Cultural Diplomacy Film Festivals: The Role and Efficacy of Film Festival Programming as Contemporary Cultural Diplomacy at the European Union Film Festival of Toronto

This thesis explores the contemporary role of cinema and diplomatic agents as film programmers in 'cultural diplomacy film festivals'. Focusing on the European Union Film Festival of Toronto (EUFFTO) as an example of a cultural diplomacy film festival, this thesis draws from interviews with Finnish and German film programmers to understand the distinct contexts and processes of film selection, revealing differences in programming aspirations that challenge notions of a unified EU represented at the festival. The study investigates the phenomena of 'safe' and 'risky' film programming by the two countries and examines the effectiveness of film as cultural diplomacy, advocating for the inclusion of difficult and disruptive discourses by embracing the inherent volatile potential of cinema. This thesis argues that Toronto's cultural milieu plays a vital role in shaping the efficacy of cultural diplomacy film programming considering cinephile sensibilities embedded in city policy, ethnocultural diversity, and the cultural-diplomatic landscape.