5th Evia Film Project: Kick-off with music, classical cinema and summer vibes

The opening ceremony of the 5th Evia Film Project, the Thessaloniki Film Festival green initiative, took place on Tuesday June 23rd, in Edipsos. The event was beating to the sweeping drum of the band Quilombo, a percussion ensemble influenced by traditional Brazilian music and the rhythms of samba batucada and samba reggae.

The impressive performance given by Quilombo transformed the streets of Edipsos and invited every neighbourhood to a frenzy dance, leading to the open-air cinema “Apollon”, where the curtain call of this year’s EFP was raised with the screening of the classical John Huston The African Queen (1951) starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The screenings of the 5th EFO also kicked off yesterday, in Limni, at the open-air cinema "Elymnion", with the film "Robin Hood" starring Kevin Costner and Alan Rickman.

The audience was welcomed by the Festival’s General Director Elise Jalladeau, the Festival’s Artistic Director Orestis Andreadakis, whereas the Festival’s Board of Directors was represented by the Vice President Katerina Bei. The Deputy Regional Governor of Tourism of Central Macedonia Vicky Hadjivassiliou and the Mayor of Istiea-Edipsos Ioannis Kontzias, the Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum Board of Directors President Yorgos Tsaprounis, the President of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall Evgenia Alexandropoulou-Egyptiadou and its Artistic Director Christos Galileas. The screening of the unforgettable gem The African Queen came up next, directed by John Huston, which earned Humphrey Bogart the only Academy Award of his legendary career. The event concluded with a party held in the forecourt of the open-air cinema “Apollon”, offering the audience moments of relaxation in the company of Fischer beer.

The Evia Film Project is carried out with the support of the Ministry of Culture. Highly important is the contribution of the MEDIA Programme, the Ministry of Tourism and the Hellenic Broadcast Corporation (ERT). Valuable is the support of COSMOTE TELEKOM, the Festival’s Grand Sponsor, and Fischer, a consistent supporter of the Festival. The 5th Evia Project is held in collaboration with the Municipalities of Istiea-Edipsos and Mantoudi-Limni-Agia and the Evia Island Ports Authority.