Panaji, Apr 24 (IANS): Goa, one of the earliest states in Asia to be conquered by Europe’s colonial powers, will host the 15th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) of India, an EU spokesperson said Friday.
Speaking to reporters here, Sole Aizpurua Garzon, co-ordinator of the Spanish EU presidency, said the festival which gets under way Saturday will host 23 films from 22 countries in Europe.
"We have sourced films from Italy, Spain, Ireland, France and Slovenia among others. Ambassadors from several EU countries will be also attending the EUFF," Garzon said.
She said internationally acclaimed films like "Cristavo Colombo O Enigma" (Portugal), "The Age of Stupid" (Britain), "Rooster’s Breakfast" (Slovenia) and "The Investigator" (Hungary) will also be screened.
"We wanted to show Europe that Goa is not only about beaches. The EUFF will be a great opportunity for us to show other aspects of Goa to Europeans like its heritage, culture, etc," she said.
Garzon said Goa was one of the earliest regions in India to have a connection with Europe and referred to the discovery of Goa by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.
The EUFF will also be complimented with several other side shows which include an art exhibition by leading Spanish artist like Matilde La Amor.