EU, MOC inaugurate 20th European Film Festival in Beirut

The European Union's Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst inaugurated on Wednesday evening the 20th European Film Festival in Beirut, held under the aegis of caretaker Culture Minister Gabi Layoun, at Cinema Metropolis Empire Sofil (Ashrafieh). Eichhorst said that the past 20 years proved the importance of the event and underpinned EU's commitment to Lebanon and its people, mainly in hard times. Eichhorst went over the recent horrid attack the Iranian Embassy was subject to, and thanked the audience for partaking in the Cinema inauguration event "that promotes dialogue instead of violence and offers words and pictures that are more powerful than explosions." EU's Ambassador kindly asked the audience to observe a minute of silence for the souls of Bir Hassan blasts' victims. "The aim of this event is also to provide a platform for Lebanese future filmmakers, whereby the festival will display 20 short movies for the students who graduated from 10 Lebanese Art Institutes. These short films will enter in a competition which will nominate two directors to participate in an international festival in Europe, she explained. As for his part, Minister Layoun said that this event was what Lebanon needed during these difficult times (referring to Bir Hassan blasts). "Cinema gives us the chance to know the other with every aspect," he said while going over the positive outcomes of such cultural events.