The Cine Europa film festival will take its roadshow to Bohol for the first time next week, almost 22 years after its inception in 1998.

Cine Europa which is one of the longest-running film festivals in the country will offer free screenings of European movies at Cinema 1 at the Screenville Digital Cinemas inside the Alturas Mall in Tagbilaran City on November 22 and 23.

Governor Arthur Yap will be meeting foreign dignitaries including envoys from various European Union (EU) countries who are expected to arrive in the province for the Bohol leg of the nationwide festival.

“Cine Europa is a distinctive way to showcase European cultural diversity and to open up opportunities in the cultural and creative industries,” said Thomas Weirsing, Chargé d’Affaires of the EU Delegation to the Philippines.

The EU, in a statement, said that 13 movies about  the enduring tales of “love, friendship, faith, triumph and courage are presented” by the Embassies of Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The festival kicked off in Manila last September.

It is scheduled to visit other localities including Cebu City, Iloilo City; Bohol; Ateneo de Naga University and SM in Naga; Palawan State University and SM in Palawan; and Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte.

In Bohol, films to be shown are BEUK (Happy New Year)  from Hungary on November 22, at 6:30 in the evening and Tour de France, from France at 11 am; Achter de Wolken (Behind the Clouds) from Belgium at 1:00 in the afternoon; Grube Aus Fukushima (Greetings from Fukushima) from Germany at 3:00 pm; and Vinterbrode (Winter Brothers)  from Denmark at 5:00 pm on November 23.

Admission is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Cine Europa roadshow in Bohol will be launched in coordination with the Provincial Government of Bohol, EU, Eunic, EU Cultural Institutes, and Alturas Mall. (Glaiza Commendador / PRIMER)