DIGITALWAVE 02 AWARDS

 

 

On Saturday, November the 24th, the DigitalWave 02 awards were presented at the Tonia Marketaki theatre. The DigitalWave 02 competition section focuses exclusively on contemporary Greek digital productions.

 

This year, eleven films were nominees for the Digital Alexander award, which was instituted by the Greek Film Centre and is accompanied by a 15,000 euro prize.

 

Attending the award ceremony was the President of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, Georges Corraface, who said: “Enthusiasm, freedom, solidarity, eccentricity, style... all of these adjectives characterize and accompany the new wave of digital cinema. This wave may still be small, however, I hope that year by year it will grow”. Next, the section’s jury members were invited to the stage. The jury consisted of Panos Koutras, Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, Lida Galanou, Stamatis Tsarouhas, Akis Kapranos and Aliki Danezi Knuchen.

 

Thanasis Tsarouhas spoke about the criteria that were used by the jury to judge the films: “This section is still in a transitional stage of familiarization with the new digital means. While carefully watching the competing films, we observed that although this it is a means convenient for expression, it may also favor sloppiness. For this reason, the jury has decided to present the award, not to one, but to three films equally“.

 

The films that won the digital Alexander and the 15,000 euro prize are: Listen, by Yiorgis Fotopoulos, Exodos by George Voulgaris and To handle with care by Vangelis Rikoudis.

 

The jury also decided to present two honorable and one special mentions to three additional films: Yagonan: The Dark Days of Doom, by Yagos Raftopoulos for the film’s idealism and its insane character, The apple in your head by Angelos Spartalis for its visual approach and Zoe’s attitide by Spiros Vrettos because in the limited space that cinema enjoys in the educational system, and in the framework of the school’s program in which it was incorporated, Vrettos managed to create a complete and emotional film.

 

Next, the President of the Greek Film Centre, Yorgos Papalios and the vice-President, Dimitris Sofianopoulos took the stand. Mr. Papalios stated that, as he had said last year, he continues to believe that the future of cinema lies in digital films and expressed his desire to see digital films competing in the State Awards one day. The vice-President of the Greek Film Centre stated that digital technology in cinema essentially brings democracy to the art, since it gives everyone the chance to make a film. “However, as you know, even democracy has its shortcomings and we have to be careful with them”, he said.

 

Finally, it was the awarded directors’ turn to speak. Yorgos Voulgaris mentioned that more opportunities need to be given to young people who want to work with digital means and thanked the jury by saying that it is a great honor for him and Cyprus. Spiros Vretos thanked the Thessaloniki Film Festival for the distinction and added that he hopes his film’s message “the unselfish devotion to humanity and nature” was received by the audience. Aggelos Spartalis resigned the honorable mention that he received.

 

Following the ceremony was the screening of Paul Grivas’ film The multiplicity of the Possible. “I hope that you enjoy it and if it makes you want to dance during the screening, by all means, do so”, said the director.