, for films: The Battle of Kerzhenets (co-directed with Ivan Ivanov-Vano) and The Tale of Tales. Estonian animator and frequent Animafest visitor Priit Pärn won three Grand Prix, for films: Breakfast on the Grass, 1895 (co-director Jann Põldm) and Divers in the Rain (co-director Olga Pärn). He is visiting Zagreb this year as one of the Grand Competition jury members. The programme includes two Croatian filmmakers: Nedeljko Dragić with Diary and Zdenko Gašparović with Satiemania, as well as numerous greats such as Nick Park, Michael Dudok de Wit, Joanna Woodward, Koji Yamamura and Joanna Quinn. Animafest will also issue a promotional DVD with all Grand Prix-winning films. Grand Prix 1972-2012 programme is scheduled at Europa cinema.
MASTERS OF ANIMATION – CROATIAN ANIMATED FILM 1962-63
Borivoj Dovniković Bordo, acclaimed animator and animation director, makes his traditional annual overview and selection of films made within the Zagreb School of Animation. The programme Croatian Animated Film 1962-63 is screened at Tuškanac cinema.
MASTERS OF ANIMATION – ANDREAS HYKADE
Andreas Hykade is one of the most successful authors in Germany and worldwide in the last twenty years. With his first film, We Lived in Grass (1995), he attracted attention to himself and since then his every new film garnered exceptional merits at international film festivals. He has already won two awards in Zagreb, his film The Runt won the Golden Zagreb Award for innovation in 2008, while Love and Theft won the Jury Special Mention in 2010. This year he will be a student and commissioned film competition jury member. A strong and recognisable visual world of a reduced drawing interspersed with an outstanding sense of rhythm and animation are main traits of Hykade’s style. Despite simplicity in visual traits, he manages to give his films grandeur; all of his films are great films, even though at the same time he manages to preserve intimate moments. Sound is the key factor in this, an extremely important element in Hykade’s work and the main ingredient of the said grandeur. The Masters of Animation programme will screen nine of Hykade’s great films. Masters of Animation – Andreas Hykade programme is screened at Tuškanac cinema.
MASTERS OF ANIMATION – 3X3
Filmmakers' retrospectives are not a novelty in the world of animated film festivals – quite the contrary, they are among the most beautiful parts of every festival. But what about talented people who make “only” four or five films in 10 or 20 years? Or those whose emerging works garner huge attention? The 3x3 programme will present three films by three authors with strong expressions and completely different approaches. All three represented filmmakers have films in the official selection. Evert de Beijer is perhaps the best example of the said claim of the longevity of animation production. He made his first film way back in 1980, and has since then made “only” a few animated films in 6-10 year intervals. The master of puppet animation horror film, he made his debut film in 1997 and the film he competes with this year, Bobby Yeah, is “only” his fourth animated work. The only exception is Lia, a very prolific artist, whose talent and non-narrative digital abstractions intertwining VJ culture, electronic experiments and the widely accepted notion of animated film earned her addition attention. The Masters of Animation – 3x3 programme is screened at Europa and Tuškanac cinemas.
ANIMATION SCHOOLS
An oasis of wild and enigmatic scenes, absurd humour, surreal perceptions and mysterious endings. Those were the words Turku Arts Academy from Finland was named the best animation school in 2012. Ten most successful student films made within the school from 2006 until today will be presented in a special programme. They include The Irresistible Smile by Ami Lindholm, which won Animafest’s best student film award in 2008. In addition to films by the 2012 best European animation school, we will have a chance to see films made at the Department of Animation and New Media of Zagreb’s Academy of Fine Art and Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg from Ludwigsburg. This young German academy was established in 1991, but quickly became one of the most renowned schools in animation world, especially after the launch of Institute for Animation, Visual Effects and Post-production. One of the most successful teachers at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg is also Andreas Hykade: the most successful German filmmaker in the last twenty years, whose films will be screened in the Masters of Animation programme. Local animation talents will present seven films made from 2005 until today. They include Miramare by Michaella Müller, a 2010 Cannes and Annecy official selection entry. BEST ANIMATION SCHOOL 2012: TURKU ARTS ACADEMY THURSDAY, 31 MAY, 2PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA SATURDAY, 2 JUNE, 8PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA ANIMATION SCHOOLS – FILMAKADEMIE BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG SATURDAY, 2 JUNE, 11AM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA ANIMATION SCHOOLS – ZAGREB ACADEMY OF FINE ART FRIDAY, 1 JUNE, 2PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA
SPECIAL PROGRAMMES
STRANGE FRUITS OF ANIMATION
Strange Fruits of Animation is a programme of small gems of weird and twisted humour. Weird, absurd, unusual, illogical, brutal, black or multicoloured, fascinating, Monty-Python-like, humour comes in all kinds of shape, like fruit. Thanks to the omnipresence and easy access provided by today’s technology, the number of such films has lately exploded, comprising one of creatively most interesting subgenres of original animation today. The Baltic area, especially Estonia and Finland, has always bred such peculiar artists, visible from the film Animals for Animals by Finns Tatu Phjavirta and Mark Ståhle, an apocalyptic grotesque about an aggressive world. Codswallop, made by the British family studio The Brothers McLeod, is based on illustrations Greg McLeod sent to his son on postcards. The secret of animation of these gems is not in a specific technique, but is read between the frames, like in the hilarious film Sam’s Hot Dogs by David Lopez Retamer. THURSDAY, 31 MAY, 8PM, CINEPLEXX KAPTOL CENTRE SUNDAY, 3 JUNE, 4PM, EUROPA CINEMA
CINEMA FOR THE EAR
Cinema for the Ear, an intriguing selection of animated music videos according to art director Daniel Šuljić, is visually and musically one of the most interesting parts of this year’s programme. Lately music videos have become full-fledged and independent works of art. We will see 17 such short original works in this programme. Musicians themselves very often make their own videos, like Michael Stipe from R.E.M. and his sister Lynda for Discoverer. In the world of electronic music another interesting phenomenon is under way: authors use analogue materials, stop-motion, Lego cubes and the like, which them simulate computer-generated forms. A good example of such approach is Nobody Beats The Drums – Grindin’, made out of more than four thousand sawed and painted wooden sticks. The “quirkiest” video made in stop-motion technique was already viewed by 22 million people on YouTube – Her Morning Elegance by Israeslis Yuval and Merav Nathan, who won a Grammy in 2010. We will also see two videos by Shynole, a successful art collective from London which visualises music by Coldplay, Blur, Radiohead and UNKLE. FRIDAY, 1 JUNE, 8PM, CINEPLEXX KAPTOL CENTRE SUNDAY, 3 JUNE, 6PM, EUROPA CINEMA
EUROPEAN TV SERIES
Once upon a time, when this festival was still young, public TV channels did not broadcast only commercials in halftime breaks, but also animated serials, partly for children and partly for grown-ups as well. This programme is a journey to a 1970s childhood and a reminder of beautiful European TV serials, such as Balthazar, La Linea, Lolek&Bolek, Gusztáv, Krtek, A je to and others. The serials are screened at Tuškanac and Cineplexx kaptol centre cinemas.
CARTOON D’OR
The Cartoon d’Or is the pan-European award for short animated films. Founded in 1991, to this day it remains the only completely European animation prize. It rewards each year the best of the best since only prize-winning films from the partner festivals can compete. In 2011, among the six finalists, the winners were Johannes Weiland and Uwe Heidschötter for their short film The Little Boy and the Beast. TUESDAY, 29, MAY, 8PM, CINEPLEXX KAPTOL CENTRE SATURDAY, 2 JUNE, 10PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA
NEW ITALIAN ANIMATION
A special selection of New Italian Animation will acquaint us with some of the finest contemporary Italian animated films, a genre currently undergoing a renaissance, which is reflected in a growing festival presence and a long list of awards. Programmer Andrea Martignoni brings us a masterpiece of Italian animation, The Tight Rope Walker by Roberto Catanio won the Cartoon d’Or award at 2002 Cartoon Forum. Different techniques but similar passion is displayed in Imago by Beatrice Pucci, a complex puppet animation strongly influenced by Eastern European school’s techniques and aesthetics, just like The Journey of the Birdboy by Chiara Ambrosio, a multi-faceted London-based artist who collaborated with numerous musicians from the contemporary British scene. A touch of inspired madness comes with Aztrokitifk and Mario si danno al crimine! by Ivan Manupelli and Gianluca Lo Presti. WEDNESDAY, 30 MAY, 2PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA
TALES OF THE NIGHT – 3D
Animation filmmaker Michel Ocelot has always been fascinated by the techniques of classical animation. In Tales of the Night he juxtaposes silhouette animation as introduced by Berlin director Lotte Reiniger almost a century ago, with state-of-the-art 3D technology. Like Reiniger, whose 1926 film The Adventures of Prince Achmed became a key work of the genre, Michel Ocelot also takes his audience on a journey every bit as rich and enchanting as the stories from the Arabian Nights. Modern digital technology enables the filmmaker to create extraordinary worlds full of colour that transform the cinema into a genuinely magical place. FRIDAY, 1 JUNE, 6PM, CINEPLEXX KAPTOL CENTRE SUNDAY, 3 JUNE, 6PM, CINEPLEXX KAPTOL CENTRE
ANIMAFEST PRO
STEREO EXPANDED
Workshop and stereoscopic 3D films presentation. How does Stereoscopy work? Why make film in S3D? Can S3D animation film be made economically? The workshop will be held by Canadian producer Marc Bertrand, also a member of Student and Commissioned Film Competition jury. SATURDAY, 2 JUNE, 6PM, CINEPLEXX KAPTOL CENTRE
CASE STUDY: OH WILLY... PUPPET-FILM
MEDIA desk Croatia in cooperation with Animafest Zagreb organises a workshop on stop-motion animation. The participants of the workshop will have an opportunity, through the case study Oh Willy... to have an insight into the complete process of the production and creation of a film. One of the authors – Marc James Roels and a producer – Ben Tesseur will guide us through the idea, script, financing, shooting and post-production process. Speakers: Ben Tesseur and Marc James Roels. FRIDAY, 1 JUNE, 3PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA SMALL HALL
MEET THE FILMMAKERS
Meet the filmmakers from Grand and Student Competition programmes and panoramas. WEDNESDAY, 30 MAY, FIRDAY, 1 JUNE, SATURDAY, 2 JUNE AT 12,30PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA SMALL HALL SPECIAL EVENTS
EXHIBITION: 40 YEARS OF ANIMAFEST ZAGREB 1972-2012
The exhibition 40 Years of the World Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb, 1972-2012 will cover four exceptionally successful decades of the second oldest festival dedicated entirely to the art of animation and recall of the life of this still young, fresh and leading festival, the festival which inscribed the name of Zagreb and its filmmakers and animators onto the animation map of the world as one of the capital cities. The exhibition aims to depict this unique festival atmosphere. It displays historical documents and letters, documentary videos, festival trailers, awards, photographs, birthday and other cards by world-acclaimed authors, graphic identities and objects made from 1972 until this day. Among the valuable memorabilia, there are works by renowned artists from former Yugoslavia and Croatia, who contributed to the festival identity with great approval from animation devotees and wider public: Nedeljko Dragić, Pavao Štalter, Miroslav Šutej, Zvonimir Lončarić, Borivoj Dovniković, Zlatko Bourek etc. 29 MAY – 3 JUNE, ULUPUH GALLERY
ANIMATION GOES MSU!
The first official partnering project between the Museum of Contemporary Art and the World Festival of Animated Film will take the shape of an exhibition by acclaimed multimedia artist Ivan Marušić Klif. His “I Like Cartoons” exhibition, curated specially for the Museum’s No Gallery, revolves around early commercial animated films, made in the 1920s and 1930s. At the same time, the 100 meters of the Museum’s multimedia facade will screen a selection of films from this year’s festival programme: Machination 84 by Lia, This is Love (Lei Lei), Romance by Georges Schwizgebel, Get Real! by Evert de Beijer, Point of View by Sae-byul Hwangbo, New Hippie Future by Dalibor Barić, Modern No.2 by Mirai Mizue and About Killing the Pig by Simone Massi. 31 MAY – 22 JUNE, NO GALLERY, IVAN MARUŠIĆ KLIF: I LIKE CARTOONS 29 MAY – 22 JUNE, MSU MEDIA FACADE
PRESENTATIONS
ANIMATION SANS FRONTIERES
An introduction into the programme Animation sans frontières, offering European animation and production graduates lectures and workshops as additional education in visual arts and production from the concept to the final project. With the support of European Commission’s MEDIA programme, Animation Sans Frontières is an eight-week stay at four prestigious European animation schools: Baden-Württemberg (DE), The Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design - MOME (HU), The Animation Workshop (DK) and Gobelins, l’école de l’image (FR). WEDNESDAY, 30 MAY, 3PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA SMALL HALL
JAPAN MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL
A presentation of Japan Media Arts Festival, one of the most unique festivals in the world, which regards media art, entertainment, animation and manga as “Japan Media Arts”. An introduction focusing on distinctive Japanese animation and manga culture, how they influence the variety of industry in Japan, and develop their own style independently. THURSDAY, 31 MAY, 3PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA SMALL HALL
ANIMATION AVANTGARDE & VIENNA INDEPENDENT SHORTS
Animation Avantgarde is part of an international programme at the VIS Vienna Independent Shorts festival, connected with ASIFA. Animation Avantgarde presents contemporary audiovisual art: innovative animation, experimental film, digital media culture and all kinds of hybrid forms, wishing to strengthen the dialogue between different art positions and practices – from avant-garde to pop culture; from drawing, painting and object-based animation techniques to 2D and 3D computer animation, found footage and many other experimental forms. Presenter: Thomas Renoldner THRUSDAY, 31 MAY, 5PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA SMALL HALL
BOOK PRESENTATION
A presentation of new editions on animated film. Estetika animacije by Ranko Munitić; Filmography of Slovene Animated Film and Život izmišljotina by Hrvoje Turković. The book presentation will host guests and critics. The speaking language is Croatian. SATURDAY, 2 JUNE, 3PM, TUŠKANAC CINEMA SMALL HALL
PERFORMANCES
PHONOVIDEO – live performance by Clemens Kogler The return to the beginnings of cinema and 19th century apparatus moves images in real time very easily. Combining phenakistoscope animation technique from 1832 and a homemade VJ tool, Austrian animator Clemens Kogler presents an innovative but low-tech method to mix live animated images and sound. Phonovideo offers a world of possibilities without the help of any computer or digital device in an audiovisual performance. FRIDAY, 1 JUNE, 23,30PM, EUROPA CINEMA