International Short Film Festival in Drama Ministry of Culture & Sports - Municipality of Drama

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1 International Short Film Festival in Drama Ministry of Culture & Sports - Municipality of Drama 39th Greek Short Film Festival in Drama 22nd International Short Film Festival in Drama September PRESS RELEASE With a record number of participations and the richest short film competition in its history, the 39th edition of the Short Film Festival in Drama takes place this year in September from 19 th to 24 th at the "Olympia" Cinema and the Conservatory of Drama, in its standard appointment with the most vivid part of the greek cinema: the young Greek filmmakers and those who insist on the short, and who consider it as an accomplished piece of art. In this year's edition a total of 225 films from 58 countries will be screened (in all its programs). Drama Festival, 39 years old The great feast of the short filmmakers in Drama celebrates its 39 years and completes its 22 years since the establishment of the International Program and for the second consecutive year will have an important supporter: FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics), who will award a film from the International Competition Section. The festival, with the support of the city, which has embraced it for almost four decades now, "strikes back": it grows instead of shrinking, it strengthens its global nature and finds new sponsors. From now on the Festival has an important new sponsor: The Hellenic Parliament awards the (monetary) prize 'Human Values' to a film of the International Section, acknowledging and honoring in this way the contribution of the Short Film Festival in Drama to the Greek society. To the known awards, this year we should add a prize from 'Stefilm', a post production company, to the best student film and another from the Greek clothing company 'Enjoy Fashion': the company will "dress" the next film of the costume designer who will be awarded. As Antonis Papadopoulos, the director of the festival, says, "this year the richest and best film production in recent years will be presented - and this without the participation of the former major pillars of the Greek film production (ERT, Greek Film Centre), which, however, seem to be recurring.

2 The future is more optimistic, while a new generation of young and able producers has been created. " GREEK COMPETITION Of 209 films submitted (the biggest participation in all its years), 64 films were selected to be included in the Competition. Among them, there are 6 documentaries and 3 animation features. Some old friends of the festival who have been awarded in the past and a lot of newcomers will participate in this year s competition. Most of the films are independent productions. Among the names of the producers who participate this year, we meet a lot of filmmakers who have associated their name with the international recognition of the greek cinema. The Greek financial crisis and the social conditions prevalent in the country are always present in the themes that occupy the young filmmakers-either as the main core of their stories or as the background in a ravaged Greece: unemployment, poverty, loansharking, professional collapse, homelessness and banks. A lot of filmmakers are interested in the theme of suicide this year. According to the artistic director, Antonis Papadopoulos, for the first time, the crisis is so strongly associated with the themes and mainly as the background of human stories. It seems that the society of crisis triggers consciousness and artistic worries". This year, even more filmmakers are motivated by immigration and more specifically by the ongoing tragedies in the Aegean Sea (some of them focus on children), thus exhibiting the quick reflexes of short film. The psychodrama is once again heavily represented this year (senility, helplessness, Alzheimer s disease, death, dependency relationships, psychopathy), while the absence of comedies is pronounced. Abortion, miscarriage, grief management, children s violence in response to a sense of rejection, the education system, dealing with the "foreigner" are a few more of the themes. The gay element is present this year through a lesbian love story. Perhaps more than any other year are the popular actors starring in the Competition Section. It is obvious that they do not just want to help the young filmmakers make their first steps, as they did in the past, but now they face the short film as a promotion vehicle of their acting ability. Some of them are: G. Stankoglou, M. Papadimitriou, M. Mavromatakis, V. Andreadaki, S. Seirli, N. Menti, R. Oikonomidou, Th. Tzimou, L. Papaligoura, Pr. Aleiferopoulou, E. Triggou, K. Samara, G. Papadopoulou, A. Aidini, G. Skafida, M. Giannatou, Ar. Moutousi, M. Kehagioglou. It should also be mentioned that between those who compete, there are some professionals from other fields of cinema (for example, known

3 cinematographers), young directors who are sons of famous actors and couples who are competing in the Competition Section. The Jury of the 39 th Greek Short Film Festival in Drama will comprise: Jury Chairman: Andreas Pantzis, director Members (in alphabetical order): Robbie Eksiel, journalist, film critic Nancy Biniadaki, director Panos Pappas, director, producer Andreas Sinanos, director of photography The film historian Gianna Athanasatou has undertaken the role of this year s Grand Temoin of the National Program. PARALLEL EVENTS - SHORT MATTERS! A special programme that includes the nominated films for the European Film Academy Awards 2015 (EFA) - 2 nd Balkan Panorama This year it comprises a selection of significant latest production films that competed at festivals in neighboring countries; a representative selection of Balkan films from the web platform for the Balkan Cinema Altcine and a presentation of films of the Department of Communication Design at Istanbul Kültür University. 7 th Student Panorama with the yearly production of student films. - Kids Programme - 6th Pan-Hellenic student Digital Video Contest «One planet-one chance» -Masterclass of photography with the professor of TEI of Athens, Grigoris Vlassas - Tribute to the director Dimitris Makris (on the Opening Ceremony, 19/9). -Radio Lab for kids Let s play Radio with the radio producer Anna Paschalidou. - «Fair Literature Afternoons», organized and presented by writer journalist Pavlos Methenitis. This year s guest writers include: Giannis Baskozos

4 ( Ilias Magklinis, Konstantinos Tzamiotis, Vassilis Katsikonouris and Sotiris Dimitriou. Also, a study made by the university professor Kalliopi Exarchou will be presented while the Chairman of the Scriptwriters Guild of Greece will give a speech about the publishing activities of the SGG. -Everyday meetings of the competing directors with the public at the Atrium of the Festival Offices. INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME IN COMPETITION The festival, which this year celebrates 22 years of internationalization, will screen 52 films from 50 countries (such as from Nepal, Albania, S. Africa, Cuba, Kirgizstan, Hong Kong, Uruguay and India). It is worth mentioning: -The spanish Zero, which is a production of the famous Ridley Scott and Michael Fassbender. -the irish Violet, whose narration is made by Aidan Gillen, known to us due to his role as Lord Baelish, or Little Finger, in Game of Thrones. The film has been directed by Maurice Joyce, who has also directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. -Director of the American film The Scarecrow is the protagonist of the TV series Grey s Anatomy Phillip Rhys, while his partner Sandra Oh is starring in the film. - Oh Young- Su, who was the protagonist in the film Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring by Kim Ki-duk, is starring in the film Invited from S. Korea. -In the International Section, the Cannes-nominated film The Return of Erkin from Kirgizstan, the chilean film Simple Things which won the first Award in Clermont Ferrand and the film Mouth of Hell by the Bosnian director Samir Mehanovic, who has won the BAFTA Award in the past. President of the jury will be the director, screenwriter and producer Bobby Roth, known from the TV series «Lost», «Prison Break», «The Insiders» and the TV series «Grey's Anatomy», «The Mentalist», etc as well as the films: «Heartbreakers», «Circle of Power», «The Boss' Son», and «Independence Day». Bobby Roth is also a recognized professor who has produced original specialized educational material in the form of a documentary series for film professionals. Last year, he visited Greece, invited by the Short Film Festival in Drama, and gave a successful masterclass at the "Trianon". The other members of the jury of the International Program are: Bülent Küçükerdoğan, University Professor, Editor (Turkey)

5 Vincent Michaud, producer (France) Bernd Sahling, director (Germany) Nikos Moustakas, producer (Greece) Grand Temoin of the International program: Manuela Cernat (Romania), Author, Film Historian, Journalist, Screenwriter There are three greek films and a cypriot film that participate in the International Competition this year: Aenigma ( Meteikasma ) by Antonis Doussias and Aris Fatouros Nemercka by Avrilios Karakostas Alice in the café by Dimitris Nakos and Antidoton by Michael Hapeshis DRAMA PITCHING LAB The Short Film Festival in Drama continues to support the production of short films and to educate new directors: As part of its educational platform DRAMA MINI TALENT LAB, it organizes again this year a workshop on the presentation of audiovisual drafts of short films to producers and sponsors while it offers participants the opportunity to present their project to important prospective sponsors and producers from Greece and abroad. (Pitching Forum). It also supports financially the production of at least one film with the support of the institutionalized monetary prize of Finos Film. From now on, the Drama Pitching Lab is supported by the Greek Film Center, which offers an Award to one of the best projects. The Pitching Workshop will take place from 19 th to 22 nd September and the Pitching Forum will follow on 23/9. Trainers of the Drama Pitching Lab are: Barbara Dukas, director Georgina Kakoudakis, dramatist John Stephens, script editor, screenwriter, founding member of the Athens Script Club It is worth mentioning that the interest for participation in the Pitching Lab this year was very keen: 103 projects were submitted of which 15 (instead of 10) were selected to participate in the workshop. The reason, according to Barbara Dukas, "is that the standards were very high this year. It seems that the ability of forming, organizing and substantiating a proposal is gradually instilled in our young filmmakers due to their contact with other countries, either during their studies or their professional activities. This, in fact, is the aim of the Pitching Lab: the competition, the originality of ideas, and the exchange of work methods in an international environment. We hope that this

6 short study with us will provide them with a model of their plans, so with the appropriate development we will have in the future not only good scripts but interesting movies too. " Actually, the Pitching Lab has already yielded fruits: "Fighting for death" by Eleonora Veninova, the project that won 1st Prize in the lab's first year (2014), will participate as a film in the International Competition, whereas the film "Helga Är I Lund", which was presented in the lab that same year, is competing in the Greek section. SEE YOU IN ATHENS (ALSO) So, we will meet in Drama, but at the end of October (20/10-26/ 10) we will also meet in Athens, as the National Program of this year's Festival, the award-winning films and the selected international programs will be screened at the "Trianon" Cinema. The program "The Drama Film Festival travels" will continue to even more destinations. Last year, the Greek films of the festival traveled to 85 cities, highlighting the dynamics of the Greek cinema in 4 continents. The Drama Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Municipality of Drama. SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS OF THIS YEAR S EDITION * ERT (official sponsor and media sponsor) * OTE TV (sponsor and media sponsor) * TV5 MONDE (international media sponsor) * Greek Film Center (supporter and sponsor of the awards : «Greeks of the World» & «Tonia Marketaki») *Greek Parliament (sponsor of the Award of Human Values" in the International section) *Hellenic Parliament TV (media sponsor) * FINOS FILM (sponsor of the award «Golden Dionisos» and the Drama Pitching Lab) * Authorwave (sponsor of the Silver Dionisos)

7 * Raycap (Grand Prix sponsor) * Stefilm (sponsor of the Student Film Award) *Enjoy Fashion Point (sponsor of the Best Costume Design) * Telefilm Nikos Kavoukidis (sponsor of the Photography Distinction) * Katsouridis Family (Newcomer Director Award «Dinos Katsouridis») * Consulat Général de France à Thessalonique, Institut Français de Thessalonique, Institut Francais de Grèce (supporters) * U.S. Mission Greece (supporter Drama Pitching Lab) Radio Sponsors: * Αthens 9,84 * Sto Kokkino Αthens, Thessaloniki, Κavala *Deftero Programma *Cosmos 93,6 * Trito Programma * 9,58 Fm, Thessaloniki * 102 fm, Thessaloniki Websites * tospirto.net * altcine * Popaganda.gr * Culturenow.gr * All about Festivals CULTURAL ORGANISATION - SHORT FILM FESTIVAL IN DRAMA MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS - MUNICIPALITY OF DRAMA