30th Athens International Film Festival: International Competition Awards
The Jury of the International Competition section of the 30th Athens International Film Festival was composed by:
SARIG PEKER, producer
JANE GILES, writer and programmer of Scala
MIRIAM ALLEN, managing Director of Galway Film Fleadh
ALEXIS GRAPSAS, musician and composer
BLAINE L. REININGER, musician and composer
The international GOLDEN ATHENA awards for BEST FILM and BEST DOCUMENTARY are accompanied by a financial prize of 2.000 euros while the statuettes are kindly sponsored by ZOLOTAS Jewellers. Our juries also award the CITY OF ATHENS BEST DIRECTOR AWARD and the BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD, while the International Competition Section also receives the GREEK FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD and the FISCHER AUDIENCE AWARD.
Golden Athena Award | FLOW by Gints Zilbalodis
In the words of the Jury:
"For the outstanding realization of a perfectly plausible dream world, full of nuanced, sophisticated details and humor. The multi-talented Gints Zilbalodis took on many roles to create a timely environmental story with wide appeal to audiences of all ages."
City of Athens Best Director Award | IN THE SUMMERS by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
In the words of the Jury:
"We decided to select a film with perfect composition, tenderness and emotional depth. We were impressed by the storytelling in fragments and the virtuosity with which the passage of time was depicted."
Best Screenplay Award | VERMIGLIO by Maura Delpero
In the words of the Jury:
“The Jury was captivated by a complex tale of family relationships set in the shadow of WWII in a remote part of Italy. The film’s subtle sense of humour balances the tragedy at the heart of this story so the BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD goes to Maura Delpero for Vermiglio.”
Special Mention | BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY by Lin Jianjie
Special Mention | APRIL by Déa Kulumbegashvili
Fischer Audience Award | FLOW by Gints Zilbalodis
In the words of Penelope Zaoudi, Marketing Manager Fischer & International Premium Brands:
"This year, the Athens International Film Festival, is celebrating 30 years of cinema, art and stories that keep us company. And for yet another year, Fischer was here, present at this highlight for the city, in a celebration that movie lovers look forward to every autumn. This year's festival gave us unforgettable experiences, full of emotions and unique film suggestions that opened up new horizons. Through 150 films, we experienced stories that moved us, challenged us to reflect and took us to different worlds. These experiences become reality in the dark room, where sounds and images surround us, creating a unique atmosphere that cannot be compared to any other form of viewing.
For the 6th year, Fischer gives spectators the opportunity to showcase their favourite film through the Fischer Audience Award. This year, the participation was impressive, as around 6,100 spectators voted, showing their active involvement in this special cinematic journey.
Before I conclude, I would like to thank the Festival's organization for their commitment to developing this cinematic celebration, which has become an institution for the city of Athens, and all the filmmakers who offered us these unforgettable cinematic moments.
And now, the moment we have all been waiting for! The Fischer Audience Award for the 30th Athens International Film Festival is awarded to Gints Zilbalodis’ film FLOW".
Greek Film Critics Association Award | ARMAND by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
Greek Film Critics Association Award |
ARMAND by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
In the words of GFCA:
"The 11-member award committee appointed by the Greek Film Critics Association, watched films from the International Competition Section of the 30th Athens International Film Festival and judged their overall quality in terms of content and creative performance, hoping for the distribution of all of them in cinemas in the coming period. We call, in general, on the distributors, for arthouse cinema to be the dominant cinema screened in our country, as it is the kind of cinema that cultivates emotions and generates ideas, interpretations and discussions. At the same time, we want to declare our support for short film directors, asking from this platform, too, that there should finally be provision for short films to find their way to the cinemas and the general audience. The award of the Greek Film Critics Association is given to a film that - while it is the debute of a director - manages to reach a high, thematic and cinematographic - directorial level, with dramatic power and intensity comparable to the most experienced and mature creators of European cinema, with screenplay, performance and sound excellence following the best traditions of the historical school of chamber cinema, a lesson in contemporary cinema on how to create art that touches the viewer emotionally and intellectually in a single space ( in this case the school). Bold in its entire realisation, and necessary precisely to be able to speak to the public directly about the reproduction of violence, deeply rooted in institutions such as school and family, reminding us how much massive change is needed at a social level to bring about a total response to the phenomenon of violence that now touches all aspects of our lives."
The Golden Athena awards-statuettes for Best Fiction and Documentary Film were created by designer Giorgos Sepetzoglou and are courtesy of ZOLOTAS Jewellers.
The Athens International Film Festival, sponsored by Nova, took place from October 2nd to October 14th. The venues that hosted this year's event were: DANAOS I & II, CINOBO OPERA I & II, ASTOR, ASTY, AVANA, FRENCH INSTITUTE OF GREECE, ONASSIS STEGI, MEGARON ATHENS CONCERT HALL, MUSEUM OF CYCLADIC ART and PALLAS.
