Thessaloniki International Film Festival & Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

  • Casey Shaw’s ‘Unseen Olympiad’ Documentary Brings Olympic Spirit Home With Premiere at Thessaloniki Fest

    Unseen Olympiad by Casey Shaw
    Unseen Olympiad by Casey Shaw (Shawscope)

    Where is the best place to premiere a film about the Olympics?

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  • Thessaloniki Takes 5 Greek “Works In Progress” Films to Marché du Film of Cannes Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_21864" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]VIRUS - Angelos Frantzis) VIRUS – Angelos Frantzis)[/caption] 5 Greek “works in progress” films have been selected by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival to participate in the “Thessaloniki Goes to Cannes” event which will take place on Tuesday, May 23rd, during the Marché du Film of the 70th Cannes Film Festival (May 17 – 28, 2017). The participation of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s Agora Industry in the “Goes to Cannes” of this year’s edition of Cannes’ Marché du Film, one of the world’s largest film markets discovering up-and-coming directors from all over the world, is collaboration between the TIFF and the Greek Film Centre with the Festival de Cannes. Greece is the only country in Southeastern Europe and the Balkans that participates in the event. The 5 Works in Progress (both fiction and documentary) that will be presented to the sales agents, distributors and programmers who attend this year’s Cannes’ Marché du Film are the following: 1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Fiction, 85’, 2017 – Greece, France, Cyprus, Germany) Director-Writer: Christos Georgiou Production Company: View Master Films, Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion GmbH, Manny Films, Lychnari Productions Limited, Pallas Film, Producer: Costas Lambropoulos, Thanassis Karathanos, Co-producers: Birgit Kemner, Christos Georgiou, Martin Hampel, Language: Greek, Key partners: Greek Film Center, Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animeé, Cultural Services – Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus (Advisory Film Committee), Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, FFA – German Federal Film Board, ERT and Eurimages – Council of Europe Stage: Almost completed Looking for: Sales agent, distributors, festivals Synopsis: When George runs out of the police riot bus and sees his daughter among the demonstrators facing him, he and his wife decide that father and daughter should go to their country home for a few days, to keep her safe and see if they can salvage their relationship. 2. POLYXENI (Fiction, 100’, 2017 – Greece) Director-Writer: Dora Masklavanou Production Company: Blonde S.A., Producer: Fenia Cossovitsa, Languages: Greek, Turkish, Key partners: Greek Film Centre, ERT S.A., Nova Stage: Post-production Looking for: Sales agent, festivals Synopsis: In 1955 a couple of prominent Greek Istanbulites adopt an orphan Greek girl from the town of their origin. They offer her a powerful family name and ensure her devotion. Twelve-year-old Polyxeni is separated from her younger brother. She embarks on a new life and a future that looks bright. She receives an education, comes of age and falls in love. She has a lust for life, while unsuspicious of the devious plan of annihilation that others are weaving behind her back, targeting her large inheritance. 3. VIRUS (Fiction, 120’, 2017 – Greece, France, Latvia) Director: Angelos Frantzis, Writers: Angelos Frantzis, Spyros Krimbalis The film won the 2|35 award for post-production services at the Agora Industry’s Crossroads Co-production Forum of the 52nd Thessaloniki IFF. Production Company: Heretic, Producers: Giorgos Karnavas, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Co-producer: Mathieu Bompoint (Mezzanine Films), Languages: Greek, English, Russian, Key partners: Greek Film Centre, ERT S.A., CNC, Latvian National Film Centre, Blonde S.A., Alatas Films, 235 Stage: Post-production Looking for: Gap financing, sales agent, distributors, festivals Synopsis: Anna and Petros are a young Greek couple that moved recently to a remote Siberian town for Petros’ new job. Their lives are disrupted by Anna’s pregnancy that seems to have no explanation, as they haven’t had sex since they moved to Russia. The questions raised by the mysterious event are relentless; was she cheating? Is she the victim of a conspiracy? Or maybe a Saint? As Petros is desperately looking for a rational answer and Anna resorts to religion to make sense of her situation, two opposing worlds, faith and reason, come to a violent clash. 4. DOLPHIN MAN (Documentary, 87’, 2017 – Greece, France, Canada, Japan, Italy) Director: Lefteris Charitos, Writers: Yuri Averof, Lefteris Charitos Production Company: Anemon Productions, Les Films Du Balibari, Storyline Entertainment, Impleo, Producers: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof, Estelle Robin, Ed Barreveld, Seiko Kato, Languages: English, Greek, French, Japanese, Italian, Key partners: Arte, CNC, Greek Film Centre, WOWOW, ERT, Knowledge, TVO, Canal Z, SVT, Region Pays de la Loire, World Sales: Films Transit Stage: Post-production Looking for: Final funding, theatrical distribution partners Synopsis: Dolphin Man tells the life story of Jacques Mayol, the greatest free-diver in recorded history, whose life became the inspiration for Luc Besson’s cult-movie Le Grand Bleu. It draws us into Mayol’s world, capturing his compelling journey from Japan to Europe, North America and India, while immersing viewers into the sensory and transformative experience of free-diving. Mayol was the first diver to reach 100 meters below the sea and revolutionized free-diving by introducing yoga and Zen techniques. He traveled across the world, promoting an urgent vision of our need to reconnect with nature. The film weaves together stunning contemporary underwater photography of the world’s leading free-divers with intimate testimonies of Mayol’s closest friends and family and rare film archive. 5. LP (ΛΠ) (Documentary, 70’, 2017 – Greece) Director-Writer: Cristo Petrou Production Company: Heretic, Producer: Giorgos Karnavas, Languages: Greek, English, Key partners: Greek Film Center, ERT S.A., World Sales: Heretic Outreach Stage: Editing Looking for: Finishing funding, festival premiere Synopsis: ΛΠ is a documentary about Lena Platonos, one of Greece’s most idiosyncratic musicians and one of the world’s forerunners in electronic music. Born on 10.21.1951 under the sign of Libra, she was trained as a classical pianist in Vienna and Berlin but eventually got involved with electronic music when synthesizers became accessible to musicians. However, Lena didn’t receive the international recognition she deserved. 30 years later, the release of her works by the American label Dark Entries in 2015 under critical acclaim gave us the perfect excuse to ask musicians from a wide range of contemporary music to experiment with her music, while interviewing her and all the people who were involved in the making of her records in the ’80s.

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  • Mexican Film “Perpetual Sadness” Wins Top Prize at 2014 Thessaloniki International Film Festival

    Perpetual SadnessPerpetual Sadness

    The Mexican film Perpetual Sadness directed by Jorge Perez Solano, took the top prize Best Feature Film Award – Golden Alexander Theo Angelopoulos at the 55th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Perpetual Sadness tells the story of women in a remote Mexican village in the desert, where they experience solitude and the sorrow of being abandoned. The film “Next to Her,” directed by Israeli Asaf Korman, won the “Silver Alexander.”

    THE AWARDS 

    Best Feature Film Award – Golden Alexander Theo Angelopoulos
    LA TIRISIA (PERPETUAL SADNESS) By JORGE PEREZ SOLANO, Producer César Gutiérrez Miranda, Screenwriter Jorge Pérez Solano, Mexico, 2014

    Special Jury Award – Silver Alexander
    AT LI LAYLA (NEXT TO HER) By ASAF KORMAN, Producers Haim Mecklberg, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg, Screenwriter Liron Ben Shlush, Israel, 2014

     Special Jury Award for Originality and Innovation – Bronze Alexander
    UROK (THE LESSON) By KRISTINA GROZEVA, PETAR VALCHANOV, Producers Magdalena Ilieva, Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Konstantina Stavrianou, Rena Vougioukalou, Screenwriter Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Bulgaria-Greece, 2014

    Best Director Award
    MYROSLAV SLABOSHPYTSKIY For PLEMYA (THE TRIBE), Producers Valentyn Vasyanovych, Iya Myslytska Screenwriter Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine, 2014

    Best Screenplay Award
    KRISTINA GROZEVA, PETAR VALCHANOV For UROK (THE LESSON), Directors Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Producers Magdalena Ilieva, Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Konstantina Stavrianou, Rena Vougioukalou, Bulgaria-Greece, 2014

    Best Actress Award
    BROOKE BLOOM For SHE’S LOST CONTROL, Director & Screenwriter Anja Marquardt, Producers Kiara C. Jones, Mollye Asher, Anja Marquardt, USA, 2014

    Best Actor Award
    SVERRIR GUDNASON For FLUGPARKEN (BLOWFLY PARK), Director & screenwriter Jens Östberg, Producers Rebecka Lafrenz, Mimmi Späng, Sweden, 2014

    Artistic Achievement Award
    RISTTUULES (IN THE CROSSWIND) By MARTTI HELDE Producers Pille Rünk, Piret Tibbo-Hudgins, Screenwriter Martti Helde Estonia, 2014

     FIPRESCI AWARDS 

    For a film in the International Competition to:
    ICH SEH, ICH SEH (GOODNIGHT MOMMY) By VERONIKA FRANZ & SEVERIN FIALA, Producer Ulrich Seidl, Screenwriter Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, Austria, 2014

    For a film in the Greek Films 2014 section to:
    NORVIYIA (NORWAY) By YIANNIS VESLEMES, Producers Yorgos Tsourgiannis, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Screenwriter Yiannis Veslemes, Greece, 2014

    Special mention to:
    POLK By NIKOS NIKOLOPOULOS, VLADIMIROS NIKOLOUZOS, Producers & Screenwriters Nikos Nikolopoulos, Vladimiros Nikolouzos, Greece, 2014

    HUMAN VALUES AWARD

    The Hellenic Parliament TV Channel bestows its award to the film:
    KLASS KORREKZII (CORRECTIONS CLASS) By IVAN I. TVERDOVSKY, Producers Natasha Mokritskaya, Uliana Savelieva, Mila Rozanova, Michael Kaczmarek, Markus Boehm Screenwriters Dmitry Lanchikhin, Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia-Germany, 2014

    FISCHER AUDIENCE AWARDS

    For a film in the International Competition section
    KLASS KORREKZII (CORRECTIONS CLASS) By IVAN I. TVERDOVSKY, Producers Natasha Mokritskaya, Uliana Savelieva, Mila Rozanova, Michael Kaczmarek, Markus Boehm Screenwriters Dmitry Lanchikhin, Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia-Germany, 2014

     For a film in the Greek Films section – MICHAEL CACOYANNIS AWARD
    DARK ILLUSION By MANOS KARYSTINOS, Producer Maria Paschalidou (President of Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014), Screenwriter Anastasia Kozimba, Greece, 2014

    For a film in the Balkan Survey section
    TRI DRITARE DHE NJË VARJE (THREE WINDOWS AND A HANGING) By ISA QOSJA, Producer Shkumbin Istrefi, Mentor Shala, Screenwriter Zymber Kelmendi, UNMI Kosovo – Germany, 2013

     For a film in the Open Horizons section
    THE LITTLE DEATH By JOSH LAWSON, Producers Jamie Hilton, Matt Reeder, Michael Petroni, Screenwriter Josh Lawson, Australia, 2014

    AGORA AWARDS

    I. The jury of the 10th Crossroads Co-production Forum, consisted of Ewa Puszczynska, (producer, Opus Film, Poland), Elise Jalladeau, (producer/Audiovisual Attachée of the Embassy of France in Greece, France), Thania Dimitrakopoulou, (sales agent, Match Factory, Germany) grants the Two Thirty Five co-production award (full post production image and sound) to the project: KIDS FROM THE EAST, Directed by: Aramisova, Produced by: Michal Kračmer, Cinedix, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic

    The producer of the winning project will also be granted a free accreditation for the PRODUCERS NETWORK, Cannes Film Festival 2015 edition.

    II. The jury also grants the French CNC (CENTRE NATIONAL DU CINEMA ET DE L’ IMAGE ANIMÉE) Development award of 7.000 euro to the project: TAILOR, Directed by: Sonia Liza Kenterman, Produced by: Fenia Cossovitsa, Greece

    III. Annamaria Lodato grants the ARTE International Prize to the project of 6.000 euro to the project: TRAMONTANE, Directed by: Vatche Boulghourjian, Produced by: Georges Schoucair, Abbout Productions, Lebanon

    IV. SCRIPT 2 FILM WORKSHOPS of the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI) awards a scholarship to the film project KIDS FROM THE EAST, Director: Aramisova, Producer: Michal Kračmer, Cinedix, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic

    V. For the fourth year, the consulting company in audiovisual development Initiative Film represented by Isabelle Fauvel will offer its services to a Greek project. The selected project is: ARK, Director: Aristotelis Marangos, Production: Vasilis Chrysanthopoulos, plays2place productions, Greece.

    In addition she will offer one consultancy session to the Greek project: PACK OF SHEEP, Director: Dimitris Kanellopoulos, Production: Elina Psykou, Konstantina Stavrianou, Graal Films, Greece

    VI. The AGORA WORKS IN PROGRESS jury consisted of Arnaud Gourmelen, (Festival Programmer – Directors’ Fortnight, France), Gabor Greiner, (Sales Agent – Films Boutique, Germany), Konstantina Vonorta, (Producer – Graal, Greece) grants the GRAAL co-production award with in kind services in image post-production up to 70.000 euro to the film: SUNTAN, Directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Produced by Phaedra Vokali, Marni Films, Argyris Papadimitropoulos Greece

     THE GREEK FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION (PEKK) AWARD

    TO MIKRO PSARI (STRATOS) By YANNIS ECONOMIDES, Producers Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Panos Papachatzis, Michael Weber, Yannis Economides Screenwriters Yannis Economides, Thanos Xiros, Vangelis Mourikis, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Haris Lagousis, Greece-Germany-Cyprus, 2014

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  • 51st Thessaloniki International Film Festival Awards

    Periferic (Outbound) by Bogdan George Apetri

    Periferic (Outbound) by Bogdan George Apetri took the Best Feature Film Award – Golden Alexander at the 51st Thessaloniki Film Festival which ran December 3-12, 2010.  The Greek Film Critics Association (PEKK) Award was also given to Periferic (Outbound).

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  • Thessaloniki International Film Festival To Open With Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours”

    127 hours by Danny Boyle

    The 51st Thessaloniki International Film Festival will open on December 3rd with Danny Boyle’s “127 hours”. Boyle’s follow-up to his Oscar winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” is based on the book by Aron Ralston and tells the heroic adventures of the young climber Aron Ralston played in the film by James Franco.

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