Artists from 23 European countries will contribute their voices and visions to the first European Dream Festival this fall, bringing together film, theater, dance, music and literature in an effort to address globalization and support diversity. What is a European festival doing in New York, you ask? As the two major forces of Western culture and innovation, Europe and America are bound together as … blah, blah, blah—we all know New York City is where it’s at (even if you’re across the Atlantic)! The September 20-23 film portion of the festival focuses on European youth and sexuality. We’re not talking about “Hilary Duff Does Hollywood” here (although I’m sure there are folks out there who would find that hot); these are the folks who brought us Bernardo Bertolucci and Sophia Loren, they were making cinema steamy well before Duff was even born. From Sweden, Fjorton Suger (14 Sucks) tells the story of 14-year-old Emma who finds she’s outgrown her own friends but might not yet be ready for her brother’s older buddies. From Slovenia, Na Planincah (On the Sunny Side, pictured above) tells the story of two brothers and their “special” summer holiday in Slovenia. And from Switzerland, Jeune Homme (Young Man) takes a comedic look at a young man who becomes an au pair only to discover he doesn’t know much more about what goes on behind closed doors than the children for whom he cares. With dance performances including the Slovenian Betontanc: Wrestling Dostoievsky (Oct. 20-21), which reinterprets the classic novel Crime and Punishment, and musical concerts like the Northern Lights Jazz Series, which combines old-school and new-wave styles from throughout Europe to create a universal sound, the European Dream Festival takes inspiration from the past while relishing the creative innovations of the contemporary world. And let’s not forget, Americans aren’t the only ones who know what sells. 

Sept. 20-Oct. 31. Various times and locations, see www.EuropeanDream.us.