Twelve films of over 50 minutes in length, created by young filmmakers, will compete for the Golden Alexander “Dimitri Eipides” and the Silver Alexander Award. The Golden Alexander “Dimitri Eipides” award is accompanied by a €10,000 cash prize. The Silver Alexander Award is accompanied by a €4,000 cash prize. This year, the Newcomers Competition Jury members are: Maria Drandaki, film producer; Alisa Kovalenko, filmmaker; and Gianluca Matarrese; filmmaker.
Maria Drandaki
Maria Drandaki founded her production label Homemade Films in 2009. Maria’s slate includes works by some of the most unique and daring voices in Greek and international cinema, most notably the internationally acclaimed feature films by Syllas Tzoumerkas (Homeland, A Blast, The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea), Yorgos Zois (Interruption), Nikos Labôt (Her Job) and Christos Passalis (Silence 6-9) as well as multi-awarded short films Limbo and Electric Swan by Konstantina Kotzamani and A Drowning Man by Mahdi Fleifel. Her latest productions are Animal by Sofia Exarchou which was awarded the Pardo for best performance at Locarno IFF 2023 and the Golden Alexander for best film at Thessaloniki IFF 2023, while Arcadia by Yorgos Zois had its world premiere at the Berlinale Encounters Competition 2024. She contributes as a production and co-production expert in various workshops and film industry events. She is a member of the EAVE and ACE producers’ networks as well as the European Film Academy and a member of the board of the Hellenic Producers’ Association.
Maria Drandaki founded her production label Homemade Films in 2009. Maria’s slate includes works by some of the most unique and daring voices in Greek and international cinema, most notably the internationally acclaimed feature films by Syllas Tzoumerkas (Homeland, A Blast, The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea), Yorgos Zois (Interruption), Nikos Labôt (Her Job) and Christos Passalis (Silence 6-9) as well as multi-awarded short films Limbo and Electric Swan by Konstantina Kotzamani and A Drowning Man by Mahdi Fleifel. Her latest productions are Animal by Sofia Exarchou which was awarded the Pardo for best performance at Locarno IFF 2023 and the Golden Alexander for best film at Thessaloniki IFF 2023, while Arcadia by Yorgos Zois had its world premiere at the Berlinale Encounters Competition 2024. She contributes as a production and co-production expert in various workshops and film industry events. She is a member of the EAVE and ACE producers’ networks as well as the European Film Academy and a member of the board of the Hellenic Producers’ Association.
Alisa Kovalenko
Alisa Kovalenko is a Ukrainian award-winning director, and member of the European Film Academy. She grew up in Zaporizhzhia, South-Eastern Ukraine, and studied at the Karpenko-Kary National University of Cinema in Kyiv and at the Wajda School in Warsaw. Alisa’s debut documentary Alisa in Warland, a personal diary through revolution and war in Ukraine, premiered at IDFA Amsterdam in 2015. Home Games, a social fairytale about a young Ukrainian female soccer player, appeared at Sheffield Doc/Fest in 2018, was again selected at IDFA (Best of Fests), and became the first Ukrainian creative documentary acquired by Netflix. In 2019, Alisa started filming We Will Not Fade Away a teenage adventure documentary set in war-torn Donbas. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, she joined a volunteer combat unit associated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Alisa fought in the front line trenches for months, before returning to finish her film. We Will Not Fade Away had its World Premiere at the Berlinale 2023 and was nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Award. The film won 15 international awards, received the Ukrainian Film Academy Award 2023 for the best Ukrainian documentary, and was selected for the European Film Awards 2023. The world premiere of Alisa's latest short documentary, Girl Away from Home, co-directed with Simon Lereng Wilmont, took place at IDFA 2023.
Alisa Kovalenko is a Ukrainian award-winning director, and member of the European Film Academy. She grew up in Zaporizhzhia, South-Eastern Ukraine, and studied at the Karpenko-Kary National University of Cinema in Kyiv and at the Wajda School in Warsaw. Alisa’s debut documentary Alisa in Warland, a personal diary through revolution and war in Ukraine, premiered at IDFA Amsterdam in 2015. Home Games, a social fairytale about a young Ukrainian female soccer player, appeared at Sheffield Doc/Fest in 2018, was again selected at IDFA (Best of Fests), and became the first Ukrainian creative documentary acquired by Netflix. In 2019, Alisa started filming We Will Not Fade Away a teenage adventure documentary set in war-torn Donbas. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, she joined a volunteer combat unit associated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Alisa fought in the front line trenches for months, before returning to finish her film. We Will Not Fade Away had its World Premiere at the Berlinale 2023 and was nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Award. The film won 15 international awards, received the Ukrainian Film Academy Award 2023 for the best Ukrainian documentary, and was selected for the European Film Awards 2023. The world premiere of Alisa's latest short documentary, Girl Away from Home, co-directed with Simon Lereng Wilmont, took place at IDFA 2023.
Gianluca Matarrese
Gianluca Matarrese (1980) was born in Torino and moved to Paris in 2002 to study cinema and theater. He graduated in History and Critics of North American Cinema at the University of Torino and Paris VIII, also graduating at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. In 2008 he started working in French television, as a writer and director for a comedy series on OCS networks broadcast until 2012. Then he continued as writer, director, and segment producer in the entertainment department for moreover than 25 programs and all French networks. In 2019 his documentary Fuori Tutto (Rossofuoco Films, Agat Films, France Télévisions) won the award for Best Italian Documentary at the Torino Film Festival. His film La dernière séance (The Last Chapter) had its world premiere at the last Venice International Film Critics’ Week, winning the Queer Lion Award. His latest film Fashion Babylon (Bellota Films & France Télévisions) premiered at CPH:DOX and Hot Docs and more than 20 festivals around the world. It has been broadcast in 10 countries. His 2023 film L’Expérience Zola was presented at the Giornate degli Autori at the last Venice Film Festival.
Gianluca Matarrese (1980) was born in Torino and moved to Paris in 2002 to study cinema and theater. He graduated in History and Critics of North American Cinema at the University of Torino and Paris VIII, also graduating at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. In 2008 he started working in French television, as a writer and director for a comedy series on OCS networks broadcast until 2012. Then he continued as writer, director, and segment producer in the entertainment department for moreover than 25 programs and all French networks. In 2019 his documentary Fuori Tutto (Rossofuoco Films, Agat Films, France Télévisions) won the award for Best Italian Documentary at the Torino Film Festival. His film La dernière séance (The Last Chapter) had its world premiere at the last Venice International Film Critics’ Week, winning the Queer Lion Award. His latest film Fashion Babylon (Bellota Films & France Télévisions) premiered at CPH:DOX and Hot Docs and more than 20 festivals around the world. It has been broadcast in 10 countries. His 2023 film L’Expérience Zola was presented at the Giornate degli Autori at the last Venice Film Festival.
