Taipei, Nov. 27 (CNA) The European Union's representative office in Taiwan has opened the 16th edition of the Taiwan European Film Festival, which will screen 17 movies for free around Taiwan for two months until Jan. 31.

Taiwan is the only place presently holding the EU film events at indoor venues around the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Filip Grzegorzewski, head of the European Economic and Trade Office, at the festival's opening ceremony in Taipei on Thursday.

Other countries that have recently held or are to hold the film festival, he said, have been mostly forced to take the event online or screen the movies at outdoor venues.

Through the screening of the films and the discussions held afterwards, Grzegorzewski said he hoped the event that was first held in 2005 can improve understanding between Taiwan and Europe.

A total of 17 films, from 15 different EU members, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, are scheduled to be shown at 28 locations, including Dong Hwa University in Hualien County, the Alliance Française de Taïwan - Centre Kaohsiung and the National Central University Art Center in Taoyuan, the event's website said.

Films recently promoted by the office through its Facebook page include Piotr Trzaskalski's "My Father's Bike" from Poland, Max Croci's "Opposites Attract" from Italy and Ben Sombogaart's "Rafaël" form the Netherlands.