Dear lovers of the art of film,

I am very pleased to be able to express my support to the already 19th year of the European Film Days, offering a number of interesting films made in Europe.

When in 1895 the Lumière brothers for the first time in the history of mankind projected a documentary film about the arrival of a locomotive into the train station, they saw it as a mere fairground attraction. They had no idea of the long and successful journey film making was to have. Today we see it as a natural part of our lives – bringing to us not only entertainment but education and knowledge as well.

The European Film Days will present to us not only the current Oscar nomination candidates but films nominated for the European Parliament prize and films focusing on the approach to old age and ageing as well. I appreciate the showing of ten exceptional films that received financial support from the MEDIA programme in the past but do not show in the theatres any longer.

I wish you to enjoy the European films appropriately, take delight in the art of their makers and be thankful, like me, for the invention of film.

Bohuslav Svoboda

Mayor of the City of Prague