50TH THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WHY CINEMA NOW?
November 13-22, 2009
PRESS RELEASE
50TH TIFF LINE-UP & JURIES
With less than ten days to go before the start of the event, we have the pleasure to contact you again with the latest news from this year’s 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which kicks off Friday, November 13th.
A number of approximately two hundred and forty films (features and shorts) compose this year’s festival program. A complete list of this year’s line up can be found at the end of this press release. Nearly one thousand guests are expected to be present, including the creative teams from the films presented in the various sections of the event, as well as 80 foreign film critics and journalists plus their local counterparts. This year for the first time the Golden Alexander award bestows a purse of euros 40,000 (instead of euros 37,000) and the Silver Alexander award euros 25,000 (instead of euros 22,000).
INTERNATIONAL JURY
The seven-member International Jury called to judge the films of the International Competition section and to award the Golden and Silver Alexanders plus a number of additional awards, is composed of:
Theo Angelopoulos, Director (Greece), President
Lissy Belaiche, Festival consultant Trust Nordisk (Denmark)
Mirjana Karanovic, Actress (Serbia)
Eugenio Caballero, Production designer (Mexico)
Lav Diaz, Director (Philippines)
Gyorgi Palfi, Director (Hungary) and
Amos Poe, Director (USA)
FIPRESCI JURY
The four-member FIPRESCI Jury called to judge films in the International Competition and the Greek Films Special Screening sections is composed of:
Ronald Bergan, President (UK)
Bo Green Jensen (Denmark)
Leo Soesanto (France)
Dimosthenes Xifilinos (Greece)
BALKAN FUND JURY
The four-member Balkan Fund Jury called to award the projects (with a purse of euros 10,000 each) in the 2009 Balkan Fund script workshop is composed of:
Lenny Crooks, Head of New Cinema Fund (UK)
Richard Kwietniowski, screenwriter / director (Poland / UK)
Christina Kallas, screenwriter / producer and FSE (Federation of Screenwriters in Europe)President (Greece/Germany)
Razvan Radulescu, screenwriter / director (Romania)
GUESTS’ INFO
The 50th Thessaloniki Film Festival confirms the attendance of the following guests:
Werner Herzog (Director): Arrival 19/11 - Departure 23/11 - Press Conference 20/11 - Masterclass 21/11
Goran Paskaljevic (Director): Arrival 17/11 - Departure 22/11 - Press Conference 19/11 - Masterclass 19/11
Jeremy Thomas (Producer): Arrival 19/11 - Departure 23/11 - Masterclass 20/11
Alexandre Desplat (Composer): Arrival 14/11 - Departure 17/11 - Masterclass 15/11 – Concert 15/11
Jane Birkin (Actress/musician): Arrival 16/11 - Departure 19/11 – Concert 16/11
Eugenio Caballero (Production designer): Arrival 13/11 - Departure 23/11 - Masterclass 14/11
Fatih Akin (Director): Arrival 13/11 - Departure 16/11
Jim Gianopulos (Producer, Co-Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment): Arrival 20/11 - Departure 22/11 - Masterclass 22/11
Tony Grisoni (Screenwriter): Arrival 20/11 - Departure 23/11 - Masterclass 21/11
Waris Dirie (Author, actress, UN ambassador) with Sherry Hormann (Director) and Liya Kebede (Actress): Arrival 17/11 - Departure 20/11
New Philippine cinema delegation (Directors): Lav Diaz Arrival 13/11 - Departure 23/11, Raya Martin Arrival 15/11 - Departure 18/11, Pepe Diokno Arrival 13/11 - Departure 18/11, Adolfo Alix Jr Arrival 14/11 - Departure 18/11 - Roundtable 16/11
Anne Consigny (Actress): Arrival 19/11 - Departure 23/11
Samuel Maoz (Director): Arrival 16/11 - Departure 19/11
Koji Wakamatsu (Director): Arrival 13/11 - Departure 17/11
JUST TALKING
Held every day from 16.00 to 17.00, at the old Pump Station situated at the Festival Pier, Just Talking is an open discussion in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The event, which will be held in English, will allow Greek and international directors to meet each other and exchange views on their work and experiences. Directors, journalists and other film professionals will form daily groups; the audience of accredited festival attendees can choose to either simply listen or participate while enjoying some wine and coffee. The Just Talking coordinator/moderator is Elena Christopoulou at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Should you need more information or have any comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
REGIONAL SCREENINGS
November 22nd to December 6th
The Regional Screenings are the Festival’s way of communicating with the various cities of Greece, bringing the latest foreign and domestic films that form part of the Festival program to regional audiences. The detailed screening program will be announced shortly.
The 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival Regional Screenings this year will travel to 16 Greek cities such as Alexandroupolis, Kavala, Serres, Kozani, Ioannina, Kastoria, Edessa and Grevena.
NOTE:
The, by now well-known, controversy in the Greek film community has a considerable group of directors and producers abstaining from the Greek State Cinema Awards and the TIFF Greek Panorama section, which is directly linked to the former.
The filmmakers contest the existing law about cinema and ask for the implementation of a new one. During the 50th TIFF, however, there will be a selection of Greek films screened at the Festival. Eight new feature fiction films will be presented in the Greek Special Screenings section. Of those eight Greek films, two participate in the International Competition section. In addition to that, the DigitalWave section created to support fresh, digitally shot projects and now in its fourth year, will showcase eight more films.
Attached you can find the complete film list of the 50th TIFF.
