Presented by your favorite actor Fani Mouratidis the opening ceremony of the 3rd took place on Tuesday, July 2nd Evia Film Projectof the green initiative of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, at the summer cinema “Apollo” in Edipsos.
The public was welcomed by the Festival’s General Director Elise Zalandothe Artistic Director Orestis Andreadakiswho then addressed a greeting on behalf of the Festival Management, the President, Eleftheria Thanoulisthe vice president, Grigoris Vardarinos and the member Maria Criada.
Fanis Mouratidis welcomed the audience to this year’s event, saying: “The Evia Film Project began in the summer of 22, as an effort to support and strengthen the place that suffered from the devastating fire a year ago.” He added: “We continue our effort to support the society of North Evia and at the same time to highlight the beauty and love for nature and life that this beautiful place inspires.”
“The Evia Film Project is an organization of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, financed by the Ministry of Culture and supported by EKOME and the Hellenic Cinema Center. Of course, this would not have become a reality without the warm and close cooperation of the local government,” Fanis Mouratidis stressed. At this point he also mentioned his role in the popular TV series Maestro: “As you may know, in the series I play a mayor who invites a conductor to organize a music festival. And as you remember, it all doesn’t go very well in the end. I hope things will go much better here,” he said humorously.
The presenter invited the mayor of Istiaia-Edipsos, Yiannis Kontzias, to the stage, who took the floor and said jokingly that he hopes not to suffer the same fate as the mayor of Maestro. He then welcomed the spectators: “Together we have organized this much-loved action and you are truly supporting this place that has been under trial for three years. We have not gathered here because of an obsession with introversion and misery surrounding a disaster, but because this persistence, effort and hard work will make our country move forward. Of course, the trials did not end in August 2021. The t-shirt of the disaster is still unfolding, with the last reminder of the danger in the dramatic moments with the floods of last September.
She then thanked the Ministry of Culture, which practically supports her. Northern Euboea and stated that the area of culture, and specifically cinema, has been with Evia from the very beginning. He also referred to this year’s theme Evia Film Project: “Water is a catalyst parameter for maintaining the balance of the environment. As the first level of self-government, we are called to manage its adequacy on a daily basis and ensure its sustainability. It is a main component of our organization and has occupied, in addition to science, philosophy and religions”, he stressed.
He went on to recall the mythological origins of tourism in the spa town of Edipsos, saying that it was “one of the busiest sea routes in antiquity”. In conclusion, he stated that “these waters invited Jacques-Yves Cousteau, in 1975-1976, to explore the wreckage of the Edipsos seas and the emblematic naval battle of Artemisium, at the invitation of the Greek government”. He also expressed the hope that the Evia Film Project will continue its activities for many years to come.
Fanis Mouratidis then spoke about the activities of the Evia Film Project and presented this year’s event spot, which was created by 23-year-old Panos Arvanitakis (Entelechus), a psychology student at Panteion University, who has been self-taught in the art of animation since he was a child. He then invited the general director of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, Elise Zalandos, and the artistic director, Orestis Andreadakis, to the stage, who thanked the Mayor and welcomed the guests and the audience to the 3rd Evia Film Project.
“Following the devastating fires of 2021, the Thessaloniki Film Festival has decided to make a practical contribution to the reconstruction of North Evia. And it has decided to do it the way it knows how: with cinema, with art. So, from 2022 onwards, we are pleased to meet every summer in North Evia and share with its residents and visitors a wide range of films and actions aimed at green and sustainable cinema”, they highlighted. They also referred to the actions of Ágora, the Festival’s development sector that plays a catalytic role in the direction of sustainable cinema.
“Our goal is one: to transform North Evia into an international green film hub. But also to highlight its beautiful landscape, its hospitable people, the true potential of the island. The Evia Film Project is a platform to awaken to the consequences of environmental destruction and climate change, but also a trigger for the regeneration of a beautiful region that carries deep wounds, both on a symbolic and practical level,” noted Ms. Zalandos and Mr. Andreadakis.
They thanked the Ministry of Culture and Minister Lina Mendonis, Vice Minister Jason Fotila, as well as the sponsors and supporters of the event: the Festival’s main sponsor Cosmote TV, the strategic partner PPC, Fischer, EKOME and the Hellenic Film Center, the Municipalities of Istiaia-Edipsos and Mantoudi-Limni-Agia Anna, the Port Organization of the Municipality of Evia, the CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator program, a partner of the Market, and the communication sponsors ERT, ERT3 and Kathimerini. They also thanked the Volunteer Rescuers Association of the Forest Firefighters of the Center-North of Evia. They also thanked the Board of Directors and all its collaborators. Thessaloniki Film Festival.
Finally, they mentioned water, this year’s theme of the Evia Film Project, and invited the audience to discover the power of the place of North Evia and also the power of cinema. After the opening ceremony, the film was screened The Odyssey in Jerome Saltwith which the public immersed themselves in the world of the pioneering explorer Jacques Yves Cousteauwith the waters of the Mediterranean as a backdrop.
Source: Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Diligence:George Koulouvaris
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