An opening ceremony will be held on Dec. 1 at Chinese Culture University with the premiere of British film "The Age of Stupid, " according to the event's official Web site.

"This activity, which is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to allow new audiences to discover the beauty and diversity of Europe through the eyes of European filmmakers, " said the organizers the Taipei-based European Economic and Trade Office and INFINE Art and Culture Exchange.

Initiated in 2005, each year the TEFF features a number of European movies to showcase the lives and histories of people in Europe.

The 2009 festival, from Nov. 30-Jan. 15, will present 11 films from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as a selection of four short Swedish films.

Among them, "25 Degrees in Winter" is a Belgium comedy about a Ukrainian woman who enters Belgium illegally and hides in the van of a man abandoned by his wife. Also in the van is his wacky Spanish mother and cute young daughter.

The Hungarian film "Sacra Corona" was made by the Hungary's government in 2001 as part of the celebration of the country's 1,000 anniversary. An epic movie retelling the history of Hungary, it begins after the death of the nation's founder Istvan and follows the ascension of King Laszlo I to the long vacant throne in the 11th Century A.D.

Each movie will be shown in DVD format in more than 20 universities and cultural centers around Taiwan. The list of films, the locations of the screenings, and a complete schedule of show times are available at http://www.infine-art.com/eufestival/.

(By Rachel Chan)