Athens International Film Festival

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Athens, Greece September 17 - 28, 2008
Call for Entry Deadline: July 15, 2008
Festival Data:
- Established: 1994
- Genre: General
- Attendance: 48523
- Media Attendance: 375
- Total Number of Films Submitted: 503
- Total Number of Films Screened: 165
- Total Screenings: 165
- Total National and International Premieres: 7
- # of Shorts Screened: 41
- # of Features Screened: 124
- Competitive
- Retrospective
- Online Festival
Festival Website:
www.aiff.gr
Festival Description:

Athens International Film Festival ""Opening Nights"" focuses on the best of independent cinema from around the world and especially on independent American & European productions which give it its distinctive identity. The Festival was founded with the aim of giving a wider audience the opportunity to get in touch with all aspects of contemporary cinema, as well as giving a chance to new and interesting filmmakers to reach the Greek public. Since it first started, eleven years ago, the Athens International Film Festival has always met with the enthusiasm of the audience and the support of the press and distributors.

Prize: Golden Athena award for Best Film (5000 Euros cash).
Film Submissions:
- Accepts direct submissions
Email: festival(at)pegasus.gr

Phone: (30) 210 606 1363

Fax: (30) 210 601 4137

Mailing Address: 5 Benaki Str
Halandri-Athens 15238
Greece

Email:	festival(at)pegasus.gr
Phone:	(30) 210 606 1363
Fax:	(30) 210 601 4137
Mailing Address:	5 Benaki Str Halandri-Athens 15238 Greece

OCT 18, 2007 01:42PM FFW Festival Editor writes:

Awards for the 2007 Athens International Film Festival

All good things must come to a close. The end credits roll, the lights go on, Festival guests fly home, the happy crowds leave the theaters and the curtain falls on the 13th Athens International Film Festival.

Highlights of this year's Festival include classics, such as Max Ophüls's "Lola Montes," Todd Haynes's shorts, Anton Corbijn's "Control," presented by Peter Hook, "Boxes" presented by a ravishing as ever Jane Birkin and Zoe Cassavetes's exceptional "Broken English."

The 13th Athens International Film Festival officially ended on Sunday with the Awards Ceremony.

Audience Award: "Water Lilies"
Directed By: Celine Sciamma

The Award for Best Screenplay, presented by the Festival's Youth Jury: "La Zona"
Directed By: Rodrigo Pla

Mrs Daskalaki-Mitilineou, chairwoman of the City of Athens Cultural Organization, presented the City of Athens Award for Best Director to Eilon Ratzkovsky, producer of "The Band's Visit by Eran Kolirin."

The Golden Athena, which comes with a cash prize of 10,000 Euors, was awarded to: "XXY"
Directed by: by Lucia Puenzo.
"XXY" actor Martin Piroyanski was present to receive the
award.

The Music & Film Jury, composed of Michael Galasso (Chairman), Stephen Dalton, Blaine Reininger, Christine Vachon and Themis Bazaka, awarded the Music & Film Golden Athena, which also comes with a 10,000 Euro cash prize, to Stefan Schwietert's "Echoes of Home."

After the Awards Ceremony, producer Christine Vachon presented the world premiere of Todd Haynes's latest film "I'm Not There" which officially closed the 13th Athens International Film Festival.

The Athens International Film Festival is organized by the ATHENS FILM SOCIETY (Non-profit organization) in collaboration with the CINEMA magazine (PEGASUS PUBLISHING).

Chairwoman: MARIA BOBOLA
General Director: PETROS ANTONIADIS
Creative Director: ORESTIS ANDREADAKIS
Commercial Director: IOANNIS PAPPAS Advertising Manager: IOANNA MANDOUVALOU
Programming Consultant: LOUKAS KATSIKAS
Programmer: JACOB SKENDERIDIS
Programming Coordinators: THANASSIS PATSAVOS, NINA VELIGRADI, FEDRA VOKALI
report