LJUBLJANA/BRUSSELS (SEEcult.org) - The first Forum of Slavic cultures’s Slavic Film Festival is organised from May 30 until June 4 in Brussels, with the aim to improving the recognition of Slavic cultures both among Slavic peoples and the rest of the world’s population.

Related link: http://www.slavicfilmfest.eu

On the occasion of the Slovenian presidency of the EU Council, The International Foundation - Forum of Slavic Cultures, which is chaired by Slovenia, wants to contribute to the intercultural dialogue through this presentation of a series of Slavic films.

Among the films are several from former Yugoslavia - Illusion Lost by Matija Majar Ziljski, Short Circuits by Janez Lapajne and Labour Equals Freedom by Damjan Kozole from Slovenia, Before the Rain by Milco Mancevski and The Secret Book by Vlado Cvetanovski from Macedonia / FYROM, Seven and a Half by Miroslav Momcilovic and Run Rabbit, Run by Pavle Vuckovic from Serbia, The Melon Route by Branko Schmidt from Croatia and A View From the Eiffel Tower by Nikola Vukcevic from Montenegro.

Also will be shown The Island by Pavel Lounguine from Russia, The Elementary School by Jan Sverak from Czech Republic, Warden of the Dead by Ilian Simeonov from Bulgaria, as well as Two Syllables Behind by Katarina Sulajova from Slovakia.

According to Milena Domjan, President of the Board of the Forum of Slavic Cultures, film is one of the most popular art forms and reaches the widest of audiences, and this is why a film festival is among the most appropriate cultural events we could prepare during the Slovenian presidency of the EU Council.

Instead of holding it in Ljubljana or one of the other European capitals we decided to present it in Brussels, a city where the pulse is set by the representatives of all European nations and where both Slavic as well as other cultures can be reached.

In an announcement of Festival, Milena Domjan stated that Slavic cultures have a common origin but are at the same time very diverse and complement each other perfectly. They are not yet as widely known and recognized as Romanic and Germanic cultures for which there are several causes, the most frequent of which is the relatively weak state of the ties between individual Slavic nations.

The International Foundation – Forum of Slavic Cultures has taken it upon itself to better these ties, for it is easier to present Slavic cultures together than one country at a time. At the same time it is precisely joint projects like this film festival that form new cultural bonds between nations.

To mark the beginning of this new addition to the Brussels film scene, free entry for all screenings at La Maison de la Radio Flagey is provided by the Forum of Slavic Cultures.