The fourth edition of CinEast (www.cineast.lu) - the Central and Eastern European Film Festival in Luxembourg - will be held from 5 to 23 October 2011 in 12 venues in Luxembourg city and other towns and will offer a wide and varied selection of cinematographic works from Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, as well as many accompanying events.

"In 2011, the festival has almost doubled in size and with over 80 projections (40 features and 30 short films, incl. features, documentaries and animations), an official competition with a jury presided over by Agnieszka Holland, a dozen guests, three mini-retrospectives, special-themed evenings, debates, screenings for children, teenagers and students, four marathons of short films, as well as 7 concerts, 2 exhibitions, gastronomic events and a charity project, the CinEast festival has become one of the largest events focusing on the cinematography and wider culture of the Central and Eastern European region in the world."                                  (Radek Lipka, Programme director of CinEast festival)

The aim of the festival is to present to the multi-national Luxembourg public a selection of mostly recent, remarkable films, often awarded prizes at major festivals, but rarely shown in the cinemas of the Grand Duchy. It strives also to promote the cultures of the participating countries through various accompanying events (music, exhibitions, culinary evenings,etc.).

Nine films have been included in the official competition: The House (Z. Liová), If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle (F. Şerban), Suicide Room (J. Komasa), Walking Too Fast (R. Špaček), Adrienn Pál (A. Kocsis), The Christening (M. Wrona), Eighty Letters (V. Kadrnka), The Mill and the Cross (L. Majewski), and Avé (K. Bojanov). The jury comprises five eminent personalities from the Luxembourgish film scene and is chaired by the famous Polish director Agnieszka Holland. The programme proposes two thematic cycles: On the Margin of Society (with films focusing on the lives of the marginalised - drug addicts, homeless people, criminals, refugees, minorities etc.) and East Goes West (with films by cinematographers successful in the west). The mini-retrospectives are dedicated to the work of Roman Polanski, Miloš Forman and the Polish documentary-maker Marcin Koszałka who will be present at the screenings. Guests attending the festival also include: Florin Şerban, Lech Majewski, Ágnes Kocsis, Helena Třeštíková, Konstantin Bojanov and Agnieszka Holland (tbc) who will present her latest feature In Darkness.

CinEast 2011 also proposes an extensive photography exhibition "Living on the Margin" with around 150 works by eight photographers from Poland, the Czech Rep., Slovakia and Hungary, numerous concerts (Tomasz Stanko Quintet, Nasekomix, Kult, Bachtale Apsa etc.) and buffet-style dinners with delicacies from the region.

More information:

Official website:                  www.cineast.lu

Contact:                                  festival@cineast.lu 

Presentation:                        http://www.cineast.lu/presse/2011/festival/CinEast2011_Presentation(EN).pdf

Detailed programme:         http://www.cineast.lu/presse/2011/festival/CinEast2011_Programme(EN).pdf

Complete press package:   http://www.cineast.lu/presse/2011/presspack/presspack.zip

Logo/poster/flyer:                http://www.cineast.lu/presse/2011/graphics/

Festival trailer:                    www.youtube.com/cineastfestival

The festival CinEast 2011 is organised by the non-profit organisation polska.lu in cooperation with CCRN, Cinémathèque, Utopia Group of Cinemas, Caramba Cinemas, Ancien Cinéma, University of Luxembourg and European School. Partners : Polish Film Institute (PISF), Slovak Film Institute (SFU), Czech Film Center, Magyar Filmunió, Hungarian Culture Bruxelles, Romanian Cultural Institute Bucarest, Polish Embassy in Luxembourg, Bulgarian Embassy in Brussels, Translation Centre for the Bodies of EU and others. Main sponsor: ARHS Developments. With the support of The City of Luxembourg, Luxembourgish Ministry of Culture, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fonds Culturel National and other partners.