The curtain fell on the 56th edition of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival on Saturday, November 14, 2015, during the closing ceremony that took place at the Olympion theatre, in an emotionally charged atmosphere following the terrorist attacks in Paris the day before.
“Tonight’s closing ceremony takes place in the dark shadow of last night’s terrorist attacks in Paris. We are all shocked and we express our sorrow, uniting our voice together with all the countries of the world in support of France” the actress Maria Nafpliotou, host of the closing ceremony, said.
“The curtain falls tonight on the 56th TIFF, under the weight of recent events, which I believe had an effect on all of us; As a holder of dual citizenship, being French-Greek, I myself feel particularly affected by the events,” the president of the TIFF Board of Directors Yorgos Arvanitis remarked, also informing the audience that the TIFF director Dimitri Eipides, “the man behind this year’s festivities has had a small accident unfortunately, preventing him to be here with us tonight. We wish him a fast recovery and we look forward to having him back with us”.
As Mr. Arvanitis noted, “during this year’s edition we celebrated all these features that define what it means to be human. The 200 films of this year’s edition presented difficult issues that persist over time, such as the vulnerable human relationships and the rapid social changes. The audience gave a resounding response to our invitation. The attendance was similar to last year's already high level, while more than 3,000 children watched the films of Youth Screen. We owe a heartfelt thanks to this audience, because they actively show their support to the festival and at the same time to independent cinema, that is currently most affected by what is happening around us”. He also thanked all the Greek and foreign directors who have trusted their films to the Festival, with particular reference to this year's edition guests of honour: the French director Arnaud Desplechin, to whom he expressed his feelings of sympathy, the Romanian Mircea Daneliuc, whose films were presented in the Balkan Survey section, for the first time in a great tribute outside Romania, as well as Greek cinematographer Nikos Kavoukidis, whose career spans for six decades. Mr. Arvanitis went on to thank, for their love and passion “the volunteers who did their best and the Festival’s staff who work tirelessly to make this year’s edition a memorable celebration”. Finally, he thanked all those who support the festival in these hard times: The Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Hellenic Parliament, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the European program MEDIA, the Greek Film Center, ERT, the THPA, TIF Helexpo, the Thessaloniki State Orchestra, the Athenian Brewery, and especially the FISCHER brand for sponsoring again this year’s Audience Awards, the companies GRAAL and 2|35, the sponsors of the Film Market awards, Aegean Airlines, OPEL DION MOTORS, all sponsors and in kind donors as well as all media sponsors.
Shortly before the presentation of the 56th TIFF’s awards, Mr. Arvanitis invited the attendants at the Olympion Theatre to observe a minute's silence for the victims of terrorist attacks in Paris.
This was followed by the announcement of the awards, starting with the FISCHER Audience Award. “The festival has a cinephile audience that fills the theatres and offers its own perspective,” Maria Nafpliotou noted, inviting the Sponsorships manager at Athenian Brewery Giannis Katsougkris to announce the awards. “This is a difficult day because of what happened yesterday in Paris. Our thoughts go to the people who were lost and their families. We believe, however, that art is the best response to violence,” Mr. Katsougkris said, for his part. Referring to the Audience Awards, he noted that for the 9th consecutive year FISCHER actively supports the Festival, giving voice to the audience by inviting them to choose the films that touched them the most. The attendance and participation on behalf of the audience was impressive. For the awarding of the prizes 13,454 votes were counted, “confirming once again that Thessaloniki is the city with the largest cinephile audience in Greece,” as he said, also thanking the volunteers and the Festival’s staff, especially the director Dimitri Eipides, “the man who gave the Festival its unique character”.
The FISCHER Audience Award for a film in the Greek Film section - Michael Cacoyannis Award was bestowed ex aequo to the films Spring Awakening directed by Constantine Giannaris, and Chevalier directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari. The awards were received by the representatives of the production companies in Greece. Effie Skrompola received the award on behalf of Mr. Giannaris and expressed her joy that the film touched the audience, as well as her wish for a future with less violence. Maria Hatzakou, received the award on behalf of Ms. Tsangari and dedicated it to all the people who supported the film and worked in it, but also to the audience, noting her wish for the audience to return back to the theatres to watch Greek films.
The FISCHER Audience Award for a film in the International Competition section was bestowed to Land and Shade by Cesar Acevedo. The director thanked the audience for the award, saying: “We made this film for the people. When we are watching a film we connect with those around us and eventually become more human,” he said and expressed sorrow over the events in Paris.
The FISCHER Audience Award for a film in the Balkan Survey section was bestowed to Mustang by Deniz Gamze Erguven, while the FISCHER Audience Award for a film in the Open Horizons section was bestowed to Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, directed by Alfonso Gomez- Rejon.
Next, the Hellenic Parliament TV Channel (Vouli-TV) announced its Human Values award. Shortly before the announcement, the President of the Hellenic Parliament Mr. Nikos Voutsis made special reference to the tragic events in Paris resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives. “To confront barbarism we need to show determination and resist fear. At the same time, we must not lose our humanity, solidarity, values and human rights,” he said. He also commented: “I believe that our presence here today is necessary. It expresses the need to open up the parliament to the society, the major problems of our time, the refugee issue, the struggle of the Greek people, to young scientists and artists, people of culture and especially the cinema”. The Human Values award was bestowed to Land and Shade by Cesar Acevedo, a film which, as Mr. Voutsis explained, “highlights the value of solidarity and the struggle for survival and dignity of ordinary people living in poverty, while exposing their abandonment and the exploitation of labour. It is a requiem for the destruction of nature and the loss of human lives”. The director thanked the jury for the great honor: “My film is about the history, memory and identity of villagers in my country, who are trying to survive in very difficult circumstances,” he said, dedicating the award to them.
The Greek Film Critics Association (PEKK) presented its award to the film Wednesday 04:45, directed by Alexis Alexiou. As stated by the representative of PEKK Vasilis Kehagias the film is “a comment on the exposed face of our society in recent years. Utilizing the form of film noir the filmic narration connects the blood and sweat of the protagonists to the eroding effect of corruption within society“. On his part, Mr. Alexiou thanked PEKK, the Festival and all his partners without whom the film would not have existed.
The FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) jury consisting of Steven Yates (Jury President, UK), Janka Barkoczi (Hungary) and Joseph Proimakis (Greece) announced its awards. Mr. Yates said it was a pleasure and an honor for him to represent for the first time the FIPRESCI at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. He went on to announce that the FIPRESCI award for a film in the International Competition section is bestowed to Silent by Yorgos Gkikapeppas “For a graphic depiction of the divisions and claustrophobia in a successful artistic family and for expressing these feelings with or without words”. Mr Gkikapeppas thanked TIFF’s director Dimitri Eipides for the participation of the film in the competition section, the FIPRESCI jury, the head of the Greek Program Section Eleni Androutsopoulou, and dedicated the award to the film's cast and crew and his young son “who watches me all these years as I come of age”. He also expressed his hope that “yesterday's brutality and the horrible night in Paris would not provoke a reaction through a new cycle of violence towards all directions”. The FIPRESCI award for a film in the Greek Film section was bestowed by Joseph Proimakis to the film Blind Sun directed by Joyce A. Nashawati, “For the masterful use of genre motifs depicted through outstanding Cinematography to convey an original viewpoint on the scorching issue of immigration”. The director expressed his excitement and thanked the Festival saying that “this is the beginning of our film’s adventure”.
The International Jury then announced its awards for the International Competition Section of the 56th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The International Jury comprised of the Jury President, producer Michele Ray-Gavras and the members, director Corneliu Porumboiu, film critic Jay Weissberg, producer Elise Jalladeau and screenwriter Efthimis Filippou.
Referring to the events in Paris, Ms. Gavras said: “I am French but tonight we are all French, we are all Parisians. We feel the same pain, the same fear with the people of Iraq, Syria, and so many others. We have been hit by the same brutality. And with the same courage and the same dignity we have to confront it, together, united. Feeling fear is human feeling, but so is showing courage”.
She went on to announce the grounds for selection by the jury, noting that it is always an interesting experience to keep track of cinema trends in world cinema. “Each one of us comes from different backgrounds in the field of cinema, which has fueled exciting discussions covering a variety of issues, from masterful direction to exceptional cinematography, which is also bestowed the Artistic Achievement Award,” she said, adding that the jury decisions on the awards were all unanimous.
The Artistic Achievement Award went to the film Sparrows, directed by Runar Runarsson, with cinematography by Sophia Olsson. The director thanked the jury for the award and said he wished Ms. Olsson could have attended the ceremony, adding that “she is my eyes, an extraordinary woman with great talent”.
Ms. Jalladeau announced the Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress. The award for Best Actress was bestowed to Devon Keller for her role in the film Petting Zoo. The award was received by the director of the film Micah Magee, who said it was the actress’ debut role in a film and therefore expressed her excitement for the jury’s selection. “She is a really talented actress but she has still to receive an offer for a role in another film two years after Petting Zoo was made. I hope that this award is a step to her talent being recognized”. The Award for Best Actor was bestowed to Alfredo Castro for his role in the film From Afar by Lorenzo Vigas.
The Best Screenplay Award was bestowed by Efthimis Filippou to Lorenzo Vigas for his film From Afar. The director expressed in a letter his gratitude to the jury, the TIFF and the audience who watched his film. “I am lucky to bring back to Venezuela the award for best screenplay and best actor. The selection in TIFF is rather strict and that is a fact giving me great strength to start my new film full of energy”, he stressed.
Corneliu Porumboiu bestowed the Best Director Award to Gabriel Ripstein for his film 600 miles. In his message, the director thanked the jury and the organizers of the TIFF for honoring him by selecting his film, which “I made in a most honest way, through my heart, instinct and my eyes”. He dedicated the award to his father, the distinguished director Arturo Ripstein and to his son, who will probably follow the steps of his grandfather. Finally, he expressed his deep respect and solidarity to the French people, stressing that “there is no excuse for terrorist actions”.
Jay Weissberg bestowed the Special Jury Award - Bronze Alexander to the film Road to La Paz by Francisco Varone. Receiving the award the director stressed that “it is a great honor for me to participate at TIFF. Thessaloniki is a great city and so is its audience,” he said. He further thanked the jury, TIFF staff and particularly Dimitri Eipides.
Corneliu Porumboiu bestowed the Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander to the film Land and Shade by Cesar Acevedo. The director thanked yet another time the jury for this great honor. Finally, the Jury President Michele Ray-Gavras bestowed the Award for Best Feature Film - Golden Alexander Theo Angelopoulos to the film Rams directed by Grimur Hakonarson. In his message, the director said he was sorry he couldn’t attend the Festival, which he really admires, and went on to thank the jury and especially the TIFF director Dimitri Eipides, noting that “his contribution to Icelandic cinema has been great, from his position as the program director and as a supporter of the Reykjavik International Film Festival throughout the years”. He also thanked his film’s distribution company in Greece and wished that it is well received upon its release in Greece. “Rams is a personal film, it is a film I made about my grandfather and my mother and it took five years to complete. I have put in it my heart and soul. I think that the audience can feel that when watching the film. It talks about the importance of human relations in difficult times. Although the protagonists are two stubborn Icelandic farmers, the film has universal messages with a great amount of importance, especially on days such as today”.
Arnaud Desplechin film My Golden Days was screened after the awards ceremony. “I think about how difficult the situation is in France, but at the same time I am happy to be here with you. It is a great honor for me to have met the Thessaloniki audience – indeed a very special audience. Thinking about yesterday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, it came to me that we people are really vulnerable, that I am very vulnerable. I was also thinking that cinema has some kind of power, a power belonging to all of us. Cinema records our strengths and vulnerabilities at the same time”, Mr. Desplechin remarked and thanked the organizers of the TIFF, in particular the Festival’s collaborator Yorgos Krassakopoulos.
