TACLOBAN CITY — The 29th Cine Europa film festival has returned to Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU), serving not only as a showcase of acclaimed European cinema but also as a platform for expanding the university's international partnerships.

The five-day festival, running from 11 to 15 June, was opened by European Union Ambassador Massimo Santoro and Ireland Ambassador Emma Hickey. Hosted for the second consecutive year at EVSU's Ordex Studio Room, the event features 16 European films that are open to the public free of charge.

EVSU Internationalization Program head Tito Aure said the festival supports the university's efforts to establish academic and non-academic collaborations abroad, creating opportunities for scholarships, fellowships and joint initiatives for students and faculty.

Last year's Cine Europa led to a partnership with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, culminating in a memorandum of understanding covering research and community extension programs. Aure said Czech experts are expected to visit EVSU this year to conduct face-to-face training on disaster risk reduction and management, further strengthening the university's global engagement.