Our friends at the ELAC International Animation Day Festival return May 16 with a showcase of Oscar-winning and nominated animated shorts from the National Film Board of Canada, including Bulgarian-born Canadian animator Theodore Ushev’s Oscar-nominated Blind Vaysha and 2026 Oscar winner The Girl Who Cried Pearls by Polish-Canadian filmmaker Maciek Szczerbowski and Chris Lavis.
This year’s spotlight is dedicated to Turkish animation pioneer and AI innovator Ali Murat Erkorkmaz.
📍 East Los Angeles College
📅 Saturday, May 16, 2026
🎟️ Free admission with RSVP
Presented by Cinema Without Borders, longtime friends of SEEfest and presenters of the Bridging the Borders Award since the festival’s early years.
RSVP: [email protected] & link in IG bio for more info
Join us for an evening tonight of contemporary European cinema, celebrating Europe Day and the launch of the EUNIC Cluster Los Angeles, moderated by SEEfest founder Vera Mijojlic!
This special program brings together a curated selection of short films from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain, offering a snapshot of today’s European storytelling. Each film engages with the theme of truth, moving across genres and aesthetics to reflect the diversity, creativity, and shared cultural dialogue that shape Europe today.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with experts from the film and cultural sectors, and will continue with a reception featuring national specialties from the participating countries.
FILM LINEUP
Piece by Piece by Reza Rasouli | Austria
Sibling by Laura Van Passel | Belgium
Coléoptère by Martin Gouzou | France
Glendale Paradise by Boris Schaarschmidt | Germany
Bellissima by Alessandro Capitani | Italy
Dancing in the Corner by Jan Bujnowski | Poland
Olores by Alba Esquinas | Spain
Organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, in cooperation with the Consulates of Austria, Belgium, France and Poland, as well as the Goethe-Institut, Villa Albertine and the Instituto Cervantes, this evening is part of a European Short Film Series presented by the EUNIC Cluster in Los Angeles.
EUNIC - European Union National Institutes for Culture - is the European network of national-level organizations engaging in international cultural relations. The EUNIC Cluster Los Angeles was founded in 2025 and currently includes the Austrian Consulate General, Consulate General of the Czech Republic, Honorary Consulate of Denmark, Alliance Française de Los Angeles, Goethe-Institut, Italian Cultural Institute, Consulate General of Ireland, Los Angeles, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, Instituto Cervantes, and Honorary Consulate of Sweden as members and is supported by local partners such as ELMA - European Languages and Movies in America and SEEfest - South East European Film Festival Los Angeles.
May 12, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Italian Cultural Institute
1023 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90024
Project Dilemma
She didn’t say yes. She didn’t say no.
A drama with thriller elements about choice and consent.
More coming soon.
Thank you SEEfest Project Accelerator LA for the opportunity to present our project, receive valuable feedback, and connect with inspiring film professionals.
Projekt Dilema
Nepovedala áno. Nepovedala nie.
Dráma s prvkami thrilleru o voľbe a súhlase.
Čoskoro sa dozviete viac.
Ďakujeme SEEfest Project Accelerator LA za príležitosť predstaviť náš projekt, získať hodnotný feedback a stretnúť skvelých filmových profesionálov.
Director: @jonaskarasek
Screenplay: @hana_lasicova ,Jozef Pasteka
Producers: @pastekovaveronika , @antonskreko
The intersection of art and community. 🤝
Looking back at our Opening Night arrivals, it’s clear that the heart of SEEfest is the people.
So much talent in one frame.
📸 Photos by Lukas Maier @lukasmaier.studio
POV: You’re on the red carpet at the opening of SEEfest.
This was a night to remember.
Thanks for being part of the story!
📸 Photos by Lukas Maier @lukasmaier.studio
Serving cinema and style in equal measure. 🥂✨
A little red carpet appreciation for the looks that defined our Opening Night gala.
📸 Photos by Lukas Maier @lukasmaier.studio
That’s a wrap on the red carpet! 🌙
Closing out our final batch of Opening Night memories. Thank you to everyone who showed up, dressed up, and celebrated South East European cinema with us.
See you at the next one + more red carpet photos coming soon :)
📸 Photos by Lukas Maier @lukasmaier.studio
