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Kremena Koutsoukou

This year Thessaloniki cinema fest will take place under the motto “Why Cinema Today?” This question has the intention to make people think and go deep in the meaning, value and perspective of cinema today.

Within ten days, from November 13 to 22, the seventh art fans will have the opportunity to see many screening. Unfortunately for the Greek public, most of the movies will be foreign and not Greek. Despite the statements of Despina Mouzaki – festival director, that the organization wants to see all Greek films this year, the country will be represented only by eight local film productions.

Greek producers and screen writers are boycotting the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the National Cinema Awards. With this reaction they want to remind the country and the citizens that there cannot be a celebration without the existence of the film industry and are insisting for a law to be immediately passed, which will allow the industry’s improvement. “We have had this problem for years. For now, there is no development on the subject but we are sure that the newly elected government will show us where they stand,” said Mrs. Mouzaki, adding that the minister of culture Geroulanos has expressed his strong concern for the problems in the Greek film industry.

Leaving the problems aside, the program of the festival, which was presented today in the Ministry of Culture, is promising diversity of films from all over the world, interesting guests, professional classes, open discussions and new creative activities. Many famous artists will be present at the festival. Planned is an art panorama of the work of German director Werner Herzog, who will personally present his films. The famous Serbian director Goran Paskalevic will give an award and will screen his newest movie “Honeymoons” for the first time. The movie is the first Serbian-Albanian co-production. Other interesting guests of the festival are 2 time Oscar nominee French movie composer Alexander Depla, Oscar winner – “Last Emperor’s” producer Jeremy Thomas and director Fatih Akin, whose comedy “Soul Kitchen” will open the festival.

Two world and eight European premieres will take place at the festival. The Greek program includes eight student films by students from the Cinema Department of the Thessaloniki University. The movie “River” by Nikos Koundouris will also be screened during the first week of the festival.

Many initiatives are planned, dedicated to the Philippine and Japanese cinema. “Post romance,” “Experimental forum” and “Sight towards the Balkans” are included as rubrics in the film program. There will be many productions from all Balkan countries, including Bulgaria, which will present “Eastern plays” by Kamen Kalev.