Editor

The non-competitive festival ENFF features a unique program of rarities from East- and South East Europe - countries that are not yet members of the European Union. Recent films are presented alongside with classics that are hardly known outside of their country of production. Today the festival announces the first titles of the upcoming edition.

A major aim of ENFF is to connect local audiences with mentalities from people and places that are closer to us than we think. This year's country in focus is Turkey, and the festival is proud to present a program that features both new talents and old masters.

Reha Erdem in Retrospective

Starting point is a retrospective of works by award winning director Reha Erdem: ENFF brings four of his films to the big screen, most of them early productions that have not often been presented outside of Turkey. The program also contains Reha Erdems latest poetic and metaphysical work, KOSMOS from 2010 - screened as a Dutch premiere.

Rada Šešić, programmer of the festival, says: "Reha Erdem is the rising star of Turkish cinema. His stories about humanity lead to strong and appealing films. Each of them provides an unforgettable experience for the viewer and we are very happy to present these masterpieces in Utrecht. At ENFF we chose to highlight Turkish film because this cinema has been blossoming tremendously in the last several years: Not only have Turkish films won several prestigious international awards - they also get appreciation from audiences of very different backgrounds."

Turkish and Yugoslavian Classics

Among the classic films shown at ENFF, one of the most loved films in Turkish film history can be discovered: THE GIRL WITH THE RED SCARF from 1977, directed by Atif Yilmaz. Especially for young Turkish generations in the Netherlands this is a unique chance to get familiar with a film that already made their grandparents cry and to get in touch with their cinematic heritage.

With WHO IS SINGING OVER THERE? (Ko To Tamo Peva? directed by Slobodan Šijan, Yugoslavia 1980) the festival brings another hidden pearl back to the screen. The film was a major hit in the Balkans. Until today, the sharp and intelligent comedy which is set during World War II is among the most quoted films ever in the region.

WHO IS SINGING OVER THERE is part of ENFF's program OLD HIT, in which Dutch audiences can discover films that survived political change and turbulent times, films that many generations enjoyed and that are still inspiring to watch.

About ENFF

ENFFs mission is to present the most recent, exciting films from East and South East European countries that are not member of the European Union. The 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 on http://www.enff.nl/.

First selected films of the 2011 edition of ENFF

Feature Narratives

BELVEDERE, directed by Ahmed Imamovich, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2010.
DUTCH PREMIERE

MOTHER OF APSHALT (Majka asfalta), directed by Dalibor Matanić, Croatia 2010.
DUTCH PREMIERE

MOTHERS, directed by Milcho Manchevski, Macedonia 2010.
DUTCH PREMIERE

SKINNING (Sisanje), directed by Stevan Filipovic, Serbia 2010.
DUTCH PREMIERE

Focus on Turkey

ZEPHIR (Zefir), directed by Belma Bas, Turkey 2010.

TALES FROM KARS (Kars öyküleri), directed by Emre Akay, Özcan Alper, Zehra Derya Koc, Ulku Oktay, Ahu Ozturk, Turkey 2010.

Old Hit Program

THE GIRL WITH THE RED SCARF (Selvi boylum, al yazmalim),
directed by Atif Yilmaz, Turkey 1977.

WHO IS SINGING OVER THERE? (Ko To Tamo Peva?),
directed by Slobodan Šijan, Yugoslavia 1980.

Reha Erdem Retrospective:

A RUN FOR MONEY (Kaç Para Kaç), Turkey 1999.

MOMMY, I'M SCARED (Korkuyorum Anne!), Turkey 2004.

TIMES AND WINDS (Bes Vakit), Turkey 2006.

KOSMOS, Turkey, Bulgaria 2010.