Cinema keeps us company during the time of coronavirus
TIFF assigns eleven directors to shoot short films in their houses, entertains children and young people
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is using the possibilities that the Internet has to offer, in order to provide an outlet to the audience that loves cinema, in the unprecedented situation we are all experiencing.
Through our online channels -our website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube channel- we have created a platform for informing and entertaining the audience, with the aim to share moments and new material by beloved Greek directors.
In the next few days, we will present the following that will keep us creative and connected:
We have asked Greek directors to create short films: With everyone urged to stay at home, the Festival has assigned eleven Greek directors to shoot a film up to three minutes, in their houses, in order to comment on the new reality that we live in. The idea is to create a film at home, using the environment, the people or the animals in that space. The only outdoor areas that may be used are outdoor living spaces, such as the terrace, the garden, the balcony and the stairwell. The project will be titled “Species of Spaces” from the book by Georges Perec and it can be used as a source of inspiration.
The directors are the award-nominees of the Hellenic Film Academy in the categories of best film, best director, best newcomer and documentary feature. The directors are (in alphabetical order): Rinio Dragasaki, Marianna Economou, Panagiotis Evangelidis, Angelos Frantzis, Giorgos Georgopoulos, Zacharias Mavroeidis, Minos Nikolakakis, Stavros Pamballis, Stavros Psillakis, Syllas Tzoumerkas and Alexandros Voulgaris (The Boy).
Soon the films will be available in the YouTube channel of the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
Entertainment for children: The Festival is planning two competitions for children and adolescents, hoping to activate their creativity and offer them a cinematic challenge for the days of the isolation.
Masterclasses online: In our YouTube channel, you can find memorable masterclasses from previous Festivals. First comes the masterclass by renowned illustrator John Mavroudis, followed by the masterclass of the true cult cinema icon, John Waters, the internationally acclaimed cinematographer and president of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, Giorgos Arvanitis, the Academy Award-winning director Louie Psihoyos, the Palm D’Or-winning director Ruben Östlund, the twice Academy-award winning American director -of Greek descent- Alexander Payne, the subversive Catalan artist Albert Serra etc.
We are also planning to invite internationally acclaimed film professionals to give new online masterclasses and share their valuable experience with the audience.
We Read: We invite the audience to visit the website www.myfestival.gr with the rich archive of the Festival (one can access it also through the Festival website www.filmfestival.gr in the section ARCHIVE). There you will find rare editions, magazines, books -many of them out of print-, but all available online. There, one can discover amazing film stories, moments and people, as well as the rare collection HELLAFI, which was declared a monument by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage. HELLAFI includes large scale movie posters, pencil sketches, watercolor artwork, lithographs, Indian ink etc.
Here is a small taste from myfestival.gr:
“Dear Elia,
Thanks for making it possible to see Voulgaris’ film “Quiet days of August”. It’s an elegant, beautifully made film. The camera moves constantly -sensually. You find yourself getting involved with the characters … the longing, the melancholy… even a sense of fear and dread… ultimately, a very surprising and moving ending…
Martin Scorsese”
Scorsese’s letter to Elia Kazan in the Festival’s edition on Pantelis Voulgaris. You can find the original letter here: http://www.myfestival.gr/default.aspx?lang=el-GR&page=19&id=49536
Join us in the online channels of the Festival:
Website: www.filmfestival.gr
Digital archive: www.myfestival.gr
Facebook Page: facebook.com/filmfestival.gr/
Agora / English Page: facebook.com/AgoraTIFF
YouTube Channel: youtube.com/user/filmfestivalgr
Instagram: instagram.com/filmfestivalgr/
Blog: blog.tiff.gr/
