East European Film Bulletin

The East European Film Bulletin is a journalistic and literary project dedicated to the criticism of films related to Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. The project aims to publish articles regarding the films that originate from these regions, films that address them as subject matter or meaningful setting, and international films made by Eastern European directors. The site will be concerned with independent, experimental and documentary cinema but also with films that have been acknowledged by mainstream and mass media. With these aspects of Eastern European cinema in mind, and with guest and returning writers from within and outside the world of film, we hope to provide a representation of Eastern European film that is as complex and changing as the sector itself.

We would like to encourage critical dialogue about Eastern European cinema. While there has been little Anglophone journalism seriously dedicated to this subject, many Eastern European films have reached broader audiences beyond what has been known as the “iron curtain” twenty years ago. The integration of Eastern European countries into the European Union over the last few years has paved the way for more cultural exchange, notably the artistic influence of Eastern European movements on their Western neighbours. Although committed to the field formed by the region, we do not intend to sacrifice negative criticism for the sake of promoting Eastern European film. In a time of radical change for the cultural identity of Europe, it is our goal to contemplate, contextualize and communicate these changes through the lens of the movie camera.

Today, many countries of the former Eastern Bloc have a working film industry. While the institution of national film centers and European co-production networks have created solid intercultural competences among professionals in the industry, few initiatives exist to encourage similar qualities on the side of the viewers, and particularly among young audiences. To bring a lively and diverse dialogue to young audiences, the East European Film Bulletin regularly organizes educational workshops, seminars, conferences and round-tables. These encounters bring together professionals from the film industry, journalists, researchers and students with the aim of building educated and passionate audiences among young cinema goers.