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March 31, 2025

Closing Ceremony and Awards

In a pleasant and warm atmosphere in the sold-out main hall of Babylon, and with directors and the jury
committees of the Emerging Greeks Competition, Documentary Competition and Short Films
Competition present, the 10 th anniversary edition of The Greek Film Festival in Berlin closed curtains.
The Emerging Greeks Award, the Documentary Award and the Short Films Award were presented
in front of about 50 professionals – filmmakers, producers, actors, sales agents, musicians – from
Greece and abroad, as well as many dear friends. It was a beautiful ceremony, which included a brief
review of what we have gone through, seen, heard and learned, and the people we met during a five-
day event full of Greek cinema.

The Emerging Greeks & Documentary Competition Jury consists of Simone Baumann (Head –
Managing director of German Films), Dr. Martin Blaney (journalist) and Nikos Smpiliris (producer,
Boo Productions).

The winner of the Emerging Greeks Award, which is accompanied by the amount of 1,000 euros and
sponsored by Ertflix International, was the film Meat by Dimitris Nakos under the following
justification: “The Emerging Greeks Award goes to a feature debut which kept our attention throughout
this gripping and fast-paced story of crime, guilt, and punishment as a contemporary twist on ancient
Greek tragedy. We were impressed by the film’s unique visual style and dramaturgy, as well as
memorable and striking performances from the actors. Our award goes to the rural family drama Meat

by Dimitris Nakos”.

The award was received by Dimitris Nakos, director of the film.

The winner of the Documentary Award, which is accompanied by the amount of 500 euros and
sponsored by Musou Music Group, was the documentary film Tack by Vania Turner under the
following justification: “The Documentary Award goes to a film which shows utmost sensitivity in the
way it addresses its subject, which is not only a Greek problem, but one of universal significance and
relevance, for audiences far outside of Greece’s borders. The filmmaker closely follows two victims of
sexual abuse in their struggle to obtain justice and also highlights the impact these revelations have
had on their loved ones. Also, worth noting is the artistic approach taken by the director with animated
sequences to include events in the courtroom that could not be filmed with her camera. The
Documentary Award goes to Tack by Vania Turner.”

The award was received by Vania Turner, director of the film.

The Short Films Jury consists of Pierpaolo Festa (publicist, head of Crew United Italy), Karen Cifarelli
(producer, talent agent) and Marios Gavrilis (actor, voice actor).

The winner of the Short Film Award, which is accompanied by the amount of 500 euros and
sponsored by Illuseum Berlin, was the short film Honeymoon by Alki Papastathopoulos under the
following justification:

“-Where are you travelling to?
-To France.
-For holiday?
-To a farm. I’ll be working.
-And what exactly will you be doing?
-I’ll be picking grapes and strawberries.
-We have plenty of oranges here, too.
-No, for girls like us, there are no oranges.”

“It was this line that grabbed us, capturing the essence of a film that reminds us of the realities of the
trans community and the need to still support equity and inclusion. Always. Everywhere. It’s the
poignant acting and decisive editing that allows the audience to travel along with the characters.
Feeling the intimacy and vulnerability as if first hand. The relationships between these characters were
fun, authentic and moving. What could have been a story about victims, became a story about heroes.
The jury is proud to give the award for best short film sponsored by Illuseum Berlin and accompanied
by the amount of 500 euros to Honeymoon by Alki Papastathopoulos.”

The award was received by Nassia Sydeta, main actress of the film.

A Special Mention was awarded to the film Scorched Earth by Markela Kontaratou under the
following justification: “We feel that we should give a Special Mention to a film that by way of the female
gaze turned a simple story of a stay by the sea into a thriller with an unexpected twist at the end. We
are happy to award the special mention to Scorched Earth by Markela Kontaratou.”

The Special Mention was received by Karen Cifarelli, member of the Short Films Jury.

The directors of the winning films of the Documentary and Short Films Competition were
awarded by Crew United Greece with a 3-year free Premium membership subscription on Crew
United, the global networking platform connecting cinema professionals.

The closing film was Athens Midnight Radio by Renos Haralambidis, German premiere. The main actor
and director Renos Haralambidis, the producer Angelos Venetis and the main actress Margarita
Amarantidi were present for a Q&A after the screening.

After the end of the closing ceremony, a party was held at Saligari Bar, in Friedrichshain, Berlin, and the
festival team cut the festival’s birthday cake!

February 04, 2025

Line-up and Events 2025

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin will raise the curtain for the 10th time at Babylon, on March 26-30th, 2025. Geared towards the promotion of emerging Greek filmmakers in Germany, the 10th anniversary edition will present a rich, timely program, featuring the best new films the country has to offer.

This year’s edition will shed light on Greek music with a note of celebration, as befits the festival’s first significant anniversary. With wishes from our guests, a tribute to Greek music composition, prominent Greek musicians and singers, a journey to the Greek music stage, as well as with side events and distinguished guests, we are looking forward to welcoming the audience, so that we all celebrate together.

A total of thirty-three (33) films – feature films, documentaries, shorts and special screenings – will be spread over the five days of the festival with repetitions, in order to provide the public with a wider opportunity to book tickets for their desired films. With 6 international premieres, 18 German premieres and 3 Berlin premieres, the festival will offer a new spectacle to its viewers.

The opening film will be Stelios, directed by Yorgos Tsemberopoulos. The biggest box office hit of recent years in Greece unravels the fascinating story of the legendary popular folk singer Stelios Kazantzidis. An original man of the people, an uncompromising person who represented Greek immigrants. The film sheds some light on aspects of his personality and presents legendary names with whom he was personally and professionally related, such as Kaiti Grey, Marinella, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Manolis Chiotis, Akis Panou. The role of Kazantzidis is played by famous musician Christos Mastoras. Director Yorgos Tsemberopoulos and producer Dionysis Samiotis will be present at the screening and a Q&A will follow. The film will have its international premiere at the festival.

Before the opening film, a surprise video will screen honoring the festival’s anniversary and the audience will be greeted through a short show which will accompany the film and its theme.

The closing film will be Athens Midnight Radio, directed by Renos Ηaralambidis. The protagonist, a veteran late-night radio producer turns 50 and takes stock of his life, while an unrequited love reappears and makes him recall the past. A nostalgic, beautiful film with a wonderful musical production, which will have its German premiere at the festival. At the end of the screening, there will be a Q&A with actor and director Renos Ηaralambidis as well as the protagonist Margarita Amarantidi.

The official Emerging Greeks Competition features first or second feature films by filmmakers of emerging full-length feature films and 2025 will be the seventh time it’s being held. The program includes the following films:

Brando with a Glass Eye by Antonis Tsonis (German premiere). The hero is a broke actor who pulls off a heist with unexpected results in a comedy that flirts with film noir!
Killerwood by Christos Massalas (German premiere). On the filming set of a thriller in Athens, the boundaries between fiction and reality become dangerously blurred.
Kyuka: Before Summer’s End by Kostis Charamountanis (German premiere). A bittersweet coming-of-age story: a father introduces his children – unbeknownst to them – to their biological mother on a sailboat somewhere near the island of Poros.
Maldives by Daniel Bolda (international premiere). A bucolic journey with Stelios, a lonely man living on the mountains, as the central character, who dreams of the sea and the sun, until a sudden incident disturbs his everyday life.
Meat by Dimitris Nakos (German premiere). A drama that takes us to the Greek province, where, under the veil of a vendetta, a murder seeks a perpetrator and raises great moral dilemmas.
Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis (Berlin premiere). A coming-of-age drama with young Alkistis as the main character, who must leave her house, her beloved palm tree that fell ill, and the Athenian Riviera.

The Documentary program includes the following films:

Farewell: And Suddenly Memory Began to Remember by Ada Pitsou (German premiere). The film’s main character is distinguished psychotherapist T. Vlachoutsikou whose book about her memory loss is being adapted into a film by her daughter.
First Milk by Panagiotis Papafragkos (international premiere). A documentary narrating the connection between humans and animals, and the circle of life, takes us to Mount Pateras, where newborn lambs are raised.
Loxy by Thanasis Kafetzis, Dimitris Zahos (German premiere). A film about the first professional actress with Down syndrome in Greece. The story of Loxandra Louka, a young woman and actress, who demands equal access to life and art.
Panellinion by Spyros Mantzavinos, Kostas Antarachas (German premiere). The film takes us to the legendary chess café Panellinion, where the peculiar community of its patrons practice their passion for the game.
Stray Bodies by Elina Psykou (Berlin premiere). A film on women’s rights to abortion, IVF and euthanasia. Its main characters are three women who try to claim their right to life, abortion and dignity in death.
Τack by Vania Turner (German premiere). Olympic gold medalist in sailing Sofia Bekatorou, who sparked the #metoo movement in Greece, stands by a younger teammate, who is also denouncing her coach for systematic abuse.

The Short Films Program consists of 13 short films in total (including the student program), covering many themes and different cinematic trends. Tender and bittersweet coming-of-age stories, neo-noir elements, houses filled with plants and a modern-day “silent witness” are some of the things that will keep us on the edge of our cinema seats. With award-winning films, who have participated in major festivals worldwide and introduce new directorial voices, this year’s program reflects all trends of recent Greek short-film production. More specifically, this year’s short films are:

Bumper Cars by Efi Anagnostidou (German premiere, student short). Anna, a 25-year-old girl, visits an amusement park and ends up on the bumper cars race track. There, she comes face-to-face with her rival, an eight-year-old girl who obsessively wants to bump her car against hers.
Concrete Rodents by Apostolis Ganatsios (international premiere, student short). In an attempt at liberation from the oppressive social system, a group of friends dance on the edge of moral irregularity and walk on the fine line between legality and illegality. Will their choices light their path?
Golden Fingers by Fivos Kontogiannis (international premiere). In 1960s rural Greece, a six-year-old gypsy boy faces bullying, an abusive father, and a deeply racist society, while chasing his dream to become a world famous clarinet soloist.
Honeymoon by Alki Papastathopoulos. A road trip under the threat of a transphobic attack. Fay who leaves, and her friend Sandra, who stays behind, have a chance to share what they really feel for each other.
Mauve by Jo Capralou (German premiere). Two plants in the same pot are suffocating, their roots have become entangled. In a house filled with plants, a couple of girls prepare for a journey. They are Iris and Danae.
My First Wedding by Andreas Chalikias (German premiere). Summer 1992. Eight-year-old Pericles loses the battle of the sexes, when a stone hits him on the head. When he recovers, he sees 12-year-old Phaedra. It’s love at first sight for him and an unforgettable adventure begins.
numb by Despina Kourti. The sudden death of one of her classmates will bring Maria face-to-face with loss once again.
Pigeons are Dying, When the City is on Fire by Stavros Markoulakis. One night, two boys meet. In the morning, a pigeon is trapped with them. On the hottest summer day, all creatures dream of escaping from the city that’s burning.
pop by Lina Kountoura (German premiere, student short). Three friends get together, share their stories and decide to rob a café they suspect is a façade for money laundering, while moving between reality and imagination!
Scorched Earth by Markela Kontaratou. It’s summer in Greece and Stela escapes Athens to her summer house. Procrastinating while writing her thesis, she spies on her neighbor and his girlfriend; soon enough, she gets suspicious that he has committed an atrocious murder.
Snowglobes by Gregory Vardarinos. A son growing up within a big lie and a father who decides to reveal the truth to him and start anew.
The Chaos She Left Behind by Nikos Kolioukos (German theatrical premiere, student short). Shortly before turning 30, Anna feels that now is her last chance to pursue a music career in Paris, but her alcoholic father stands in the way of her dream.
Zange by Iris Baglanea (German premiere). A family lives isolated at a wetland. The children play and the mother tries to preserve their innocence, in the shadow of the arrival of the third child and the impending death of the father.

Special Screenings will include The Sock by Kyros Papavassiliou (German premiere) from Cyprus. A special film with autobiographical elements. On the foreground, a filmmaker who was injured in an accident and decides to make a film during his recovery. A film full of humor and odd, surreal situations with the director being the protagonist. Special Screenings will also include the documentary film EMBROS: A Free Self-Managed Theatre by Alkistis Kafetzi (Berlin premiere). It’s about the history and the recent events that have shaped the current state of the historic theatrical scene of EMBROS. Through interviews and original footage from the space, the film is an important document on self-organization, inclusivity and solidarity.

Tribute

Notes on Film

The anniversary edition of the festival could only be a celebration and the best way to celebrate is a tribute to music, the great Greek composers, songwriters and singers, as well as the great musical figures who have shaped the musical history of Greece. The audience has the opportunity to get to know, remember and enjoy artists who mastered the musical genres they belonged to, and also to discover the musical map of the country. The films of the tribute are:

Edge of Night by Nikos Panayotopoulos (2000, German premiere). One of the best films of great Greek director Nikos Panayotopoulos screens for the first time in Germany. Starring: Athina Maximou as Stella, who dreams of becoming a star singer, and Nikos Kouris as Andreas, who works in a small grocery shop. With Stamatis Kraounakis’ wonderful music and the titular song performed by Dimitra Papiou, the film is one of the highlights of this year’s edition.
Eftihia by Angelos Frantzis (2019, German premiere). Eftihia Papayanopoulou, songwriter of iconic rebetiko songs that have been sung all over Greece and by Greeks abroad, is the protagonist of the film. A huge box office hit in Greece, which screens for the first time at Babylon.
Return of the Creeps by videographer and DJ Nikos Chantzis (international premiere). A documentary film that records the journey of legendary Creep Records, which had the greatest rock Greek bands on its roster.
Yani Spanos: A Life Behind the Marquee by Aris Dorizas (German premiere). A journey through the long career of great Greek composer Yani Spanos, through rare interviews, documents and wonderful music.

The Tribute also includes the Opening Film Stelios.

After the screenings, Q&As will be held with the present filmmakers.

Open Discussion

DIY – The Handmade Cinema and the Influence of Music in Films

A panel discussion with Renos Ηaralambidis and Stefanos Ganos

An Open Discussion entitled DIY – The Handmade Cinema and the Influence of Music in Films will take place on Friday, March 28th, at 18:00 at the ILLULAB – Illuseum Berlin. The speakers will be Renos Haralambidis (actor, director and screenwriter), Stefanos Ganos (Musou Music Group Director) and Panos Karananos (music producer, Musou Music Group).

By using Renos Haralambidis’ new film Athens Midnight Radio as a case study, the three speakers will explore the particular case of multiple roles in creation, as is the case of Haralambidis in all his films for the past 20 years. What are the challenges and demands, when the filmmaker becomes the director, signs the script, acts and participates in editing and production? We’ll talk about the incentives behind choosing Do It Yourself filmmaking and how it relates to budget and the whole filming process. In addition, we’ll talk about the soundtrack of the film, produced entirely by Musou Music Group. It is an exemplary work elevating the musical result of the film. During the open discussion, we will also talk about the process of making arrangements in music, about music rights and royalties and how musical themes accompanying image are selected.

Installation

MIKIS SATELLITES – Trans for More

2025 marks 100 years from the birth of great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis and in this “Tribute Year of Mikis Theodorakis”, the anniversary edition of the festival honors the composer with an installation by Asteris Kutulas & Ina Kutulas entitled MIKIS SATELLITES: Trans for More, on March 27-30th, 2025 at the Mirror Room on the ground floor of Babylon. As a producer, director, event manager, curator, tutor, personal friend of Mikis and owner of unpublished footage of the composer, Asteris Kutulas created short clips that orbit like satellites around the composer’s work and are all inspired by his musical universe.

It’s a polymedia artwork combining visual arts with cinema, theater and music. The project, on which more than 50 predominantly young artists from more than ten countries have worked, is based on 40 video clips on Mikis created from 2017 to 2025. Michalis Argyrou, Achilleas Gatsopoulos, Giorgos Kolios and Ina Kutulas have created their own collages, drawings, mixed media graphics and new film material in collaboration with other artists. All works refer to the universe of Theodorakis, and at the same time they are all new products of this universe and parts of the aforementioned video clips. The Theodorakis universe invites you to: Trans for more.

The guests of the festival and not only can visit the installation daily and the project’s initiators will be present.

Festival Walk

As it happens every year and within the framework of cultural exchange with the city of Berlin and Brandenburg, the festival will organize on Saturday, March 29th, 2025 a tour for filmmakers and its guests. The Festival Walk – Are they hidden? Let’s discover them! will take them to Potsdam and Sanssouci. It is a chance for artists and festival-goers not only to discover this beautiful, small city near Berlin within the German state of Brandenburg, but also to get to know each other.

Awards

Εmerging Greeks Award by ERTFLIX International

The films participating in the Emerging Greeks Competition will compete for the Emerging Greeks Award, accompanied by the amount of 1,000 euros and sponsored by ERTFLIX International, starting this year and for the next three years.

Documentary Award by Musou

The documentaries will compete for the Documentary Award by Musou accompanied by the amount of 500 euros and sponsored by Musou Music Group, which is active in film services related to music, sound and copyright.

Short Film Award by Illuseum Berlin

All short films – including the Student Program – will participate in the Short Film Competition, competing for an award accompanied by the amount of 500 euros and sponsored by the festival’s close partner Illuseum Berlin.

Crew United Awards

The winners of the Documentary Award / Short Film Award will receive a 3-year free Premium membership subscription on Crew United, the leading online networking platform connecting audiovisual professionals in Europe, which is now also operating in Greece.

Emerging Greeks Competition & Documentary Jury

Simone Baumann – HEAD, Managing Director of German Films

Simone Baumann has been the director of German Films since 2019. Under her leadership, the German Films team has launched and overseen new initiatives, organized successful Oscar campaigns and bolstered the international networking activities. She studied Philosophy in Rostov-Don and worked as a research assistant at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Her career in documentaries began in the early 1990s at MDR in Dresden. In 1997, she became a managing partner for LE Vision Film- und Fernsehproduktion. As a producer, Simone Baumann was responsible for all of LE Vision’s documentary productions, ranging from news reports and TV documentaries through docu-soaps to docu-dramas. LE Vision’s films have also received prestigious awards, such as the Bavarian TV Award, the CIVIS Media Prize, the Hans Klein Media Prize and a Grimme Prize nomination.

Nikos Smpiliris, producer

Nikos Smpiliris (producer, member of the European Film Academy) started his career in film business as an arthouse distributor before turning to film production in 2012, when he collaborated with Athina Rachel Tsangari and Faliro House. Since 2017, he has joined BOO Productions, developing and producing their cinematic projects and international co-productions, while at the same time he works as an independent producer. He has produced titles like the debut film of Christos Nikou Apples and the short film Pigeons are Dying, When the City is on Fire by Stavros Markoulakis, that were received with critical acclaim and screened in many major festivals. He has also collaborated with established Greek directors Sotiris Goritsas and Renos Haralambidis in their latest feature films, that were both distributed in Greek cinemas. He is currently completing the debut feature film Late Shift (a.k.a. Kindness) by renowned Greek visual artist Stefanos Tsivopoulos and developing the debut features by awarded directors Artemis Anastasiadou, Alexandros Chantzis and Thelyia Petraki.

Dr. Martin Blaney, journalist / editor, Screen International

After completing a PhD on the relationship between German cinema and television at the University of Bath (UK), Dr. Martin Blaney moved to live in Germany in 1988. He has been the correspondent for German-speaking countries and Eastern Europe at the British trade magazine Screen International since 1990 and has also written for such publications as German Films Quarterly, Kino – German Film, Blickpunkt:Film, and Europa Cinemas Newsletter. Apart from his journalistic activities, Dr. Blaney has also been a jury member at numerous international film festivals, and served as a moderator for various panels and pitching events throughout Europe, including the Berlinale, MIP TV, Connecting Cottbus, Sofia Meetings, Visions du Réel, Directors Across Borders (Yerevan), Transilvania International Film Festival, Open Doors (Locarno), Europa Cinemas Network Conference, Baltic Event (Tallinn), When East Meets West (Trieste), and Odesa’s Film Industry Office, as well as for various MEDIA Programme initiatives.

Short Films Jury

Pierpaolo Festa, journalist / publicist / Head of Crew United Italy

Pierpaolo Festa has been a film journalist for over 20 years, contributing to major Italian outlets and collaborating with Kino-Zeit in Germany. Since April 2022, he has been head of Crew United’s Italian branch, part of the largest European network for audiovisual professionals. This initiative is a key component of Crew United’s expansion into five additional European countries, supported by MEDIA Creative Europe, with the goal of building an active online community of Italian-speaking actors and filmmakers. Fueled by a lifelong passion for cinema, Pierpaolo also worked as an International Press Agent at Claudia Tomassini + Associates, managing film campaigns at Europe’s leading festivals. He handled press events, delegations coordination, and logistics. He successfully led EFA and Oscar campaigns, helping feature films, short films, and documentaries secure nominations and awards.

Karen Cifarelli, producer / talent agent

Karen Cifarelli studied International Relations at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. During that time, she also studied drama with renowned acting coach Eric Morris of the New American Theatre. Karen gleaned her early training in production through working for companies like American Zoetrope and the Jacobsen Company, at the Walt Disney Studios. She then moved to Berlin, continued working in film production and produced with KS12, Underdog Pictures GmbH and Bredok Film Production, to name a few. Since 2009, Karen is the owner of the Cifarelli Talent Consulting, where she manages international actors and directors for film, TV and theatrical productions. She has often been a juror for the International Emmy Awards, as well as many other festivals around the world. Wanting to share her knowledge with creative minds, Karen has lectured at the drama department of the Macromedia University / Cours Florent, as well as at the Goethe Institute.

Marios Gavrilis, actor

Marios is an actor born and raised in Germany to Greek parents. He lives in Berlin. After studying acting at the Frankfurt am Main University of Music and Performing Arts, Marios became a member of the ensemble at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg from 2010 to 2011, where he worked until 2013. From 2016-2020, he lived in Los Angeles, where he continued his acting training. Marios has appeared in front of the camera for various TV and film productions, such as Oskar Roehler’s feature film Bad Director, Morgen musst Du sterben (ARD), Ein Fall für zwei (ZDF), Der Staatsanwalt (ZDF) and Alarm für Cobra 11 (RTL). He has also worked as a voice actor for film and TV productions, as well as for video games, and he has been known to a wide audience for roles, such as Denver in House of Money, Donkey Kong in Super Mario Bros, Batman in Gotham Knights, Alexios in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Venom in Spider-Man 2. On December 9th, 2024, he celebrated his biggest success to date with the release of the computer game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, as part of the original cast.

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The schedule of the festival and the representatives of the films attending the festival will be announced in mid-February.

Tickets will be available on the festival’s and the Babylon’s websites https://babylonberlin.eu. Seats will be numbered and online booking is recommended. All press releases as well as the program can be found on the homepage of the festival’s official website thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com

January 10, 2025

Visual Identity 2025
The Greek Film Festival in Berlin unveils the new key visual that will mark its upcoming 10^th anniversary edition, which will take place at the historic cinema Babylon in Berlin Mitte on March 26–30^th, 2025.

Central to the visual identity is a woman. We don’t know who she is, but we can see her dance – empowered and passionate, moving freely, like nothing around her matters. She dances zeibekiko on a bouzouki tune; a traditional, Greek dance that might be described as masculine. However, such things do not exist. All dances, all kinds of art, any human expression as a whole, can come from anyone and for anyone. The woman is surrounded by bright marquee lights, thus creating a sense of celebration and fun, of a space where concepts are scattered. Τo the foreground comes the full awakening of the senses, of joy; life itself.

“We are celebrating our 10^th anniversary. Our visual identity for this year’s festival creates a sense of celebration, paying homage to Greek musical creation, to the stage decorated with marquee lights that has hosted people from all walks of life in Greece. With a contemporary, assertive, modern take on tradition and history, we are looking forward to welcoming our beloved audience in Berlin”, the organizers mentioned.

The key visual was created by visual designer Konstantinos Kamperis.

The full program of the festival’s films and events will be announced on February 4^th.

October 13, 2024

OPEN CALL

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin, taking place at Babylon on March 26-30th, 2025, announces the opening of applications for its next, 10th anniversary edition. Applications are open from October 14th, 2024 for all sections of the festival, and the submission deadline is December 16th, 2024. Films are eligible only if their production was completed after January 1st, 2023. Greek or Cypriot productions, co-productions or international films that have a Greek theme at their core or a Greek or Cypriot cast and crew will be accepted.
The anniversary edition of the festival will include the following programs:
1. Emerging Greeks Competition section for first or second feature films
2. Documentary Competition
3. Special Screenings
4. Short Films Competition
5. Spotlight

Q&A discussions with filmmakers, special events, open discussions and music events will be announced later.
The Awards this year are:
● The Emerging Greeks Award 2025 for first or second films –the festival’s main award– established in 2019 and accompanied by the amount of 1,000 euros.
● The Documentary Award 2025 for the best documentary film, accompanied by the amount of 500 euros, sponsored by Musou Music Group.
● The Short Film Award 2025 for the best short film, accompanied by the amount of 500 euros, sponsored by Illuseum Berlin.

The Documentary & Short Film Award winners will be awarded with a 3-year free Premium membership subscription on Crew United, the leading online networking platform connecting audiovisual professionals in Europe, which is now also operating in Greece.
Regulations as well as the Application Form can be found on the home page of the festival’s official website thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com and on the festival’s page on FilmFreeway https://filmfreeway.com/TheGreekFilmFestivalinBerlin

Regardless of the section for which they may apply, all filmmakers are kindly requested to fill in the FilmFreeway submission form.
“It’s been 10 years since our first festival in 2016. The festival has come a long way, changed, grown and is here, ready for some new challenges, blowing out its 10 candles. On this first big anniversary, I would like to thank above all the people who comprise it, our team and volunteers for their love, presence and hard work, and the founders of the festival, Asteris and Ina Kutulas. A festival speaks through its people. Happy Birthday!”, Sofia Stavrianidou, the festival director, noted.

June 02, 2024

THE GREEK FILM FESTIVAL
goes Frankfurt and Köln!

With great anticipation and joy, The Greek Film Festival in Berlin will travel to Frankfurt for the third time and to Cologne for the second time for a two-day event respectively. The Greek Film Festival GOES FRANKFURT will take place on September 14 and 15 at Eldorado cinema. The Greek Film Festival GOES KÖLN will take place on September 21 and 22 at Filmhaus Köln. Both events will present a selection of five films from the official program of the 9th edition of the Berlin film festival last March.

The successful continuation of part of the festival in these two cities is a new goal that the organizers have achieved. “We are delighted to be taking the next steps in Frankfurt and Cologne. The success of the last few years gives us the drive to continue – it is a promise kept to the audience that honors us! Our motto this year is ‘We choose the BIG screen’. This is because experiencing the films on the big screen is unique and irreplaceable: the cinema is entertainment, education and, above all, it means sharing with those sitting next to us. We choose and always will choose the big screen and are happy that the audience, the true protagonist of a festival, is powerfully present in the beautiful cinema hall. We warmly thank the Geek Ministry of Culture, the supporters, co-organizers and the consulate representatives of both cities,” according to the organizers.

The program of The Greek Film Festival in Berlin GOES Frankfurt includes the films:

Murderess by Eva Nathena
Behind the Haystacks by Asimina Proedrou
Animal by Sofia Exarchou
The Summer With Carmen by Zacharias Mavroeidis
Mary, Mariana, Maria – The Unsung Greek Years of Callas by Vasilis Louras and Michalis Asthenidis

The program of The Greek Film Festival in Berlin GOES Köln includes the films:

Behind the Haystacks by Asimina Proedrou
Animal by Sofia Exarchou
Medium by Christina Ioakeimidi
The Summer With Carmenman by Zacharias Mavroeidis
Grief – Those Who Remain by Myrto Patsalidou & Maria Louka

At both events, representatives of the films will be present for Q&A’s after the screenings. Tickets will go on sale mid to end of July in both cities. Further information and announcements can be found at thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com and on the festival’s social media pages.

Dates for the next 10th anniversary edition of The Greek Film Festival in Berlin will be announced soon. The call for entries will open in October over Filmfreeway.

March 24, 2024

Closing Ceremony and Awards

In a pleasant and warm atmosphere in the crowded main hall of Babylon, and with directors and the jury committees of the Emerging Greeks Competition, Documentary Award and Short Films Award present, the 9th Greek Film Festival in Berlin closed curtains. The Emerging Greeks Award, the Documentary Award and – for the first time – the Short Films Award were presented in front of about 40 professionals – filmmakers, producers, actors, sales agents, musicians – from Greece and abroad, as well as many dear friends. It was a beautiful ceremony, which included a brief review of what we have gone through, seen, heard and learned, and the people we met during a five-day event full of Greek cinema.

The Emerging Greeks & Documentary Award Jury consists of Marie-Pierre Macia (producer, film expert), Malik Berkati (FIPRESCI critic, political scientist) and Christopher Zitterbart (producer).

The winner of the Emerging Greeks Award, which is accompanied by the amount of 1,000 euros and sponsored by the Greek Film Centre, was the film Animal by Sofia Exarchou under the following justification: “The film combines an artistic cinematographic proposition with a political narrative diving in the underbelly of capitalism; a fiction rooted in reality, which does not let you look away”.

The award was received by Flomaria Papadaki, one of the protagonists of the film.

A Special Mention was awarded to the film Medium by Christina Ioakeimidi under the following justification: “The Jury has decided to give a special mention to a promising voice coming out of Greek cinema, a film that shines through its mise-en-scène, a gentle and respectful portrayal of intimacy”.

The Special Mention was received by Christina Ioakeimidi, director of the film.

The winner of the Documentary Award, which is accompanied by the amount of 500 euros and sponsored by Musou Music Group, was the documentary film Grief – Those Who Remain by Myrto Patsalidou and Maria Louka under the following justification: “Fascism must be stopped. Addressing this most pressing sociopolitical issue of our times through the fates of three young people, the filmmakers show the absurdity of hate and give a voice to the parents who don’t accept grieving in silence”.

The award was received by Myrto Patsalidou, co-director of the film.

The directors of the winning films of the Emerging Greeks Competition and Documentary were awarded by Crew United Greece with a 3-year free Premium membership subscription on Crew United, the global networking platform connecting cinema professionals.

The Short Films Jury consists of Andrea Mavroidis (journalist), Asteris Kutulas (producer, film director) and Stelios Christoforou (film director, director of the Anafi International Film Festival).

The winner of the Short Film Award, which is accompanied by the amount of 500 euros and sponsored by Illuseum Berlin, was the short film Buffer Zone by Savvas Stavrou under the following justification: “The characters of the film are champions of unity in a world overshadowed by conflict. Their unwavering commitment to peace inspires us to dream of a borderless world filled with love and understanding, navigating with unwavering love. The award goes to a film, which is unfortunately always timely, but filled with hope for the future”.

The award was received by a representative of the Illuseum Berlin on behalf of Savvas Stavrou.

A Special Mention was awarded to the short film The Armchair on the Pavement by Mary Kolonia under the following justification: “The film portrays human connection, as well as selfless love and compassion that never fade away with time, through performances full of emotion and directorial detail in sound and vision”.

The Special Mention was received by Mary Kolonia, director of the film.

The closing film was The Summer With Carmen directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis (German premiere). The protagonist Yorgos Tsiantoulas and the screenwriter Xenofon Chalatsis were present for a Q&A after the screening.

After the end of the closing ceremony, a party was held at the space of Illuseum Berlin with wine and finger food.

January 30, 2024

PROGRAM OF FILMS AND EVENTS

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin will raise the curtain for the 9^th time at Babylon, on March 20-24^th, 2024. More mature, crossing the borders of Berlin and travelling to other German cities, the festival is mainly oriented towards promoting and presenting emerging filmmakers from Greece and Cyprus in Germany. The festival will present a rich, timely program, featuring the best new films these two countries have to offer.

This year’s motto We choose the bloody BIG screen plays with the word bloody: metaphorically insisting on the big screen with determination and love, but also literally due to this year’s highlight of the festival (horror films, bloody horror – a genre with numerous fans) containing selections that border on cult.

A total of thirty films – fiction, documentaries, shorts and special screenings – will be spread over the five days of the festival with repeats, in order to provide the public with a wider opportunity to book tickets for their desired films. With 5 international premieres, 16 German premieres and 7 Berlin premieres, the festival will offer a new spectacle to its viewers.

The opening film will be Murderess, directed by Eva Nathena and based on the famous titular novel of Alexandros Papadiamantis. The biggest commercial success of the season in Greece will have its international premiere at the festival. The main stars of the film are Karyofyllia Karampeti as Fragoyannou, Maria Protopappa, Pinelopi Tsilika, Elena Topalidou and Dimitris Imellos among others. The director and one of the producers will be present at the screening and a Q&A will follow.

Before the opening film, people will be greeted through a short show by a group of women who will sing a cappella, accompanying the film and its theme with their voices. Hopefully, the show will be embraced by our audience.

The closing film will be the queer film The Summer With Carmen directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival 2023. Zacharias Mavroeidis is an old acquaintance and friend of the festival – his feature film Defunct and his documentary film Across her Body were selected in previous editions of the festival. The film will have its German premiere and at the end of the screening, there will be a Q&A with the protagonist Yorgos Tsiantoulas.

The official Emerging Greeks Competition features first or second feature films by emerging filmmakers and 2024 will be its sixth time it’s being held. The program includes the following films:

Animal by Sofia Exarchou (Berlin premiere)
Embryo Larva Butterfly by Kyros Papavassiliou (German premiere) – Cyprus
Medium by Christina Ioakeimidi (Berlin premiere)
Ιman by Corinna Avraamidou, Kyriacos Tofarides (German premiere) – Cyprus
Behind the Haystacks by Asimina Proedrou (Berlin premiere)

The Documentary program includes the following films:

AKOE/AMFI: The Story of a Revolution (*Just to sleep on their chest…) by Iossif Vardakis (Berlin premiere). The film chronicles the creation of A.K.O.E., the first homosexual liberation movement in Greece, and its revolutionary magazine Amfi in 1977.
Mary, Marianna, Maria – The Unsung Greek Years of Callas by Vasilis Louras, Michalis Asthenidis (German premiere), co-produced by the Greek National Opera. The documentary looks back at the unknown Greek years of the greatest lyrical artist of the 20^th century, Maria Callas.
Mighty Afrin: In the Time of Floods by Angelos Rallis (German premiere), a coming-of-age documentary that follows the amazing story of 11-year-old Afrin, who loses her parents during the floods between India and Bangladesh. Her odyssey of searching for them leads her to Dhaka.
Grief – Those who Remain by Myrto Patsalidou, Maria Louka (Berlin premiere), records three stories that shocked Greek and European society: the brutal murders of Shahzad Luqman, Pavlos Fyssas (by the criminal organization Golden Dawn) und Zak Kostopoulos.
In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least by Christos Adrianopoulos (international premiere), a documentary about living together, loss, time and what two beloved people of the director – his grandparents – taught him about all these.
Lesvia by Tzeli Hadjidimitriou (German premiere). The film takes us to Eressos on the Greek island of Lesvos – the meeting place for lesbians from all over the world for decades – and depicts how it became the safest harbor for the development of the lesbian identity.

Special Screenings will include Polydroso by The Boy – a.k.a. Alexander Voulgaris – with Vicky Kaya and Sofia Kokkali in the leading roles. A tender film about the relationship between two Sophias – mother and daughter – in an isolated suburb, Polydroso, with beautiful dialogue and images that bring ghosts from the past to life and document how the two women’s relationships change. Special Screenings will also include the well-known film Inside by Vasilis Katsoupis, starring Willem Dafoe. The film screened to great acclaim at the Panorama of the Berlin International Film Festival with the director and Willem Dafoe attending the event. The film will screen in original sound with German subtitles.

As announced with the release of the festival’s visual identity, there will be a highlight entitled Bλoody Screen with bloody horror films – a genre with numerous fans that will surely be embraced by the audience. The highlight includes:

Minore by Konstantinos Koutsoliotas, an original monster movie that had its world premiere in the Harbour section of the Rotterdam International Film Festival. The story takes us to a Greek beach full of music and dance, when it is suddenly covered in fog. Strange creatures plague the town, attacking people, while others are getting dragged into the sea after horrible dreams. At the same time, a group of musicians try to resist the invaders!
Evil by Yorgos Noussias, a classic Greek horror film from 2005, where the director follows with precision and fidelity the traces of the genre’s best samples (the films of Romero or Cronenberg), creating a unique result for the Greek horror cinema. In the story, Evil awakens in the center of Athens and, at the pace of an epidemic, it turns unsuspecting citizens into rabid zombies. The survivors will fight for their lives, to the death!

The Short Films Program consists of 13 short films in total (including the student program), covering many themes and different cinematic trends. With award-winning films, who have participated in major festivals around the world and introduce new directorial voices, this year’s program reflects all trends of recent Greek short film production:

Aerolin by Alexis Koukias-Pantelis (German premiere)
Arizones by Yorgos Iliopoulos (international premiere)
Unorthodox by Konstantinos Antonopoulos (German premiere)
Α piece of Liberty by Antigoni Kapaka (German premiere)
Buffer Zone by Savvas Stavrou – Cyprus (Berlin premiere)
Crossing by Katerina Mavrogeorgi, Aineias Tsamatis (German premiere)
The Armchair on the Pavement by Mary Kolonia (German premiere)
Good Girls Club: A Virginity Odyssey by Lida Vartzioti, Dimitris Tsakaleas (German premiere)
Light of Light by Neritan Zinxhiria (Berlin premiere)

With great pleasure, the festival continues its collaboration with Drama International Short Film Festival. This year, we will present a selection from the excellent Drama 2023 Student Program, giving a voice for the first time to young filmmakers, who have just finished their studies and completed their first short film as a graduation project. The films of the Student Program will be within the Short Films Competition. The films included in the Student program are:

A diary of sexual solitude by Nina Alexandraki (German premiere)
Days of a Lilac Summer by Ariadni Angeliki Thyfronitou Litou (international premiere)
The Parade by Michalis Galanopoulos
Greenhouse by George Georgakopoulos (German premiere)

After the screenings, there will be a Q&A with the present filmmakers.

Masterclass:

Liquid Staging – Bigger Than the Big Screen

Liquid Staging – for which its creator Asteris Kutulas has been awarded the Hans Vogt Award at the Hof International Film Festival – represents the basis of new show and event formats, and at the same time a new challenge for all involved technical professions. It is a constantly changing “medium“, that unites all design components. These components include film, stage, acting, dance, gaming, music, sound, lighting, design, architecture, digital art, virtual reality, etc.

Liquid Staging completely overcomes the boundaries between “stage“ and “film“. It does not only play on the stage background, but also on the entire floor area, the ceiling area of the stage space, the side walls, and – depending on the storyboard – the entire audience area. It creates a “hybrid experiential space“, in which a new “osmotic“ form of performance can be realized with the technical-digital possibilities of the 21st century. According to the creator, this innovation introduces many novel options: the stage design morphs into a movie and vice versa.

In his masterclass, Kutulas will present – through a variety of examples – the Liquid Staging technology as a new way of thinking for the digital age and the role the medium of film plays in this. The masterclass will be followed by a discussion with the audience.

In the Babylon’s Mirror Room, from March 21^st to March 23^rd, Liquid Staging will be presented as an installation, giving visitors the opportunity to taste this innovative form of spectacle.

As it happens every year and within the framework of cultural exchange with the city of Berlin, the festival will organize on Saturday, March 23^rd, 2024 a tour for filmmakers and its guests: the Berlin Walk – Are they hidden? Let’s discover them!

Every year, there is a walking tour including different sights and neighborhoods of the city, which participants haven’t ever had the opportunity to experience before. It is a chance for artists and festival-goers not only to see the city “with a different eye”, but also to get to know each other.

Awards

Εmerging Greeks Award

The 5 films participating in the Emerging Greeks Competition will compete for the Emerging Greeks Award, accompanied by the amount of 1,000 euros and sponsored by the Greek Film Centre.

Documentary Award by Musou

Short Film Award by Illuseum Berlin

Crew United

The winners of the Emerging Greeks Competition and Documentary Award will receive a 3-year free Premium membership subscription on Crew United, the leading online networking platform connecting audiovisual professionals in Europe, which is now also operating in Greece.

Emerging Greeks Competition & Documentary Jury

Marie-Pierre Macia, producer

After earning a degree in Classics and French Literature, Marie-Pierre Macia started her career at the Cinémathèque Française and worked as a film curator at the San Francisco International Film Festival. She has created two festivals in Paris (Les Rencontres internationales de Cinéma à Paris and Paris Cinéma) and also Crossroads, the co-production forum of the Thessaloniki Film Festival. Macia is the former director of the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight) of the Cannes Film Festival, where she championed the first feature films by currently recognized filmmakers, such as Carlos Reygadas, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Daldry, Cristi Puiu, Cristian Mungiu, etc. She produced among others the following films: The Turin Horse by Béla Tarr, Zama by Lucrecia Martel, Memory Exercises and EAMI by Paz Encina, Mariner of the Mountains by Karim Aïnouz, Xenia and Dodo by Panos H. Koutras, Ghosts by Azra Deniz Okyay, Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu, etc. She is currently working on the new documentary film Chocobar by Lucrecia Martel.

Malik Berkati, film critic – FIPRESCI member – political scientist

Malik Berkati is a Swiss journalist, film critic and political scientist, based in Berlin. He has worked for several years at festivals in Western Switzerland as a PR and program adviser. He is co-founder and editor-in-chief of an international multilingual online magazine focusing on culture and civic awareness (j:mag), as well as a correspondent in Berlin for various newspapers and magazines from the French-speaking part of Switzerland. He has served on numerous international juries in Europe and Asia for FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics), as well as on the German Film Critics Juries for the categories of Best German Documentary (2017, 2022 and 2023) and Best German Short Film (2019-2021). Since 2020, he has been a Jury Member of the Critics Award for Arab Films of the Arab Cinema Center (ACC). He is also member of the Swiss Association of Film Journalists (SVFJ • ASJC • ASGC) and the European Film Academy (EFA).

Christopher Zitterbart, producer

Christopher Zitterbart is the founder of Berlin-based production house Watchmen Productions and a producer with an international track record of over 20 years in film production. His feature films, documentaries and short films have been shown and awarded at international festivals, including Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, San Sebastian, and Thessaloniki International Film Festivals. Besides his work in arthouse cinema, Zitterbart has shot countless commercials and image-films in more than 20 countries as a producer and director. In 2017, he received the prestigious German TV award, Grimme-Preis. He is an EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) graduate and an alumni of the EMC Entertainment Master Class. He graduated as fiction producer from Filmhaus Babelsberg. Zitterbart is a member of the German Film Producers Association. His current production My Favourite Cake will premiere in the competition section at Berlinale 2024.

Short Films Jury

Andrea Mavroidis, journalist – radio producer

Andrea Mavroidis is the editor of COSMO sta ellinika, a cultural-political podcast aimed at Greeks in Germany, run by the public radio’s WDR, RBB, and Radio Bremen. She also co-hosts a monthly cinema podcast with Sofia Stavrianidou, where they discuss the international film world. In addition, she works as a freelance editor and author for Deutschlandfunk Kultur and Deutschlandfunk. Previously, from 2000 to 2005, she worked as a freelance correspondent in Greece. After studying political science at the Freie Universität Berlin, she completed a traineeship in journalism at the Grimme Institute.

Asteris Kutulas, director – producer – event producer – tutor

Asteris Kutulas is an author, director, producer and polymedia artist. He was born in Oradea, Romania in 1960, as a son of Greek political emigrants. He moved to the German Democratic Republic in 1968. From 1979 to 1984, he studied German language, literature and philosophy in Leipzig. Since 1981, he has worked as an author, translator and publicist for over 40 books. He was the editor of the magazines Bizarre Städte (1987-1989) and Sondeur (1990-91). From 1981 to 2021, he had a close artistic collaboration with Mikis Theodorakis. Since 1989, he has also worked as a music and event producer. Together with director and lighting architect Gert Hof, Kutulas developed a new show format in 1999 – the outdoor light show – and by 2010, he had produced over 40 mega events worldwide. Together with Ina Kutulas, he was the initiator of the TGFFB.

Stelios Christoforou, director – director of the Anafi International Short Film Festival Stelios Christoforou is a writer and director based in Athens. He is the founder and artistic director of the Anafi International Short Film Festival in Greece. The first film he wrote and directed, Sammer, traveled to 25 festivals around the world and won plenty of awards. He has worked both in the cinema and TV industry in various roles. Right now, he is organizing the second edition of the Anafi International Film Festival, while at the same time experimenting and creating short films around Greece.

———————————

The schedule of the festival and the representatives of the films attending the festival will be announced after February 20th, 2024.

Tickets will be available on the festival’s and the Babylon’s website https://babylonberlin.eu Seats will be numbered and online booking is recommended. All press releases as well as the program can be found on the homepage of the festival’s official website thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com

Program: https://thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com/program-2024/

From the Communication & Press Office

January 15, 2024

Visual Identity 2024

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin unveils the new key visual that will mark its upcoming 9th
edition, which will take place at the historic Babylon Cinema on March 20-24th, 2024.

Central to the key visual is a watching eye. It is alert, while on it, two red creatures of
unknown origin and in a tie dance playfully; their faces are cameras with large lenses. The
eye sheds a red tear powerfully and with determination, concluding with this year’s motto:
We choose the bloody BIG screen.

The motto crystallized as a concept and accompanies the visual identity, which represents
this year’s highlight of horror films, bloody horror – a genre with numerous fans – and will
contain selections that border on cult.

“We choose the bloody BIG screen – we always do. Because it’s enjoyment, it’s entertainment
accessible to all, it’s inclusive and it connects those who enjoy it together. It’s a unique experience
that we share with our fellow audience. With dynamism, determination and courage, we insist on
cinema – a long-standing position of the festival – and look forward to rallying all our friends in the
Babylon halls”, the organizers said.

The key visual was developed as a concept by the festival team and was created by visual
designer Konstantinos Kamperis.

The full program of the festival’s films and events will be announced at the end of January.

From the Communication & Press Office
thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com

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December 04, 2023

Short Films Award by Illuseum Berlin

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin is delighted to establish as of this year a new award for the
films of the Short Films program. The prize will be the Short Films Award by Illuseum
Berlin accompanied by the amount of 500 euros, sponsored by Illuseum Berlin.

Illuseum Berlin has been a constant supporter of the festival for the last three years. It is a
special museum for all ages offering fun and knowledge about our senses, perception and
the human brain; at the same time, you can learn why we often see things differently than
they actually are!

“In times like these, it is important that art is loud, heard, and seen. That is why we are very
happy to continue our partnership with the Greek Film Festival in Berlin in 2024.
Furthermore, we are particularly pleased to sponsor the prize of the Short Films, as we think
that short films are a wonderful way to influence and create awareness.” Michael Posch,
Director Illuseum Berlin, says.

“Cinema is the art of image, sensation and, often enough, illusion; all these elements make it
unique. Illuseum Berlin has been our close relative and companion in recent years and we
are very happy about the initiative that came about on behalf of the Museum to establish
the prize that was missing from our festival: that of short films“, Sofia Stavrianidou, the
festival director, mentioned.

For the award ceremony, there will be a separate Jury consisting of cinema professionals
and the award will be given, as it happens every year, at the Award Ceremony of the festival,
on Sunday, March 24^th , 2024.

From the Communication & Press Office
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October 30, 2023

Call for Entries Open

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin, taking place at Babylon on March 20-24th, 2024,
announces the opening of applications for its next, 9th edition. Applications are open from
October 30th, 2023 for all sections of the festival, and the submission deadline is December
10th, 2023. Films are eligible only if their production was completed after January 1st, 2022.
Greek productions, co-productions or international films that have a Greek theme at their
core or a Greek cast and crew will be accepted.

The new edition of the festival will include the following programmes:

1. Emerging Greeks Competition section for first or second feature films
2. Documentary Competition Program
3. Special Screenings Program
4. Short Films Program
5. Spotlight

Q&A discussions, special events, masterclasses and music events will be announced later,
as it happens every year.

Within the framework of the festival there will be the following awards:

- The Emerging Greeks Award 2024 for emerging filmmakers –the festival’s main
  award– established in 2019 and accompanied by the amount of 1,000 euros,
  sponsored by the Greek Film Centre.

- The Documentary Award 2024 for the best documentary film, accompanied by the
  amount of 500 euros, sponsored by Musou Music Group.

Both winners will be awarded with a Crew United prize; each Crew United Prize winner
will receive a 3-year free Premium membership subscription on Crew United, the
leading online networking platform connecting audiovisual professionals in Europe,
which is now also operating in Greece.

Regulations as well as the Application Form can be found on the home page of the festival’s
official website http://thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com and on the festival’s page on
FilmFreeway https://filmfreeway.com/TheGreekFilmFestivalinBerlin

Regardless of the section for which they may apply, all filmmakers are kindly requested to fill
in the FilmFreeway submission form.

“After a very active September and the great success of our smaller festivals in
Frankfurt and Cologne, we are ready to face the new cinematic challenges that the 2024
edition will bring to us. This will be the ninth festival, and with the same drive, passion and
dedication, we will bring the best films of the recent Greek production to the German capital.
And most importantly: the films will be brought to the big screen of Babylon. We insist on
and always choose the big screen“, Sofia Stavrianidou, the festival director, said.

April 3, 2023

Closing Ceremony and Awards

With a short ceremony in a pleasant and warm atmosphere, with the directors of the program as well as the Jury Committee consisting of Mirja Frehse – Senior Funding MEDIA, Sydney Levine – Intermational Film Businee Consultant and Panagiotis Evaggelidis – Director Screenwriter, the 8th Greek Film Festival in Berlin at Babylon in Berlin Mitte closed its curtain. With about 40 professionals present, filmmakers, producers, actors, sales agents, musicians Greek and foreign, many dear friends and a completely sold out hall, the Emerging Greeks Award and for the first time Documentary Award were presented.

The films that participated in the Emerging Greeks Competition section are:

“Listen” by Maria Douza (Deutschlandpremiere)
“Black Stone” by Spiros Jacovides (German premiere)
“Silence 6-9” by Christos Passalis (German premiere)
“Magnetic Fields” by Giorgos Gousis (German premiere)
“Dignity” by Dimitris Katsimiris (German premiere)

The Emerging Greeks Award, accompanied by the amount of 1000 euros, sponsored by the Greek Film Centre, was won by the film Black Stone by Spiros Iakovidis, on the grounds that: This is a film that offers a particularly light-hearted approach to some very important issues that plague Greek society today: overbearing Greek mothers, racism and immigration among other things. A family tale, told with love, hard irony, and humor”.

The award was received by the director.

The films participating in the Documentary Competition were:

“5 ½ years” by Myrto Simaionidou and Ioanna Papaioannou
“Airland” by Haris Raftogiannis (International premiere)
“Femicidio” by Nina Maria Paschalidou (German premiere)
“Carols” by Jenny Tsiropoulou (German Premiere, short film)
“Iota Period Omega” by Alexis Alexiou (German premiere, short film)
“MMICROBIOME” by Stavros Petropoulos (German premiere, short),
“Under the Lake” by Thanasis Trombukis (short film).

The Documentary Award, accompanied by the amount of 500 euros sponsored by Musou Music Group, was won by Nina Maria Paschalidou’s Femicidio with the reason: “The film sheds light on a real wound of our current society, which is driven by patriarchal principles. We follow a courageous female survivor, who faces a problem that affects at least 50% of our population.”

The award was received by the director of the festival, Sofia Stavrianidou.

To the directors of the two winning films, Crew United Greece offered a 5-year Premium Video+ Membership to the international platform of film professionals.

After the end of the film Closing DODO by Panos Koutras, a party followed at the Illuseum Berlin.

Sponsors and Supporters: https://thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com/sponsoring

From the Communications & Press Office

thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com

February 6th, 2023

PROGRAM OF FILMS AND EVENTS

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin will kick off for the 8th time at Babylon Cinema, from March 29th to April 2nd, 2023. The festival is ready to welcome back cinema filmmakers, guests, cinephiles and its beloved friends.
More mature, stronger, slowly crossing the borders of Berlin and traveling to other German cities, the festival is now mainly oriented towards promotion of emerging filmmakers from Greece in Germany. The festival will present a programme that is diverse, featuring the best of the country’s new film productions. Comedy, satire, even in its crudest form, light dramedy are genres that make up a significant part of this year’s program.

With 35 films in total, fiction, documentaries, shorts and special screenings will be spread over the five days of the event, with repetitions in order for the audience to book their tickets with more flexibility. With 6 international, 3 European and 18 German premieres, the festival will offer the best to its visitors.

The opening film will be the dramedy “Where We Live” directed by Sotiris Goritsas, based on the titular book by Christos Kythreotis. Starring Promitheas Aliferopoulos, Stelios Mainas, Makis Papadimitriou, Maria Kalimani and Gerasimos Skiadaresis. This will be an International Premiere, with the director present at the screening for Q&A.
Before the Opening Film, the festival will host a short surprise solo show that will combine music and comedy, which we hope will be embraced by our audience.

The Closing Film will be “Dodo” directed by Panos H. Koutras, with Akis Sakellariou, Smaragda Karidis, Jeff Montana, Chris Radanov, Marissa Triantafyllidou, Nikos Gelia, Mariella Savvidou, Jomana Alhassan and Polydoros Vogiatzis. With the announcement of this year’s key visuals, the festival gave away the hint that a dodo will have a strong presence this year and there is nothing better than Koutras’ film, which had its world premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film will have its Berlin premiere at the festival.

The official “Emerging Greeks Competition” includes first or second feature films by feature filmmakers and is being held for the fifth year. The program includes:

● “Listen” by Maria Douza (German premiere)
● “Black Stone” by Spiros Jacovides (German premiere)
● “Silence 6-9” by Christos Passalis (German premiere)
● “Magnetic Fields” by Giorgos Gousis (German premiere)
● “Dignity” by Dimitris Katsimiris (International premiere)

All directors of the Competition program will be present and there will be Q&As held after the screenings.

The films will compete for the Emerging Greeks Award, accompanied with a cash prize of 1000 euros, sponsored by the Greek Film Centre.

The Documentary program includes:

● “5 1/2” by Myrto Symeonidou and Ioanna Papaioannou. The film features the journalists who covered the events behind the closed doors of the Golden Dawn trial.
● “Airland” by Haris Raftogiannis (International premiere), a “handmade documentary about chaos, creation, deconstruction and escape”.
● “Femicidio” by Nina Maria Paschalidou (German premiere). The documentary deals with femicide in Italy focusing on cases that have shaken society and revealed the misogyny of the Italian culture.
● “Carols” by Jenny Tsiropoulou (short film), a short doc that gets into the psyche of a man who, although a doctor, doesn’t save lives but lives with death.
● “Iota Period Omega” by Alexis Alexiou (German premiere, short film), a video essay shot in 8mm.
● “Microbiome” by Stavros Petropoulos (German premiere, short film), a comic documentary that takes us to Ikaria and a scientific test on the inhabitants about longevity!
● “Under the Lake” by Thanasis Trouboukis (short), takes us to the memories of the inhabitants in a mountain village that slowly sinks into a lake.

The documentaries will compete for the Documentary Award by Musou of 500 euros, sponsored by Musou Music Group.

Two more documentary films will be screened Out of Competition: “To Each Their Voice: Theodoros Angelopoulos & Nikos Panayotopoulos” by Antonis Kokkinos and Yannis Soldatos; a conversation between the two great Greek filmmakers, shot for an editorial series that was never published. The program also includes Dimitris Argyriou’s “Lights Out, Berlin!”, which focuses – through interviews – on two famous DJs and club owners in Berlin and how they survived during the pandemic.

The Special Screenings will feature “Travelling Ghosts” by Thanos Anastopoulos in an International Premiere, a film that combines documentary and fiction. It is a portrayal of the history of the 18th century Trieste, where the Enlightenment movement was in full swing and our own Greek Revolution was ready to kick off.

Yorgos Athanasiou’s “Blossoms to Blossoms”, a comedy featuring two “almost” friends playing a game of get-to-know-you, will also be screened.

As already announced, the festival honours actor, screenwriter and producer Vangelis Mourikis, an emblematic figure of new Greek cinema, with a three-film Spotlight:

● “The King” (2002) by Nikos Grammatikos is one of the best films of the new Greek cinema. Based on true events, it follows the integration into the life of a small provincial town of an ex-convict. Mourikis plays one of the best roles of his career.
● “Norway” (2014) by Yannis Veslemes, a comic vampire film with Mourikis playing Zano, a vampire in search of a hot girl in Athens of 1984. Another face of Mourikis in a totally unusual role.
● “Isovites” (Lifers, 2008) by Thodoros Maragos, a politically incorrect, cult comedy in which Mourikis plays a truck driver who ends up in a prison cell with a protesting citizen, Takis Spyridakis, in a fatal, infuriating co-existence! The film is the actor’s personal proposal for the program.
After the screenings, there will be Q&As with the actor. On Saturday evening, after the screening of the “King”, an extended discussion will take place.

The Shorts program includes a strong selection of 14 short films, covering many themes and different cinematic trends. Full of award-winning films presented in the world’s biggest festivals and new directorial voices, this year’s program reflects all the trends in recent Greek short film production:

● “5pm Seaside” by Valentin Stejskal
● “Airhostess-737” by Thanasis Neofotistos
● “Memoir of a Veering Storm” by Sofia Georgovassili
● “All the Time in the World” by Danae Epithymiadi (German premiere)
● “ENOMENA” by Phaedra Vokali (German premiere)
● “Hussies” by Despina Mavridou (German premiere)
● “Magma” by Lia Tsalta (German premiere)
● “A Night at the Cemetery” by Stelios Polychronakis (German premiere)
● “Not tomorrow” by Amerissa Basta (German premiere)
● “Pendulus” by Dimitris Gkotsis (International premiere)
● “Reflections” by Fotis Skourletis (German premiere)
● “On Xerxes’ Throne” by Evi Kalogiropoulou (German premiere)
● “The Last Journey” by Steve Krikris (European premiere)
● “tokakis or What’s my Name” by Thanos Tokakis (German premiere)

The screenings will be followed by Q&As with the present filmmakers.

Cinematherapy with Denise Nikolakou

For this year’s 8th edition of The Greek Film Festival in Berlin, the Drama International Short Film Festival (DISFF) will come to Berlin with a Cinematherapy session with the Synthetic Psychotherapist Denise Nikolakou; a parallel event of the Drama Festival that has been held successfully for three years now.
Cinematherapy is the use of films to mobilize and identify emotions and to draw conclusions in the context of the psychotherapeutic process. As moving images cover an extremely wide range of topics, they are implemented to encourage the audience to understand almost each and every one of them. As part of the event, the short film “tokakis or What’s my Name” by Thanos Tokakis will be screened, and a discussion will follow led by the psychotherapist, in a unique interaction that combines psychotherapy with the art of cinema. The session will focus particularly on comedy, comic elements, laughter, and satire, as they appear in Thanos Tokakis’ film. The session will take place on Friday, March 31st, OVAL Babylon, 18:00 – Free admission.

As part of the cultural exchange with the city of Berlin, on Saturday, April 1st, 2023, the festival will organize for the second consecutive year, the Berlin Walk for the filmmakers and their guests: it is a short tour of the city, showing them its beauties and corners the guests may not have had the opportunity to experience. It is an opportunity for artists and festival participants to see the city “with a different eye” and to get to know each other.

Jury 2023

The Jury of the official Emerging Greeks Competition and the Documentary section is consisted of:

Mirja Frehse, Funding Consultant MEDIA

Mirja Frehse graduated in film and TV production at the Film University Babelsberg. After working as marketing manager at the Berlin based X Verleih AG, she worked as executive producer for Novotny & Novotny Filmproduktion in Vienna focused on international co-productions. Following her work as consultant for national and international financing for several German and Austrian production companies, she started working as senior funding consultant for the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Berlin-Brandenburg in 2007. The Creative Europe Desks are contact points for media professionals in Europe offering information and networking events to support international cooperation amongst professionals. Within the framework of such activities, Mirja is often present at festivals and markets or audiovisual training in Europe, where the European children’s film as well as young talents are very close to her heart. She is also specialized in international financing for European audiovisual projects and their distribution.

Sydney Levine, International Film Business Consultant

Sydney Levine is a consultant for filmmakers creating festival and distribution strategies and for countries interested in bringing U.S. producers and production companies to their locations for co-productions. She began her career in 1975 as the first woman in international distribution, when she was hired by 20th Century Fox International. From 1978 to 1988, she moved to the field of acquisitions working for short and documentary films as well as for the feature film distributors Lorimar Pictures and Republic Pictures. In 1988, she created FilmFinders, the industry’s first database, designed for acquisition executives in distribution and sales, as well as for festival programmers in need to track new films from world cinema for acquisition. The database was acquired by IMDb in 2007 and Levine worked to professionalize IMDbPro. In 2009, she founded SydneysBuzz to consult and write on the international film business. Having taught at Chapman University Dodge College, UCLA Film and Business Schools, New School of Social Research, Deutsche Welle Akademie, Binger Institut, Cannes Producers Workshop and Berlinale Talents, she frequently moderates panels and seminars. She lives in Los Angeles, California and Berlin, Germany, and travels extensively on the international film circuit. In addition to her native English, she speaks French, German and Spanish.

Panagiotis Evangelidis, director, screenwriter, author

Panayiotis Evangelidis was born in Athens, where he lives and works. He studied Law in the Athens Law School, and he is a film director, screenwriter, writer, literature translator and shiatsu therapist. He mainly directs documentaries with a humanitarian focus. He has published four books and he translates mainly from Japanese. His films include “Chip And Ovi” (2008), “The Glow In The Dark” (2012), “Irving Park” (2019).
The timetable of the festival will be released in mid-February.

Tickets for the films will be available on the festival and Babylon website https://babylonberlin.eu
Seats will be numbered, and online ticket booking is recommended.

All press releases and the program can be found on the homepage of the festival’s official website www.thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com

Press Office

17/01/2023

Collaboration with Drama International Short Film Festival

New Documentary Award by Musou

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin is pleased to announce its new collaboration with the Drama International Short Film Festival. The collaboration has emerged after discussions for over a year and is based on the mutual appreciation and the devotion to the Greek film.

For the 8th edition of The Greek Film Festival in Berlin, Drama will join us in Berlin with a Cinematherapy Session with Integrative Psychotherapist Denis Nikolakou, a parallel event of the Drama Short FF that has been held with great success for three years.

Cinematherapy is defined as the use of films to motivate and recognize emotions or to draw conclusions in the context of the psychotherapeutic process. Cinematherapy is associated with the ancient art of storytelling as an educational tool. Can be used to encourage the audience to understand almost any subject matter, as cinema covers an extremely wide range of subjects. As part of the event in Berlin, a short film will be screened, followed by a discussion led by the psychotherapist in a unique interaction that combines psychotherapy with the art of cinema. Featuring the festival’s director and programmers, the session will focus on comedy, laughter, and satire.

The event will take place on Friday, March 31, OVAL Babylon, 18:00 – Free entry.

Denise Nikolakou is an Integrative Psychotherapist (MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy. Since 2014 she has been coordinating groups of self-knowledge, personal development, and therapy, in role-playing games, training in the skills of functional relationships using the art of cinema as a means of expression, psychoeducation, and therapy. Since 2020 she is the head of the Cinematherapy program at the International Short Film Festival of Drama where she introduced and made known for the first time to the public the program Cinematherapy together with the Oscar-winning director Pawel Pawlikowski.

Documentary Award by Musou

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin this year initiates a Documentary Award by Musou for 500 euros, provided by the Musou Music Group.

Musou Music Group was created in 2006 to offer a broad range of music related services, including custom music creation, sound design, consulting and licensing to film and advertising professionals that are after the best music and sound production available.

The established Emerging Greeks Award of 1000 euros for newcomers is sponsored by the Greek Film Center.

The full festival program of films and events will be announced in early February.

The press office

10/01/2023

KEYVISUAL 2023

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin reveals its new keyvisual that will mark the upcoming 8th edition. The festival smiles and laughs with the comedy, satire and dramedy which a big part of the new edition’s program is dedicated to.

A central position in the keyvisual is occupied on a yellow background by the photo of a dodo, this ugly, funny but also cute bird, which lived peacefully and with harmony with the whole animal kingdom throughout its existence in the world. The dodo sadly disappeared from the planet about 300 years ago, a loss many are unaware of. His story comes to light with the famous film “Dodo” by Panos H. Koutras, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes film festival.

“A …bird as the keyvisual of a film festival? You look at the dodo and you smile but also laugh. If one looks at the keyvisual closer, it is already smiling along with the line above him. On the other hand, you feel a bit sad about his disappearance. This association leads us to the cinema, this beloved entertaining habit that has been through tough times lately. We wish that cinema will prevail surviving the crisis, and that it will not be lost like dodo, but will remain alive so that we can all enjoy it together for a long long time” according to the organisers.

The keyvisual was developed as a concept by the members of the festival team based on feedback and discussion which contributed to the result.

The full festival program of films and events will be announced in early February.

Press Office

17/10/2022

Spotlight Vangelis Mourikis

The 8th Greek Film Festival in Berlin will take place from March 29 to April 2, 2023 at the Babylon in Mitte. The new edition of the festival includes:
The Emerging Greeks Competition section.
A Documentary Program
Special Screenings
Short films with a selection by the new short film program director Konstantinos Aivaliotis.
As announced on social media a few days ago, the festival will organize a Spotlight with three films featuring the great actor, screenwriter and producer of the new independent Greek cinema Vangelis Mourikis.
Vangelis Mourikis was born and raised in Greece. He studied at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. He first worked in various jobs and started as an actor with small roles in mainstream films and mainly in independent and avant-garde productions. In the early 90’s he returned to Greece and since then until today he has been acting in short and feature films by both emerging and established directors. He has been awarded numerous prizes for his work, and the films in which he has acted have been shown at the most important festivals in the world.
Films as an actor (selection): The Garden of God by Takis Spyridakis (1992), My Brother and I by Antonis Kokkinos (1998), Les Photographes by Nikos Koundouros (1998), The King by Nikos Grammatikos (2002), Agrypnia by Nikos Grammatikos (2005), The Soul in the Mouth by Yannis Economidis (2006), With Heart and Soul by Pantelis Voulgaris (2010), Attenberg by Athena Rachel Tsangari (2010), Chevalier by Athena Rachel Tsangari (2015), Digger by Georgis Grigorakis (2020).
Mr. Mourikis will be present at the festival. The films of the tribute will be announced later.

The press office

02/08/2022 The Greek Film Festival in Berlin goes Frankfurt

We are delighted to announce that our festival prepares its luggage and will travel to Frankfurt, 17 & 18 September at EL DORADO cinema! The Greek Film Festival in Berlin GOES FRANKFURT with a selection of five films from the 7th edition!

Expansion of the festival to other cities has always been an important goal for us. There are many German and international movie goers who wish to watch recent Greek film productions and discover the new Greek voices, and additionally there are many Greeks of ‘diaspora’ (natives) who crave to watch films in their native language. Τherefore to our great joy we …GO (to) FRANKFURT and intend to stay and grow there as well.

Selection:

SMYRNA by Grigoris Karantinakis
.DOG by Yianna Americanou
PACK OF SHEEP by Dimitris Kannellopoulos
INVISIBLE by Marianna Kakaounaki
MEMENTO by Nikos Ziogas

Our festival wishes to thank warmly the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports for the support.

Thank you also:
Consulate General of Greece in Frankfurt
Harmonie, Cinema & Eldorado: Arthouse Kinos Frankfurt

04/04/2022 EMERGING GREEKS AWARD 2022

That was a wrap for the 7th edition of The Greek Film Festival in Berlin. What a night! Drag Queens Ruth Stoner and Fistina Sprudel warmed up the ceremony in euphoria and humor
The Emerging Greeks Award accompanied by 1000 euros sponsored by the Greek Film Centre went to HOLY EMY by Araceli Lemos with the following motivation:
“Based on a story of self-discovery by two different symbiotic sisters who live in a closed community of Filipino Catholics in Piraeus, the film manages to combine realistic milieu descriptions, subtle horror, mysticism, and psychodrama and takes the viewer into a fascinating inner journey”.
The Award was received by one of the main actors of the film, Michalis Syriopoulos.
A warm thank you to our Jury Valeska Neu, Bernd Buder and Nicos Ligouris!
After the ceremony our Closing Film MONDAY by Argyris Papadimitropoulos was screened.

Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners https://thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com/sponsoring
The Festival takes place Under the Auspices of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Festival takes place Under the Auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

02/02/2022 PROGRAM OF FILMS AND EVENTS

We are very proud to announce our program of films and events 2022. It has been hard work but we did it with joy hoping that you will embrace it once more and enjoy it as much as we did preparing it.

As for the current situation with the pandemic, the new edition will mark our return to the cinema after two years. Our festival will comply strictly to the health protocols and we will be ready to safely welcome our filmmakers, guests, cinephiles and dear friends back where the films belong: the cinema hall.

Diversity, openness and freedom are the key-words that mark this year’s edition and serve as an inspiration to all its sections. 36 films in total, fiction, documentaries, short films, specials will be screened over the five days of the event with some selected repetitions.

See the full program here (link)

The timeline program will be release by the end of February.

Tickets will be available by the end of February at Babylon https://babylonberlin.eu

27/10/2021 Call for entries OPEN

The 7th edition of The Greek Film Festival will take place 30 March – 3 April 2022 at Babylon in Berlin and submissions are now OPEN, with a deadline of December 3rd 2021. The application along with the Rules & Regulations you can find in the Homepage of the festival: thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com

After the 6th online edition, the festival is ready to return to exactly where it belongs: the cinema hall. New films, new tributes, new challenges are coming along and the festival is ready to embrace it all. As every year, our program will include 1. Emerging Greeks Competition for first and second features 2. Documentaries 3. Shorts 4. An LGBTQI+ tribute – 2020 despite the pandemic restrictions, was a very productive year for many good LGBTQI+ films and we are happy to select the best ones for our audience.

The Emerging Greeks Award is accompanied this year with an award of 1000 euros sponsored by The Greek Film Center.

‘The films return to the cinemas and our festival celebrates the colors, the multi-collectivity, the multi-subjectivity, the diversity. We are ready for the seventh cinematic challenge hoping that the audience will embrace it once again’ according to the organizers.

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THE GREEK FILM FESTIVAL IN BERLIN, 2nd – 6th of June 2021

EMERGING GREEKS AWARD 2021

In a short and pleasant online ceremony, the Emerging Greeks Award of the 6th edition of the Greek Film Festival in Berlin was bestowed. Present were Jury Members Isona Admetlla (World Cinema Fund), Venia Vergou (Hellenic Film Commission) και Knut Elstermann (journalist-film critic, radio1\rbb), along the nominated directors and the organising members of the Festival.

You can watch the Ceremony at the Festivals’ channel on vimeo: TGFFB: Award Ceremony 2021 on Vimeo

The films participating in the Emerging Greeks Competition Section are:

Defunct – by Zacharias Mavroeidis
Not to be unpleasant, but we need to have a serious talk – by Giorgos Georgopoulos
Kala azar – by Janis Rafa
Green Sea – by Angeliki Antoniou
Amercement – by Fokion Bogris

The Emerging Greeks Award went to KALA AZAR by Janis Rafa.

According to the Jury: ‘’With hardly any dialogue, the film invites us on an unprecedented censorial artistic journey that exposes ancestral relationships of cohabitation between humans and animals and reconnects us with the dawn of humanity. Sometimes crude, sometimes shocking, very physical and certainly with a gaze that captivates. An exceptional artistic exhibition that transcends and reveals new angles of our relationship with death. The Emerging Greeks Award, escorted by 1000 euros sponsored by the Greek Film Center goes to Kala Azar by Janis Rafa’’.

thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com #thegreekfilmfestivalberlin

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20.05.2021

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin – 6th Edition

The pandemic restrictions will not permit The Greek Film Festival in Berlin to take place at its traditional home, The Babylon cinema. We will miss the presence of the audience and the contact with all of you very much. We will use the Festival Scope platform to offer the unique chance to the audience of ALL Germany to watch Greek films in the comfort of their sofas at home. Note: Greek films in the whole of Germany from 2 to 6 June 2021!

All the films will be available to watch 2 June, 9.00am – 7 June, 9.00am at https://www.festivalscope.com/page/the-greek-film-festival-berlin/

Pre-sales are open!

Price ticket: 3,50 euros

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07.12.2020

The Greek Film Festival in Berlin – 6th Edition

Narrating Histories

Like previous years this season the Greek Film Festival in Berlin is proud to announce its program. This year there has been many changes for the film business, the festival circle and the cinema audience. By definition, festival means to mingle, interact, watch films and be together. It is about togetherness. This pandemic has not allowed us for some time now to be together with our friends, peers, colleagues and, of course, the audience.

For a festival like The Greek Film Festival in Berlin which is based on its amazing, strong audience for five years now, it only makes sense to do it at its ”home”, the Babylon. Of course and above all, with the necessary measures, distances and use of masks, in order for us all to stay healthy and enjoy the films.

In case that there will be a lockdown, mind that we will push the dates of the festival back to February or March, and we will keep you posted all about it!

The full Festival Programme you will find within this link

Opening Film – EFTYCHIA

Closing Film – APPLES

We are honored to announce that from the upcoming 2021 edition the Emerging Greeks Competition Award for 1. and 2. film features will be rewarded with a 1000 euros Prize sponsored by the Greek Film Centre!

We are very happy for our great Jury of professionals!

Thank you to our Sponsors and Supporters

Feel free to spread the word and tag us as #thegreekfilmfestivalberlin!

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21/08/2021

Dear colleagues

It is this time of the year again and …the show must go on!

Against the odds and despite the fact that COVID 19 is separating us and keeps us in distance, our team already started preparing for the new edition of the fest, so save the dates: 20-24 January 2021!
With a brand new name, new LOGO and new website, the Greek Film Festival in Berlin gets in its new phase and era.
The call for entries is online already, so we’ll be more than happy to receive your submissions!
Submission link
For press inquiries please contact
sofia@thegreekfilmfestivalinberlin.com
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19.01.2020

“Emerging Greeks Award 2020”

Best Film Award to MELTEM by Basile Doganis (France, Greece) A deeply touching and well developed film that succeeds to combine two family stories with the refugee’s issue, on the suffering Greek island of Mytilini – showing that, in the end, our cruel world is one… The element of the two French boys of Arab and Black African background that authorities cannot touch because of their official identities, shows the absurdity of this immense global problem the best way possible through this well acted, emotionally powerful film.

Communication & Press

Sofia Stavrianidou (Germany, Greece)

sofia.stavrianidou@gmail.com

+49 1577 6872980

+30 6946 775702

Hellas Filmbox Berlin 2019 -Special Event

“Audiovisual Industry: Α Growth Challenge for Greece”

Speech and Discussion with Lefteris Kretsos, Deputy Minister of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media

Thursday, January 17^th, 18.00, Saal 2 Babylon, Rosa Luxemburg Platz

A speech on the growth of the audiovisual industry and the new financial motives of making films in Greece will be given by Lefteris Kretsos, Deputy Minister of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media in the context of the 4^th Hellas Filmbox Berlin (16.-20. January 2019). The speech and the following discussion with professionals, journalists and the audience is entitled “Audiovisual Industry: Α Growth Challenge for Greece”.

Cinema, television, video games and the new entertainment platforms consist fertile grounds for growth being incorporated into the new growth law. Upon his appearance at the 4^th Hellas Filmbox Berlin the Deputy Minister will analyse the parameters of the new term “cash rebate” –the financial return of 35% of any production expenses made in Greece- and the new “friendly” financial environment that enhances the motives to make audiovisual productions and co-productions in the country. Mr. Kretsos, among others, will answer queries regarding:
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– Which are the conditions for joining the new financial program?
– What is the status quo regarding the co-productions?
– What is the process of implementing the reimbursement in Greece ?
– Why is the Greek financial context more attractive that the other countries’?

Lefteris Kretsos holds a PhD in Industrial Relations. Up until 2015 he served as an Assistant Professor of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management at the University of Greenwich, London. Recently he has participated in European research and academic programs on industrial relations and social rights. He has published several related books on the subject matter. In 2015 he was appointed General Secretary of Information and Communication, and from December 2016 until August 2017 he served as General Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media. In August 2018 he was appointed Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media.

Communication & Press

Sofia Stavrianidou (Germany, Greece)

sofia.stavrianidou@gmail.com

+49 1577 6872980

+30 6946 775702

for media requests

please contact:

Sofia Stavrianidou

sofia.stavrianidou@gmail.com