The Europe for Festivals Festivals for Europe (EFFE) community launch was recently hosted by the Google Cultural Institute in Paris bringing together festival representatives across Europe to discuss how to contribute to and benefit from the EFFE.

The Malta hub for EFFE, Arc research and consultancy managing director Davinia Galea and director Mario Frendo attended the launch together with representatives of some of the EFFE labelled festivals from Malta, including the Valletta International Baroque Festival, the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival, the Malta Short Film Festival and Casal Fornaro. The festivals organised by the Arts Council Malta were also represented by festivals director Annabelle Stivala.

The EFFE interactive digital guide and the print publication were introduced, bringing information on all 760 festivals to audiences across continents. The website is online at www.effe.eu, giving audiences, far and wide, access to these amazing cultural events.

The guide contains inspiring articles on festival life as well as essential details on each festival that is part of the EFFE community. It provides interesting insight for festival leaders interested in the latest trends and the work of their contemporaries. Malta’s contribution to festival life is provided by social anthropologist Mark Anthony Falzon, who writes about ‘The rise and rise of festivals in Malta’.

A total of 760 festivals received the EFFE label, including 13 from Malta. These festivals represent different genres and come from 31 countries. The selection process is set up to make sure that the selection of festivals is broad and represents Europe’s diversity.

An awards ceremony was held to recognise the excellence of a select number of trend-setting festivals chosen by an international jury.

The EFFE Festival Award recognises the excellence of a select number of trend-setting festivals chosen by an international jury. The award focuses on festivals with a serious commitment to Europe within their programming and encourages them (and other festivals in the future) to deliver a positive image of Europe and its values.

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