“This year, TIFF is seeking something different: something that cannot be seen at first sight. Something that is hidden, that is out of frame, and yet is able to change everything”, as the presenter stressed. The actor taught the audience of Olympion how to applaud in sign language, which, as she said, just two months ago was legally recognized by the Greek Parliament as equal to Greek language.
Afterwards, the general director of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival Elise Jalladeau and the director Orestis Andreadakis took the stage. They thanked the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Region of Central Macedonia for its support through the NSRF framework, the MEDIA sub-program of Creative Europe, the Greek Parliament and Vouli TV Channel, the European Parliament, the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Greek Public Television, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki Port Authority, the Greek Film Centre, the Onassis Foundation, the Movement of Artists with Disabilities and Pavlos Melas and Kalamaria Municipalities. In addition, the main sponsor of TIFF, Cosmote. And Athenian Brewery, especially Fischer beer, Aegean Airlines, Kosmocar, Jameson, Wines of North Greece and Samsung. Moreover, Eurimages and the companies GRAAL, 2/35, Musou and Heretic Asterisk, Agora/Industry sponsors, as well as Locarno Film Festival, Faliro House and CNC. Last but not least, all embassies, institutes and cultural institutions collaborating with TIFF, as well as the city’s two Universities, mainly the School of Film Studies, and all Greek distributors supporting the Festival, and all supporters and media sponsors.
“This year we will try to see what cannot be seen, take risks, seek new trends, embrace new technologies, interact with the other arts”, Mrs Jalladeau said. Mr Andreadakis spoke about the debate attempted by the Festival with literature, philosophy and visual arts, noting that: “Our official International Competition Section will this year have -for the first time- a subject: Taking Roots, which we borrowed by one of the most iconic 20th century philosophy books: the book The Need for Roots*, written by Simone Weil in 1943”. In that point, Mrs. Jalladeau quoted the French philosopher Simone Weil’s saying that “taking roots is the human soul’s most important, and most underestimated need”, and adding that “this belief is the inspiration for the 14 films in the International Competition Section of TIFF. We selected our films taking inspiration by a book”. As Mr Andreadakis explained, after the selection of films, 14 young Greek artists were commissioned to produce an artwork each, inspired by a film in the competition section. “Thus, we have 14 artists who comment on the concepts of the 14 films selected through a debate with the concepts of a book”, he added.
Mrs Jalladeau talked about the discourse with new technologies, mainly VR, as in virtual reality. “A new means that is taking us out of the traditional frame and is extending the angle of view to 360 degrees. This way we are introducing a second Official Competition Section with virtual reality films”, he stressed.
In his turn, Mr Andreadakis referred to the six tributes to modern and classic cinema, the masterclasses, the discussions with famous creators and the special screenings in this year’s festival. “All these are connected to the Greek reality, the Greek creators and producers”, noted Mr Jalladeau, adding that: “This is why we are now presenting 33 Greek films, giving them the opportunity to get in touch with professionals from all over the world via Agora/Industry”. This very section is what Mr Andreadakis referred to, noting that it is “the most dynamic and rapidly developing section of TIFF. More than 300 cinema professionals are expected this year in Thessaloniki to prepare tomorrow’s cinema”.
Concluding, Mrs Jalladeau noted: “Beside these changes, TIFF remains a vivid organism with year-round activity: open venues throughout the year, quality film screenings, the Cinema Museum and Cinemathèque, the innovative educational programs, the summer screenings and the constant meddling in Thessaloniki and most importantly its collaboration with all cultural institutions of the city”.
The Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, took the stage of the Olympion right after, welcoming the audience to the great celebration of the city and of culture. “This year, TIFF completes its 58 years. This leading cultural institution is one of the largest cultural events in Thessaloniki and wider in Macedonia, having the most significant appeal not only within Greece, but internationally as well. It invites us to a great celebration of culture throughout Thessaloniki, with many interesting parallel events. Culture is a ticket to a better life”, stressed Mr Tzitzikostas. He added that the Region's main priority is to essentially support the area’s most important cultural institutions, aiming to openness, the cultural prominence and the multi-dimensional promotion of Central Macedonia and Thessaloniki. “This is why we support TIFF’s potential in the present and the future”, he noted. In this context, as he stressed, the Region obtained, through the NSRF 2014-2020, 1.4 million euros for the Thessaloniki International Film and the Documentary Festivals within the next years, ensuring their continuous rise. “We join hands and collaborate with all institutions that are working hard and creatively for the sake of the local cultural growth, with all those that despite the rough times are opening new horizons in artistic expression, and give space for the emergence of young artists”, said Mr Tzitzikostas, congratulating the contributors and all those who worked for the event. Addressing to the audience, he wished them to get out of the festival venues richer in images, ideas and creative thoughts, since “above all, cinema is a window to feeling, the world, the society itself”.
The official opening of TIFF was declared by the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lydia Koniordou. “Perhaps the modern era seems dark to some. Yet, inescapably, a new light is born inside darkness. Culture is a beacon connected to light”, said Mrs Koniordou. And added: “TIFF is a timeless beacon of culture that connects what we were, what we are and what we choose to be, a beacon that connects cultures internationally. Its range is global and it stands equally along the biggest world festivals. It is a feast featuring the inspiration, the poetry, the magic of pictures inside a magic city that embraces warmly and hospitably this Festival in the last 58 years. TIFF is an important step for young auteurs from all over the world, it is the backbone of Greek cinema, it creates a spirit of fertile conversation between film creation in Greece and internationally. This is where future cinema is born”.
This year, as in its previous edition, the Festival will screen a number of Greek films with synchronized subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH). The action is part of the Festival’s wider initiative to share the power of cinema with all viewers without exception, ensuring access to both facilities and their content, with Onassis Foundation and Onassis Cultural Centre as accessibility sponsors, and the valuable collaboration of the Movement of Artists with Disabilities. Thus, in the opening ceremony the audience had the chance to watch parts of two totally accessible films before their screening in the 58th TIFF: The Match-making of Anna by the celebrated Greek filmmaker Pantelis Voulgaris, and Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation Havoc by the legendary Greek actor Thanassis Vengos, which will be screened with audio description (AD) for the blind and visually impaired, and SDH.
At the same time, the audience watched the four commercials of the 58th TIFF, directed by Babis Makridis.
At the end of the ceremony, the director Ildiko Enyedi came to the scene of Olympion. This year’s TIFF is making a tribute to this director, whose last film On Body and Soul was screened in the opening ceremony. The Hungarian auteur remembered with emotion the first time she participated in the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, 17 years ago, to present her film Simon the Magician, in the production of which had collaborated with Elise Jalladeau. In the 17 years that passed since then, she was seeking finance for her projects, as she said. “My bitterness and desperation did not fade out until I started shootings for my new film, which I hope will encourage all those that are fighting for what they love, stressed Mrs Enyedi a little before the screening of her film began in the screen of Olympion.
