Festival Data:

• Established: 2001
• Genre: Documentary (click to see)
• Attendance: 4000
• Total Number of Films Submitted: 150
• Total Number of Films Screened: 90
• Total Screenings: 90
• # of Shorts Screened: 72
• # of Features Screened: 16

• Competitive
• Has Panels

Festival Website:

Festival Description:

Ecocinema is the longest running and one of the first environmental/ sociopolitical issues film festival to be established in the Mediterranean and the Balkans.
 
With the aim to arouse the public's awareness, as well as its participation to a global dialogue in progress,  Ecocinema, in its 7day program, presents recent productions of documentary, fiction and animation films, features and shorts, which focus on issues related to contemporary societies and their ecological surroundings.

The problems that the planet and its -natural or urban- ecosystems, face emerge from human activity, the use of natural resources, general production and consumption conditions and habits. Problems sprung by an economic and political system of globalization. Under this prism, the Ecocinema program tries to show aspects of world and highlight critical issues that concern us in the beginning of 21st century: man and the environment, globalization, societies in crisis, war, development, economy – but also the  solutions invented by people, communities and movements, who resist and finally produce their own civilization.

Environmental crisis -still underestimated, regardless all evidence- should not be a matter of special interest. It has to be placed in the centre of the universal political scene. Cinema is a way, an important tool, for communicating environmental and cultural messages. At the same time it is a chance to go beyond national isolationism via an international language, which reveals us pictures of unknown societies which have in common the element of locality in an environment of open borders. According that point, cinema can present and promote a different, a positive view of globalization.

The ECOCINEMA Festival program generally comprises of the  following competitive and non competitive sections :

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Presents recent productions from all over the world: feature length as well as short length documentaries, fiction, animation and experimental features and shorts which reflect on environmental, social and political issues. The essential criteria  for the selection of films are the sensibility of the filmmaker's viewpoint, the radicalism in both subject and narrative,  the artistic result as a whole. Submitted films are selected by the organizing committee. Participants pursue prizes awarded by an international jury committee.

International competition feature length films: 8000 euro

International competition medium and short films: 3000 euro

Award for Journalistic Research and Documentation: In its 7th edition, Ecocinema introduces a new award for international documentary productions and tv documentaries and reportages, offering brave and well researched perspectives on issues demanding urgent action. 4000 euro

PANORAMA

Presents recent productions which stand out for their informative qualities, scientific approach, the documentation provided on current issues, or the quality of the reportage on which the film was based. This section, also, includes documentary or feature films which boldly experiment with conventional narrative, while remaining in the thematic range of Ecocinema festival.

SPECIAL TRIBUTES

Presents retrospectives on the work of important filmmakers and thematic showcases.