The 2nd Athens Independent Film Festival KINO ATHENS ended on Sunday, March 10, 2024, with the closing ceremony taking place at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, including Αwards in the Greek and International Short and Feature Competition Sections, as well as in the newly established KINO JUNIOR children's section. The awards ceremony was followed by the Greek premiere of the Brazilian film Portrait of a Certain Orient, in the presence of the Arab-born actress Wafa'a Celine Halawi, who stars in the film.
The Festival presented 80 independent films from all over the world, shorts and features, documentaries, fiction films and animation, from a wide range of subjects, with the freedom that independent cinema enjoys worldwide. Screenings with both Greek and English subtitles, were with free admission, under the Patronage of the European Parliament, and about 8.000 viewers of all ages, had the opportunity to attend them at Technopolis and Serafio City of Athens, Μichael Cacoyannis Foundation and the French Institute of Greece.
In addition to the numerous screenings, discussions, workshops and masterclasses enriched the program of this year's KINO ATHENS, which was implemented with the support of the Municipality of Athens, the Athens Film Office and the Greek Film Centre, while at the same time, the screening of this year's films nominated for the LUX 2024 Audience Award was granted by the European Parliament to KINO ATHENS International Independent Film Festival.
Regarding this year's KINO ATHENS Awards, after their meetings, the special committees, consisted of cinema Greek and International professionals decided on the following:
- The Kids Deer of the City of Athens was awarded to the film Vivarium by Daan Lucas from The Netherlands.
NATIONAL COMPETITION
The Golden Deer for the Best Short film of the National Competition is awarded to Iota Period Omega, by Alexis Alexiou.
The Golden Deer for the Best Feature Film of the National Competition was awarded to the film In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least, by Christos Andrianopoulos
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
- The Golden Deer for the Best Short film of the International Competition was awarded to the Portuguese film Dildotectónica, by Tomás Paula Marques.
- The Golden Deer for Best Feature Film of the International Competition was awarded to the famous French filmmaker Claire Simon, for her film Our Body, which was screened the previous night at the French Institute of Greece. The director, who came to Athens for the first time, on the occasion of the Greek premiere of her film, received the award herself during the ceremony at the Μichael Cacoyannis Foundation.
“In these complex times, the importance of storytelling becomes even more essential and the festival continuous to reflect it’s founding mission of creating a space for artist and creators to present their work openly. A space of freedom where censorship does not exist. A space of freedom through art that is borderless, neutral and diverse. See you next year,” said Nina Veligradi, Director KINO ATHENS.
Info: www.kinoathens.org
Notes: Press Release - KINO ATHENS - Athens, March 12th, 2024
