Thanks to everyone who turned out for the screenings of short films, inspired by Greek literary works. We thank warmly the Bookstore Cărturești for hosting our event, and the Drama Short Film Festival for the perfect collaboration.
Greek literature and cinematography have a dialogue, in the form of short films based on works of literature. Screenings of six short films based on works of Greek literature are going on tour, with the first stop Bucharest.
Cărturești – Verona (Ceainărie)
17th February, 19.00
Organizer: Hellenic Foundation for Culture
Collaboration: International Short Film Festival in Drama
Nebraska
Short film [18’] Fiction, color, 2008
Directed by Achilleas Kyriakidis, Based on a novel by Achilleas Kyriakidis
How dangerous a game between a married couple who strive to revive their sexual life can be? Screenplay Achilleas Kyriakidis, based on his story included in his awarded short story collection Artificial Respirations (2004) – Best Screenplay Award at the 2008 Drama Short Film Festival.
Cinematography: Nikos Smaragdis, Editing Yiannis Sakaridis, Sets Yioula Ziopoulou, Costumes Christina Hadjaridou, Cast: Yiota Festa, Takis Spyridakis, Christos Dimas.
Achilleas Kyriakidis was born in Cairo 1946. Greek prose writer, translator, scriptwriter of three Greek feature films, and writer-director of eleven short films, awarded both home and abroad. Recipient of the 2004 Best Short Story Collection National Award for his book Artificial Respirations; of the 2007 Best Translation National Award for his translation of Jorge Luis Borges’ Collected Prose; of the 2007 Cavafy International Prize for his translation of Alaa Al-Aswani’s The Yacubian Building; and of the 2009 Best Translation of Novel Written in French for his translation of Patrick Modiano’s Au café de la jeunesse perdue.
Santa Who?
Short film [24’], 35mm, fiction, color, 2011
Directed by Dimitris Moutsiakas, Based on a novel by Menis Koumantareas
Christmas eve. Evripidis gives a haircut to his last client, a little girl called Dimitra. The barber gets upset by the unexpected entrance of a Santa Claus, who shows up having being chased to the barber shop. A little later, two insolent young men attempt to rob him. Santa prevents the robbery. However Evripidis will be facing a huge dilemma…
Direction-Screenplay: Dimitris Moutsiakas, Cinematography: Kostis Papanastasatos, Editing: Damianos Voganatsis, Art Direction: Lia Asvesta, Music: Konstadis Papakonstadinou, Sound: Orfeas Boteas, Camera: Yiannis Georgiou, Sound design: Yiorgos Ramadanis, Assistant director: Panayiotis Skordilis, Script: Nafsika Tarazi, Direction of Production: Danai Georgoula
Dimitris Moutsiakas was born in 1986 in Chalkida. From 2004 to 2007 he was a student in the Department of Business Planning and Information Systems at the Technological Educational Institute of Patras. In 2007 he began his studies at the Hellenic Cinema and Television School L. Stavrakos, from where he graduated in 2010. This is his first film.
Face down [Pistoma]
Short film [19’] Fiction, color, 2011
Directed by Nikos Kallaras, Based on a novel by K. Theotokis
A man returns to his home village after being away for a long time. Back in his house he finds his wife with a new born child. The only rule in this half destroyed, near deserted world is violence, so everything can return back to order.
Direction-production-writing credits: George Fourtounis, Cast: Giorgos Symeonidis, Eleni Vergeti, Cinematography: Petros Gikas, Editing: Albert Chinaski, Production design: Callie Andreadis, Kia Bouska
George Fourtounis was born in 1984 and grew up in Athens. He has directed two short films. Face Down, his second short, screened at Rio de Janeiro: Curta Cinema, Thessaloniki and Short Shorts (Tokyo) film festivals among others. Face Down received the Best Fiction Film award at the 34th Film Festival in Drama and was nominated for Best Short by the Hellenic Film Academy.
13 ½
Short film, 20 min, s16-35mm, fiction, color, 2010
Directed by Haris Vafeiadis, Based on a novel by Lena Kitsopoulou
Aphrodite is 13 and a half. Her friends call her Tin-Tin. Aphrodite is in love with Lou. Aphrodite wants to grow up.
Direction: Haris Vafeiadis, Cinematography: Eduard Grau, Assistant costume: E.Goulakou, M. Marinopoulou, AWARDS: Rushes Soho Shorts 2011: Fuji Shorts Best Film Award; Drama International Film Festival: Best Film (2nd); OKLE Award for Best Film, Production: ERT SA – N-Orasis
Haris Vafeiadis was Born in Athens in 1977, studied Fiction Direction at the Hellenic Cinema & TV School, Stavrakos (1998-2001) and at the National Film & TV School of the UK, (2005-2007, sponsored by the State’s Scholarship Foundation and by the United International Pictures). He lives and works as a director in Athens.
Mercedes
Short film [22’], 35 mm , fiction, color, 2004
Directed by Simos Korexenidis, Based on a novel by Vassilis Tsiambousis
Giannis, for 25 years an immigrant in Germany, returns to his home land Drama (North Greece) with a Mercedes car. He hopes to find all those things he loved in his youth and left behind.
Script-director: Simos Korexenidis, Cinematography: Kostas Stamoulis, Editing: Panos Voutsaras, Sound: Vangelis Vlessas, Cast: Haris Emmanouil, Giota Theologidou, GIannis Koukias, Andreas Ladas, Panagiotis Karasavvas et. al, Production: ERT S.A.- CINEGRAM – SIMOS KOREXENIDIS
Korexenidis Simos was born in Drama (north Greece). Worked as an assistant director in TV serials, feature films in Greek and foreign productions. Directed short films, commercials music video clips, and a documentary. He writes scripts. Participated in art gallery exhibitions with collage artworks. Filmography: This is the Sea (1990), Kavala, a Port–a City (1995), Goodbye (2001), Mercedes (2004), Marina Valieri, Cavafy’s Grand Niece (2011), One More Dance (2012).
Black Tempest
Short film [14’], Fiction, 35mm, color, 2011
Directed by Nikos Kallaras, Based on a novel by Dimitris Mingas
Α kick-off in a rush, a missed pass and a missed goal, deprive Kalamata’s FC of its stay in the major league. Rumors of fixed games are circulating. The fans are upset and blame Thomas, who dies in shame. Haunted, he visits one by one his fellow players in their dreams. He wants them to play the match once again.
Director Nikos Kallaras, Script Nancy Spetsioti, Nikos Kallaras, Cinematography: Nikos Voulgaris, Editing: Dora Masklavanou, Sound: Kostas Kouratos, Art direction: Dimitris Ziakas, Costume design: Sofia Kotsikou, Music: Eleni Lomvardou, Casting: Elpida Panagiotidou, Produced by ERT S.A. – 2K FILMS
Nikos Kallaras was born in Thessaloniki and Studied Film Direction at Stavrakos Film School. He has worked as an assistant director with Nikos Panayiotopoulos, Periklis Hoursoglou, Nikos Perakis, Vangelis Seitanidis and as a Casting Director with Vasilis Tselemegos. His film The Sharing Toy has won the National Awards Quality at the 45th Thessaloniki Film Festival.
This event is organized in cooperation with the International Short Film Festival in Drama, as part of the program “The Drama Festival Travels…” After the screenings in Bucharest, the program will continue to the other HFC branches: Alexandria, Belgrade, Berlin, Nicosia, London, Odessa, Washington and Trieste.
