The CinEast film festival will return to Luxembourg from October 10 to October 26, 2025, presenting a diverse program celebrating Central and Eastern European cinema. This year's festival will prominently feature five Luxembourgish co-productions, fourteen feature films, and twelve short films from Poland. A significant focus will be dedicated to Ukraine, including a special program and a dedicated debate.
Among the showcased Luxembourgish co-productions are Radu Jude's 'Dracula' and Kasia Adamik's 'Winter of the Crow.' Luxembourg's involvement extends to its juries, with industry professionals and students participating. Filmmaker Gintarė Parulytė is also set to lead a masterclass on screenwriting.
A special program for Ukraine will include a cine-debate featuring Ukrainian filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko and Luxembourg's Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Yuriko Backes. The festival will continue its CinEast4Ukraine charity initiative, which has previously raised funds for medical supplies and ambulances. In 2022, the project raised over €16,500 for an ambulance and sleeping bags, and in 2023, €12,800 for another vehicle. In 2024, this initiative successfully funded a second-hand ambulance, delivered in early 2025, through donations totaling €10,536.28. The project aims to provide further life-saving equipment in 2025.
Alisa Kovalenko, born in 1987, is an acclaimed Ukrainian documentary filmmaker known for her works exploring the realities of the conflict in her homeland, including 'We Will Not Fade Away' and 'Alisa in Warland.' Yuriko Backes serves as Luxembourg's Minister for Defence, Mobility and Public Works, and Gender Equality and Diversity.
Radu Jude's 'Dracula,' a Romania-Austria-Luxembourg co-production, has received international recognition, with North American rights acquired by 1-2 Special. Kasia Adamik's 'Winter of the Crow,' based on a short story by Olga Tokarczuk, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and closed the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Now in its 18th edition, the CinEast festival aims to provide broad accessibility, with most films subtitled in English and a variety of genres. This year's Polish focus will include 15 Polish films, two concerts, and 10 Polish guests. The festival's opening ceremony is scheduled for October 15, 2025, at Kinepolis Kirchberg, featuring the international premiere of the Polish film 'Chopin, A Sonata in Paris' by director Michał Kwieciński.