Tribute to
Peter Wintonick
The 11th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century held a Tribute to the Canadian producer, director and political activist Peter Wintonick, honoring him for his thirty years of contribution to the documentary on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at the Pavlos Zannas theater.
Opening the ceremony, Dimitri Eipides, Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century said: “I am glad that the festival’s audience remains active and enthusiastically participates in the sidebar events. Part of the tradition of this festival is to honor artists who have contributed to the documentary genre. Nearing the end of this year’s edition, we are honoring the important producer and director, Peter Wintonick. But above all, we are honoring our friend, Peter Wintonick, who has supported this festival from the very beginning”, he stressed.
He next addressed the Ambassador of Canada in Greece, Renata Wielgosz. “Peter Wintonick is a prolific film maker who has won dozens of awards both at home and abroad, among which the “Governor General’s Award in Visual an Media Arts 2006. He is at the very top of Canadian digital documentary production in Canada and one of the best known documentary makers in the world”, Ms Wielgosz stated, calling Peter Wintonick ambassador for Canada throughout the world. “For over three decades he has been at the forefront of documentary making, a genre in which Canada has a long tradition. The award given to Peter Wintonick highlights the relationship that has been developed between Greece and Canada, and it is an honor for us that so many Canadian films have been screened during the 11 years of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century”, Ms Wielgosz noted.
“It is a pleasure for me every time I return to Thessaloniki and I hope I have another 30 productive years ahead of me”, Peter Wintonick said, on receiving the honorary plaque for his contribution to the documentary genre from Dimitri Eipides, Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century. “We’ve grown up together over all these years, we have developed relationships. Today I feel that I am amongst spiritual relatives. The documentary is an interpersonal and transnational way to learn about the good and the bad of this planet, to raise questions and take action. The Thessaloniki Festival is an expression of democracy, as it educates the audience through documentary films. I am glad, because the majority of the people attending the festival are young people”, Peter Wintonick.
Introducing his latest film, PilgrIMAGE, which was screened afterwards, the director mentioned that perhaps for the first and last time, he made a personal film. “The film expresses my passion for the history of cinema and my effort to pass this passion on to the next generation, while searching for new ways to serve this art”, Peter Wintonick said, while calling his new film a sweet he treated himself to.
