‘Happy Holidays’ By Scandar Copti Takes Top Prize At Thessaloniki

Reasoning: In Alpha Bank we place great emphasis on the right for everyone to be a part, in the most equal way possible, to the cultural life of our country. The fact that one out of eleven fellow citizens of ours faces some kind of handicap renders the goal of universal accessibility a top social priority, as at the end of day, the deprivation of access equals to the deprivation of freedom. To this end, we have been working alongside the Festival since 2019, contributing to the hosting of universally accessible screenings. In 2022, we launched the Accessibility Award for films that foreground accessibility issues in the arts. This year, we are delighted to bestow the Accessibility Award to the medium-length German film Tremolo directed by Leonard Mink. The film unfolds the story of a deaf boy who, after a long time, reunites with his father, a musician who cannot speak sign language. In the course of a prolonged weekend, father and son realize that they do share a common language, which is no other than music. Child protagonist, Ben Kermer, being deaf himself, adds to the genuine representation of the challenges posed by physical disability in everyday life and in human relationships, as the movie conveys a deep socially-sensitive message for the notions of acceptance and otherness.

HELLENIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION AWARDS

The First Prize of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), a cash prize of 3,000 euros, will be given to the Greek film that wins the award from the Jury of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), the Second Prize, a cash prize of 2,000 euros, will be given to the Greek film that will win a distinction at the AGORA Works in Progress, whereas since last year a new Original Music Award has been launched, accompanied by a cash prize of 2,000 euros.

The jury of the Best Original Music Award is composed of:

Leonidas Antonopoulos (deputy director of the radio station KOSMOS 93.6)

Dimitris Nikoloudis (performer, music producer at the ΕRT3 radio programme)

Tassos Rossopoulos (composer, deputy director of the ERT Third Programme 90.9).

The Best Original Music Award was bestowed to:

Yannis Veslemes for the music of the film Maldives

Reasoning: ERT’s jury, taking into consideration the contribution to the film’s narrative, the originality of the composition, as well as the distinctive musical interpretation, bestows the Best Original Music Award to a Greek film celebrating its premiere at the Greek Film Festival to Yannis Veslemes for the music of the film Maldives directed by Daniel Bolda.

The  ERT Award given to the Greek film that wins the award from the Jury of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) was bestowed to:

Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis

“HUMAN VALUES” AWARD OF THE HELLENIC PARLIAMENT

The Hellenic Parliament presents its “Human Values” award to an International Competition

section film.

The jury is composed of: 

Aris Fatouros (director and Program Consultant at the Hellenic Parliament TV)

Vasilis Douvlis (Head of the Program Department at the Hellenic Parliament TV)

Kostas Dimos (Program Collaborator at the Hellenic Parliament TV)

The “Human Values” Award of the Hellenic Parliament was bestowed to:

Julie Keeps Quiet by Leonardo van Dijl

Reasoning: The television station of the Hellenic Parliament bestows the award “Human Values” to a film that explores with mastery, narrative conciseness and powerful interpretation the dilemma of a teenager talented tennis player called to cope with her personal trauma and break her deafening silence, in the shadow of the suicide committed by a female fellow athlete and the sending-off of their coach. The award is bestowed to the film Julie Keeps Quiet by Leonardo van Dijl.

HELLENIC FILM AND AUDIOVISUAL CENTER – CREATIVE GREECE AWARDS

The Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece will award two prizes in the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. More specifically, the awards are the following: The Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece Award, accompanied by a 5,000 euros cash prize, granted to a debutant director, in a Greek production having its premiere in the official selection (“First Run”) and the Best Location Award, accompanied by a 1,500 euros prize, bestowed by the Hellenic Film Commission of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece, to a location manager (or a director in case of no location manager in the film) of a film by a debutant director in a Greek production premiering at the official selection.

The jury is composed of:

Yanna Sarri (Director of the Department of Promotion, Hellas Film, Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece)

Zoe Kandyla (Development & Production Director, Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece)

Dimitris Bouras (film critic, Press Office of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece)

The Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece Award to a debutant director, in a Greek production having its premiere in the official selection, was bestowed to:

Kostis Charamountanis for the film Kyuka Before Summer’s End

Reasoning: Kostis Charamountanis’ direction interweaves a variety of miscellaneous expressive elements with boldness and explorative spirit, achieving a coherent and unique cinematic language. Vividness, humour and tenderness foreground the film’s themes around the transition to adult life and family with a sense of originality.

The Best Location Award of the Hellenic Film Commission of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece was bestowed to:

Marios Dimopoulos & Niki Saliagopoulou for the film Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis

Reasoning: With the Location Award we wish to honor the emerging specialty, at least for Greek standards, of location managers. With talent and perceptiveness, location managers contribute to the precision of the adaptation of the script on screen, and the detection of the director’s vision. Ιn this spirit, and taking into consideration the narrative and creative use of locations, the 2024 Location Award is bestowed by the directorate of the Hellenic Film Commission of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece to Marios Dimopoulos, location manager of the film Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis. The selected location is a key character of the story, aptly reflecting the alterations in the psyche of the heroes. From the safety of memories offered by a decayed pansion all the way to the expectation of a better future that nests in the construction sites of a neighborhood with a supermarket serving as the main square, the movie succeeds in tracing in every shot aspects, perspectives and emotions, while displaying a remarkable minimality of spaces. Always under the gaze of an ever-watchful sick palm tree.

J.F. COSTOPOULOS FOUNDATION AWARD

The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, instituted in 2019 The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Award in the context of the Thessaloniki Film Festival. The prize will be awarded to a film from the Greek program selection, holding its premiere at the Festival. The film should present a comprehensive proposition, promote the art of cinema and demonstrate its affinities with the other forms of art.

The jury is composed of:

Betty Kaklamanidou (Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

Vassilis Douvlis (filmmaker)

Pantelis Mantzanas (cinematographer)

The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Award was bestowed to the film:

Arcadia by Yorgos Zois

Reasoning: This year’s J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Award is unanimously bestowed to the film Arcadia directed by Yorgos Zois. Placing the universal theme of loss and grief at its narrative core, Arcadia stood out for its genuine interpretations, aesthetic thoroughness and directorial dexterity, while crafting a unique world in the borderline between the real and the imaginary.

FINOS FILM AWARD

For yet another year, Finos Film bestows an award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, distinguishing a Greek film that premieres at the Greek Film Festival section.

The jury is composed of:

Barbara Dukas (Director, Head of DISFF Pitching Lab)

Christina Ioakeimidi (filmmaker)

Iasonas Triantafyllidis (journalist)

The Finos Film Award was bestowed to the film:

Kyuka Before Summer’s End by Kostis Charamountanis

Reasoning: The Award is bestowed to a filmmaker gifted with a distinctive personal gaze. Through many details, he foregrounds in a unique way the relations and the dynamics between the three members of a family that struggles to cope with a common trauma, aided by the outstanding performances of the actors. Editing, cinematography and narrative pace portray summer in a vividly sensuous way, through an experimental approach, whereas the film oozes a sense of dream and freedom.

THE FIPRESCI AWARDS

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), comprising distinguished film critics, presents two awards: to the best film of the International Competition section and to

the best Greek film that has its premiere at the Festival.

The jury is composed of:

Senem Erdine

Manuel Halpern

Yannis Zoumboulakis

The FIPRESCI Award to the best International Competition film was bestowed to:

Arcadia by Yorgos Zois

Reasoning: Cleverly incorporating a metaphysical idea, a mind game, Arcadia takes on a humanistic dimension by talking about concepts like loss, guilt and repentance, aptly, comprehensively and with a satisfying cinematic look.

The FIPRESCI Award to the best Greek film that has its premiere at the Festival was bestowed to:

Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis

Reasoning: For its aesthetic accuracy, rich metaphors, and the irony of a character attempting to fix or find her place in a particular world.

GREEK ASSOCIATION OF FILM CRITICS (PEKK) AWARD

The Greek Association of Film Critics (PEKK) awards, as every year, the Best Greek Film screened in the official selection of the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

The PEKK Award was bestowed to the film:

Meat by Dimitris Nakos

Reasoning: For its composed directorial and scriptwriting approach in dealing with the topic of contemporary Greek boondocks, the Greek Association of Film Critics bestows the Best Greek Film Award to the film Meat by Dimitris Nakos.

WIFT GR AWARD

The WIFT GR Award is presented by the Greek Chapter of WIFT (Women in Film & Television) to a film from the International Competition, Meet the Neighbors+ or >>Film Forward Competition for the best woman’s contribution and presence in front or behind the camera.

The jury is composed of:

Niovi Anazikou (journalist, documentary filmmaker and WIFT GR Vice President)

Mary Kolonia (screenwriter, director, producer and WIFT GR Secretary General)

Mirella Legakis (economist, Greek Federation of Cinema Clubs Board Member and WIFT GR Board Member)

The WIFT GR Award was bestowed to the film:

Sugar Island by Johanné Gómez Terrero

Reasoning: WIFT GR awards the prize to the film Sugar Island by Johanné Gómez Terrero, which sheds light on the socio-political realities of the Dominican Republic. The film is impressive in its technical excellence, as the direction, cinematography, editing and sound design compose an atmosphere of social realism and lyricism. Through the story of a pregnant teenager, the director explores social inequality, heritage and identity, highlighting the additional challenges due to gender as well as the empowerment of women. Sugar Island comments on human and gender-based inequality, inviting the viewer to a dialogue on contemporary social challenges and the value of life.

CREW UNITED AWARD

The Crew United, consisting of a 5-year free Premium Membership in the Crew United platform, was bestowed to:

Dimitris Nakos for the film Meat

Reasoning: The sharpness with which the director approached the drama of a family in the Greek countryside and the insightful look with which he revealed the pathogenesis in the relationships between them, but also within the context of the wider community, made us decide that the Crew United award to a director of a Greek production from the competition sections of the Festival, goes to the director Dimitris Nakos for the film Meat.

YOUTH JURY AWARDS BY THE STUDENTS OF THE THESSALONIKI UNIVERSITIES

​​The Youth Jury comprises students of the School of Film of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and will present the Best Film Award and the Special Jury Award. Eligible for these awards are Greek films premiering at the Greek Film Festival.

Youth Jury supervisor: Apostolos Karakasis (Assistant Professor in Film and Television Theory & History, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

The jury is composed of:

Dimos Ganas

Angeliki Dekavala

Angelos-Manolis Spartakos

Andreas Sotiriadis

Silva Tsoumana.

The Best Film Award of the Youth Jury was bestowed to:

Kyuka Before Summer’s End by Kostis Charamountanis

Reasoning: The Youth Jury of AUTh’s Faculty of Fine Arts Film School bestows its Best Film Award to the film Kyuka Before Summer’s End by Kostis Charamountanis. For the way he unfolds a story we can connect to in a resourceful and fresh way, guided by the distinctive editing style that converses with the viewer and the characters of the film. The filmmaker, through his distinct directorial gaze, touches upon issues such as inclusivity, loneliness and family trauma. In tandem with the film’s cinematography and music, the filmmaker crafts a unique aesthetic reminiscent of a summer, but also a reminder as to how harsh reality can get.

The Special Youth Jury Award was bestowed to:

Meat by Dimitris Nakos

Reasoning: The Youth Jury of AUTh’s Faculty of Fine Arts Film School bestows a Special Mention to the film Meat by Dimitris Nakos. For making ideal use of the thriller genre conventions featuring anti-heroes, as the events keep you in constant alert. The music enriches handily the rural landscape of the film’s universe and  the actors’ performances sweep you away, while the framing and the directorial approach maintain a sustained feeling of excitement. The film mirrors Greek society, addressing themes such as the lack of accountability, toxic masculinity, exploitation of minorities and the prevalence of personal interest over human relationships.

FISCHER AUDIENCE AWARDS

Fischer, the official sponsor of the Festival’s Audience Awards for the last decade, will give five prizes to films that have their first public screening in Greece at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and gather the most positive votes from the audience: four prizes will be awarded to international productions from the Festival’s Official Program (the International Competition, Meet the Neighbors+, Film Forward, and Official Selection sections) premiering in Greece, as well as the “Michalis Cacoyannis” award to a Greek film premiering at the Festival.

Fischer Audience Award – International Competition:

To a Land Unknown by Mahdi Fleifel

Fischer Audience Award – Meet the Neighbors+:

The Mohican by Frederic Farucci

Fischer Audience Award – >>Film Forward:

Kyuka Before Summer’s End by Kostis Charamountanis

Fischer Audience Award – Official Selection:

Ghostlight by Alex Thompson & Kelly O’Sullivan

Fischer Audience Award “Michael Cacoyannis” – Greek Film Festival:

Wishbone by Penny Panagiotopoulou

AGORA AWARDS

Earlier within the week, the Agora Awards of the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival were bestowed. Making use of all available tools and the new technologies, the Festival’s Agora showcased a new series of actions, supporting successful initiatives carried out both in physical spaces and online. This year’s Agora was crowned with great success, as nearly 650 visitors attended its events.

The Crew United Award was presented by Venia Vergou and Iris Asimakopoulou from Crew United and was bestowed to:

Vasilis Zlatanos

The reasoning: “The Crew United Prize, within the framework of the programme Meet the Future of Agora, is awarded to a film composer who showed to us how to elevate the impact of a film scene with his music composition, to the highest level and on top of magnificent acting performances. And it goes to Vasilis Zlatanos”.

The winner receives a 5-year Premium membership subscription on Crew United, the leading online networking platform.

The newly established Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra Award was bestowed to:

John Konsolakis

A committee headed by Simos Papanas, Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, and comprised by Antonis Sousamoglou and Miltos Logiadis grant a unique award, giving the opportunity to a young composer among the participants to record their next cinematic work with the TSSO.

The reasoning of the jury: “The unique Symphonic Film Music Award established this year by the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki within the framework of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, aims to promote the creation of film music for symphony orchestras. Unlike other music awards, this is the only one in the world that specializes in Symphonic Film Scoring and will provide the winner with the infrastructure to professionally record the symphonic part of their next film’s soundtrack. This year, the prize is bestowed on a pilot basis to one of the Greek composers participating in Meet the Future, while from 2025 our goal is to become international and present this award to films participating in the AGORA Work In Progress section of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. It is important to mention that such a recording carries significant costs and thus, composers are often deterred from engaging a symphonic orchestra. TSSO will offer human resources, venues, technical equipment, and additionally up to 20,000 euros for the various costs of the recording process. We are happy to announce the Symphonic Film Music Award of TSSO for 2024 is awarded to John Konsolakis!”

CROSSROADS CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDS

Two Thirty-Five (2|35) Award – Post-production(image and sound) was bestowed to:

The reasoning of the jury: “The award goes to the project that portrays two women who lived through loss, abandonment and delusion so honestly rendered that we immersed ourselves completely into their lives”.

The reasoning of the jury: “The award goes to the project and a team who translate the absurdity of their own life experience into a biting, poetic and humorous journey from ‘to use their own words’ 3rd world to first class”. The award goes to:

PASSPORT

The ArteKino International Award with a cash prize of 6,000 euros, was bestowed to:

The reasoning of the jury: “The award goes to the project that touched us with its emotional depth and the clarity of the vision using her character’s gaze to reveal what is behind the curtain”.

The Award goes to:

Producer Ares Sporta for the project

BLEACH        

Director: Kaltrina Krasniqi, Production: Ares Shporta – Vera Films, Co-production: Dream Factory Macedonia, Code Blue Production, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro

The reasoning: “The award goes to the project that explores class and gender inequalities perpetrated by women”.

The Mediterranean Film Institute Award – Script 2 Film Workshop Scholarship was awarded to the film:

The reasoning of the jury: A ghost is haunting Europe, laughing in the face of darkness.

The MIDPOINT CONSULTING AWARD was bestowed to:

The reasoning: “The award goes to the project where the constant series of disasters plaguing a country turns the mechanism of survival into a big laugh”.