Saturday, June 14------A very distinctive program here at Festroia is the presentation of Prix UIP, a European short film contest, sponsored by distributor United International Pictures and the European Film Academy.

The short films are screeend at fourteen European film festivals, including events in Ghent, Valladolid, Ángers, Rotterdam, Berlin, Tampere, Krakow, Grimstad, Vila Do Conde, Sarajevo, Edinburgh, Venice, Drama and Cork. This year, Festroia was added to the European tour.

The overall winner is selected by European Film Academy members and presented at the European Film Awards Ceremony in Copenhagen in December 2008. The Prize is endowed with a cash prize of 10,000 Euros.

At Festroia, thirteen short films were presented, including: Amin (David Dusa, Germany), Kwiz (Renauld Callebaut, Belgium), Plot Point (Nicolas Provost, Belgium), Enlightenment (Eduard Chapero Jackson, Spain), Salvador (Abedlatif Hwidar, Spain), The Dinner (Cecile Vernant, France), Tommy (Ole Giaever, Norway), Adjustment (Ian McKinnon, UK), Dad (Reino Unido, UK), Dreams And Desires (Joanna Quinn, UK), Rotten Apple (Ralitza Petrova, UK), Soft (Simon Ellis, UK), and Tokyo Jim (Jamie Rafn, UK).

As evidenced by the many short films in all categories of Festroia, the European short form is in full flower. It is perhaps a good time for Festroia to consider a Best Short Film prize of its own.

Sandy Mandelberger, Festroia Dailies Editor