52nd THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
November 4-13, 2011
CLOSING CEREMONY
The curtain came down on the 52nd Thessaloniki International Film Festival on Saturday, November 12, with the Closing Ceremony which took place at the Olympion Cinema. The string group “Rotonda”, under the artistic direction of Irina Dragneva provided the musical background of the evening.
Festival Director Dimitri Eipides welcomed the crowd by summing up this year’s edition: “The 52nd TIFF is ending with an optimistic message. The audience has given us a vote of confidence. Our cinemas were on average at 90% capacity, with a large number of screenings being sold out. 2000 young people, participating in the Youth Screen program were among the audience. This year’s edition took place at a time of important political developments, and the Festival responded to the challenges of the times, reflecting the world through the eyes of uncompromising directors. A total of 151 films from 53 countries provided entertainment, solutions, hope and a communications channel for cultures and people. We are happy that some of these directors attended and shared their valuable opinions along with their work. I thank them from the bottom of my heart, as I thank my collaborators and our volunteers who worked hard in order for this celebration of cinema to become a reality. I also warmly thank all our sponsors, who provided essential help to our work, as well as the audience, which embraces the festival and motivates us to keep getting better. So we are renewing our appointment to meet this coming March, at the 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival”.
Then Mr. Yiannis Boutaris, mayor of Thessaloniki and President of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival spoke: “All we spoke about at the Opening of the 52nd Festival has come true. Art flourishes under difficult circumstances. This is confirmed by the packed theaters. The Festival, under the guidance of Dimitri Eipides, was in the center of independent cinema and managed to outdo itself. Once again our city participated dynamically. Viewers, film people and journalists filled the cinemas of a city that for half a century has been identified with this international event”. Mr. Boutaris referred to other important events which take place in the city, such as the Thessaloniki Food Festival and the 15th Biennale of Mediterranean Youth, and he added: “in 2014 Thessaloniki is hoping to be the Green Capital of Europe, while it is striving to be the European Youth Capital”. Then, Mr. Boutaris gave warm thanks to “all of the Festival staff who surpassed themselves under difficult circumstances, the directors who entrusted us with their films and of course the audience for its participation”.
Then the 52nd TIFF Awards were meted out.
The event’s biggest Award, for Best Film – the Golden Alexander (with a cash prize of 20,000 Euros) went to Twilight Portrait by Angelina Nikonova from Russia, a film “you will love for a long time” as Laurence Kardish, president of the International Jury and Senior Curator – Department of Film and Media, Museum of Modern Art, NY pointed out. On stage for the award were the Jury members Hisami Kuroiwa, Film producer and Sales Representative(USA), Sitora Alieva, director and editor (Russia), Frederic Boyer, Director - Les Arcs European Film Festival (France) and Constantine Giannaris, Film director (Greece).
The Golden Alexander was received by director Angelina Nikonova and the lead actress Olga Dykhovichnaya who co-produced the film and co-wrote the script. Ms Nikonova said that “this honour is very encouraging”, and praised her collaborator for her trust. Ms Dykhovichnaya thanked all of those who worked on the film without getting paid, calling the 20,000 Euro prize a gift for the work done by all our cast and crew since “the prize money is a little more than the cost of the entire production”.
Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander (10.000 euro) went to the film Eighty Letters by Vaclav Kadrnka, who noted: “You should have seen where I was last year, the only support I had was from friends and relatives. This Award is a great honour for me and I am very happy because this Award gives me hope for the future”.
Special Jury Award for Originality and Innovation - Bronze Alexander (5.000 euro) went to the film Porfirio by Alejandro Landes. In his acceptance speech, the director made a special mention of the Greek participants in the film – Director of Photography Thimios Bakatakis and editor George Mavropsaridis – and he thanked the Festival staff for their warm reception.
The Artistic Achievement Award went to Ronit Elkabetz, Michael Moshonov, Yoav Rotman, the cast of Guy Nattiv’s Mabul, “which, in the intensity, passion and the unity of its ensemble performance, distinguishes the original narrative and makes the film real, relevant and deeply moving”.
The Best Actor award was meted out by the Constantine Zikos, president of EOT to Wotan Wilke Moehring, in Der Brand by Brigitte Maria Bertele.
The Best Actress award was meted out by the CEO of ERT Lambis Tagmatarchis, who stressed the importance of the support given by national television to Greek film production. The winner was Stefania Goulioti, for J.A.C.E., by Menelaos Karamaghiolis. The award was received by the film’s director, who said that the award belonged to all of the cast and crew, stressing that “actors are the ones who give life to a film”.
The Best Screenplay Award went to John McIlduff for his film Behold the Lamb. Kevin Jackson, producer of the film received the award saying that it was a shame John McIlduff had to leave Thessaloniki before the Awards Ceremony.
The Best Director Award went to Mark Jackson for the film Without. Sara Driver, for whom the 52nd TIFF held a tribute, picked up the award for her fellow countryman. She thanked the festival for its support of independent cinema and new directors, as in the US independent cinema is not supported by the state.
Fischer Audience Awards, each with a prize of 3,000 Euros were given by Alexandros Danielidis, Business Director of the Athenian Brewery. Mr. Danielidis referred to the many years of support provided by the Brewery to important cultural events in the city and particularly to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. He then gave The Fischer Audience Award for a film in the Greek Films 2011 section to Super Demetrios by Georgios Papaioannou. The director gave warm thanks on behalf of the film’s cast and crew to his own people for their support and of course the audience and the Festival. It should be noted that as of this year the Audience Award for Best Greek Film will be dedicated to the memory of Michael Cacoyannis. The honorary plaque was given to the director by Alexandra Georgiopoulou, Head of Public Relations for the Michael Cacoyannis Institute.
The Fischer Audience Award for a film in the Balkan Survey section went to the film The Enemy by Dejan Zecevic. The Award was received by Miroljub Vuskovits, Director of the Serbian Film Centre.
The Fischer Audience Award for a film in the Open Horizons section went to Tyrannosaur by Paddy Considine. The Award was received by the Honorary Consul of Great Britain in Greece, Maria Tsakali.
The Fischer Audience Award for a film in the International Competition section went to the Israeli film Mabul by Guy Nattiv. Israeli film critic Dan Fainaru received the award, and he said that the audience was “very wise” for its choice.
The Human Values Award given by Greek Parliament Television was given to a film from the Open Horizons section. The winning film was Romeo Eleven by Ivan Grbovic. The channel’s director of programming, Aris Fatouros, pointed out the deeply human elements of the film, and he noted that this is the seventh year that Parliament Television is giving this award. The Ambassador of Canada in Greece, Robert Peck received the award for the director.
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) awards were meted out by the Jury president Tereza Brdeckova and Jury member Nestoras Poulakos. The FIPRESCI award for the International Section went to Eighty Letters by Vaclav Kaduna. While giving out the award, Tereza Brdeckova spoke about the blooming of Czech production, and while receiving his award the Czech director called his film a part of his life which, as he said he: “is particular happy to share with the audience”. The FIPRESCI award for a film in the Greek Films 2011 section went to The City of Children by Yorgos Gikapeppas. As Nestoras Poulakos said, this film represents the Greek crisis better than any other Greek film seen by the Jury.
The Greek Film Critics Association (PEKK) Awards were given by Andreas Tyros, president of PEKK. The PEKK award for a film in the International Competition section went to Twilight Portrait, and for a film in the Greek Films 2011 section to The City of Children. Mr. Tyros said: “Now that a year has gone by since the passing of the new cinema law, the impossibility of enforcing it as well as its first side effects are becoming evident. For example, the undeclared war of filmmakers among themselves, recession rather than growth and the scattered presence of local films in the various Festival sections. All of us who proposed and served the vision of internationalizing the institution couldn’t imagine the high price to be paid, which is none other than the “de-Greekification” of the event which began as a celebration and mirror of Greek production. In spite of state indifference, wrong choices and various sources of blame, PEKK is giving an award to a Greek film this year as well, as a show of support to Greek cinema which is sending out an S.O.S. signal, in the hope that initiatives will be undertaken immediately so that Thessaloniki can remain the capital of Greek cinema in the coming years and its fertile meeting point with the international scene”. Receiving the award, Ms. Nikonova underlined that it is a great honor to have one’s work rewarded. Receiving his award, Mr. Gikapeppas thanked PEKK for “the unexpected honor, and the Festival for its hospitality”, and thanked his close collaborators one by one as well as his son, who inspired him to make the film.
Following the meting out of the Awards, Martha Marcy May Marlene by Sean Durkin was screened. This film won the Best Director Award at the Sundance Festival.
