2009 EuroAsia Shorts Film Festival Takes on New Life in DC Embassies

This week, embassies and cultural centers in Washington D.C. are screening international short films as part of EuroAsia Shorts 2009. The collaborative project between nine countries, known in its previous three year as the Asian European Short Film Showcase, aims to highlight the uniqueness—and similarities—of sometimes very different cultures.

On Thursday, DC locals gathered at the Korea Embassy's KORUS House for one of the six screenings throughout the week, each of which deals with a common theme. The KORUS House program focused on issues of generations, and about 60 guests gathered for the two-hours screening, despite steady rain.

In addition to Korea, the festival features films from China, Japan, India, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States. In the mix in 2009 are five films set in Korea, produced by students of the films school at the Korea National University of Arts.

In the category of Urban Living is "Weekends" directed by Paula Un Mi Kim; in Humor, "Matguyver Kim" directed by Hyun Chang-ho; in Beauty, "Pig and Shakespeare" by Kim Geon; in Generations, "26, Best Korean Girl" by Paula Un Mi Kim; and in Fears/Phobias, "The People Who Don't Talk Too Much" by Kim Jin-kyu.

The final evening, a screening of audience favorite films from throughout the festival, will take place Saturday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (Italy's official cultural institute) in Northwest Washington D.C. Although seats have been sold out, standby patrons will be welcomed in at 6:20 p.m., space allowing.

All of the festival screenings are free and open to the public, although free tickets are required. For more information, including forthcoming dates for next year's festival and submission guidelines for filmmakers, can be found at Open the link