With Europe being arguably the most diverse and varied continent on the planet, with aspects like language, religion, culture, food, and history vastly different between countries, it serves that the movies it produces will be equally varied. European cinema is not so much a genre as it is a movement, expressing what it means to people of that particular time or culture and some of the stories are genuinely breath-taking. Many are independent movies, shunning the big studios to make a work of art rather than a sell-out to please the masses. A good place to start with recommendations for European movies is on either Mubi or Flixster. Both have sections dedicated to films from the European continent, and their ratings scale will help you decide what to watch first. It’ll certainly help you fill some free time! 

After watching a title, particularly one from a different background, you may find yourself wanting to learn about the movie trivia behind the scenes. Whether you’ve just discovered your new favorite actor and want to find out what else they’ve been in, or you’re interested in seeing how they filmed a particular scene, it can be fun to delve a little deeper. After a while, the more you pick up, the closer you’ll become to attaining the title of ‘film buff’ and impressing your friends with little facts about their favorite titles. Test your movie knowledge, if that’s something you’re into, by taking online quizzes – Guess The Movie is a cool app that can help you test your knowledge and discover new facts about European Cinema. 

One way of getting involved with cinema as a fan is by attending film festivals and awards ceremonies, and it may be something you want to include in a trip to Europe at some point. You’ll need to be a VIP to attend a festival like Cannes. Still, several high-profile festivals and European movie awards ceremonies worth checking out if you get the opportunity. Nowadays, voting for movies is even easier than ever, thanks to the Internet. You can contribute to review scores and ratings on various websites, imparting your wisdom to other film aficionados. There is so much to discover about European Cinema, whether it's already a hobby of yours or you have just started to dip your toes into the ocean.