We've reached autumn at last and even though the summer was a bit empty when it comes to blog entries, we return with the 19th Athens International Film Festival that takes place in the capital of Greece every September.
What? Did you thing that the only International Film Festivals can be found in Toronto, Venice, Berlin or the Cannes? Athens has its own festival - also known as "Premiere Nights" - that lasts 12 days, presents temporary films that have either been critically acclaimed in other Film Festivals during the year or premiere here for the first time and also older films as part of tributes to great directors from all over the world. Short films, documentaries, films about music and interesting cult films are all part of the festival's program.
At the end of the festival the "Golden Athena" is awarded to the best film (selected by a 5-member jury) and to the best documentary. Some awards are also given for Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Breakthrough Direction, Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actor and by an Actress. A "People's Choice Award" is also given. This year, an award for Best Greek Short Film is going to be awarded for the first time in the history of the festival.
What? Did you thing that the only International Film Festivals can be found in Toronto, Venice, Berlin or the Cannes? Athens has its own festival - also known as "Premiere Nights" - that lasts 12 days, presents temporary films that have either been critically acclaimed in other Film Festivals during the year or premiere here for the first time and also older films as part of tributes to great directors from all over the world. Short films, documentaries, films about music and interesting cult films are all part of the festival's program.
At the end of the festival the "Golden Athena" is awarded to the best film (selected by a 5-member jury) and to the best documentary. Some awards are also given for Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Breakthrough Direction, Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actor and by an Actress. A "People's Choice Award" is also given. This year, an award for Best Greek Short Film is going to be awarded for the first time in the history of the festival.
This year the festival opens with Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha and closes with the Cannes sensation and winner La Vie d'Adele (Blue is the Warmest Colour). Many films from numerous countries are also part of the festival such as the canadian Inch'Allah (from the creators of Incendies and Monsieur Lazhar), the french Les Rencontres d'apres midi, this year's Oscar nominated Kon-Tiki, the italian La Grande Bellezza, the first greek epic-fantasy film based on a comic book The Dragonphoenix Chronicles: Indomitable, the american Upstream Color directed by Shane Carruth (Primer), the british horror film In Fear, the israeli The Congress which is Ari Folman's (Valse Im Bashir) new film starring Robin Wright, the irish What Richard Did, the german Oh Boy, Ben Wheatley's new film A Field in England, the kurdish love story My Sweet Pepperland, and the korean Jiseul which is based on the true story of a village whose residents hid in caves to escape from the anti-communist regime.
The big premieres of the festival include Robert Redford's new breathtaking one-man-show All is Lost, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut Don Jon, Daniel Radcliffe's new film Kill Your Darlings, the true story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old who got shot by a policeman in Bay Area: Fruitvale Nation, Lovelace with Amanda Seyfried and David Lowery's Ain't Them Bodies Saints with Casey Affleck.
This year's list of documentaries is very interesting too and it includes Blackfish which demostrates the dangerous consequences of keeping intelligent animals such as Orcas under captivity, The 12 O'Clock Boys about a gang of illegal dirt bike riders in Baltimore and 20 Feet From Stardom, the story of the back-up singers who live their whole life so close to the spotlight without ever being under it.
Many greek films are also part of the festival this year: Η Λιμουζίνα (The Limo), a road movie by Nikos Panagiotopoulos, To Δέντρο και η Κούνια (The Tree and the Swing) starring Mirto Alikaki, the psychological thriller Lurk, Happy Slapping about a group of friends who storm in the city streets and record their violent assaults on their phones, Illusion a film-noir about a reporter who falls for a Russian girl who's involved in the night scene, September Penny Panayotopoulou's new film which was also shown in Toronto, Aπό τη Γη στη Σελήνη (From the Earth to the Moon) the first feature-length animated film based on Jules Verne's book, Mαξιλάρι (Pillow), Ο Εχθρός μου (My Enemy) about a gang that messes up a family's life, Οι Αισθηματίες about two con men who fall in love, Dimitris Bitos' Ανεμιστήρας (Fan) and finally Luton the story of a high-school student, a lawyer and a family man who cross paths.
The Festival also pays tribute to many important directors from all over the globe such as the Dutch Alex van Wanmerdam (Borgman, Little Tony, Waiter, Abel, The Dress, The Northerners, The Last Days of Emma Blank, Grimm), the Israeli Ari Folman (Valse Im Bashir, Made in Israel, The Congress, Saint Clara) and the French Georges Franju (Les Yeuc Sans Visage, Nuits Rouges, Thomas l'imposteur, Therese Desqueyroux, Judex)
The AIFF starts today and lasts until the 29th of September. You can find the schedule here.
Many greek films are also part of the festival this year: Η Λιμουζίνα (The Limo), a road movie by Nikos Panagiotopoulos, To Δέντρο και η Κούνια (The Tree and the Swing) starring Mirto Alikaki, the psychological thriller Lurk, Happy Slapping about a group of friends who storm in the city streets and record their violent assaults on their phones, Illusion a film-noir about a reporter who falls for a Russian girl who's involved in the night scene, September Penny Panayotopoulou's new film which was also shown in Toronto, Aπό τη Γη στη Σελήνη (From the Earth to the Moon) the first feature-length animated film based on Jules Verne's book, Mαξιλάρι (Pillow), Ο Εχθρός μου (My Enemy) about a gang that messes up a family's life, Οι Αισθηματίες about two con men who fall in love, Dimitris Bitos' Ανεμιστήρας (Fan) and finally Luton the story of a high-school student, a lawyer and a family man who cross paths.
The Festival also pays tribute to many important directors from all over the globe such as the Dutch Alex van Wanmerdam (Borgman, Little Tony, Waiter, Abel, The Dress, The Northerners, The Last Days of Emma Blank, Grimm), the Israeli Ari Folman (Valse Im Bashir, Made in Israel, The Congress, Saint Clara) and the French Georges Franju (Les Yeuc Sans Visage, Nuits Rouges, Thomas l'imposteur, Therese Desqueyroux, Judex)
The AIFF starts today and lasts until the 29th of September. You can find the schedule here.
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