Editor

11th International Panorama :
“…a celebration of freedom of speech…”
232 films – 62 countries

The International Film Festival of Patras city – 10th International Panorama (www.independent.gr) having existed for 11 years hopes that it had presented an effluence of sounds and pictures which united various cultures and promote diversity. Our goal is to continue "the dream of art’s freedom ". In the 11th International Panorama people met and bonds made in a cultural event which took place in the city where it belongs, far from the fake star system, in the era of globalization, demonstrations, street fights between protesters and the police, in a time when freedom in expressing oneself is not truism.
The 11th International Panorama took place in Patras from the 2 till the 10th of October 2009, with the ultimate goal of becoming the “International Film Festival of Patras”. Patras is a city with a long history in international festivals and it is high time it hosted it’s very own film festival.

Our participants have already sent us 232 movies from 62 countries, including feature films, short films, cartoons, animations, documentaries, video art, video clips and internet experimental videos. The festival divided in 5 parts: “Cinema, sea of peace”, “Greek Panorama”, “In the ends of the world”, “Walking through Europe” and “Balkan neighbourhood”. The films competing for the prizes are divided in two categories: Greek and international.

Believing in the freedom of expression, and in the right every director has to speak their mind, all films projected without a preliminary committee, and we did not exclude anyone. We respect each culture and each nation’s values as well as those of each director individually.

On Saturday the 10th of October the awards of the 11th International Panorama (www.independent.gr) were given and the curtains feel in a festival mood. The festival was organized by the urban not-for- profit organization “International Panorama of Independent Film & Video makers” in co-operation with the editorial committee of the on-line magazine for alternative culture “Cineek” www.cineek.gr in the theatre of “INTEAL”.

Special awards were also given as well as the awards for the Photography Contest which was themed “filming”.

The Photography contest awards:

Awarded projects
1st award “Trapped In TIME” by Loukis Dimitropoulos
2nd award “The loneliness frutiWind” by Christos Tsakalos
3rd award “Ashes-cities” by Kserizotis Odysseas

The International Panorama showed that it has a great and fruitful future by giving the chance to video and film makers from all over the globe to express themselves freely, respecting each one individually. It is the only festival (a pioneer at it’s kind) in South and Eastern Europe which allows all films to be played without preliminary committees, without censorship and control.

Lest we forget, many organizations have expressed their interest to show the award winning films of the 10th Panorama in more than 40 cities and municipalities in Greece.

First Mrs. Ioanna Papaioannou (member of the critics committee) read the decision:
In these times when the powerful ones of the world indirectly accept that their power is not so great when the middle class consumer is struggling, in times when the rhythms of daily life torture and give false hope and the stock exchange of human values is not doing so well, some people still dare to handle, speak, commonly claim and have joint dreams.
All of us members of the jury we absorbed to the end the meaning from the natural source of the creators of the films, keeping in mind the personal culture of every one of us and without trying to tease the oppositions and our different points of view. Meaning to be together, meaning to think over again and again on original and innovative cinematographic forms, meaning to build together torturous point of view on the artist’s desire, sensations, feelings, aesthetics and dreams who are part of the cinematographic family.
We followed carefully the institutional framework of the “The International Film Festival of Patra City” and consider that any preference to a film by category from our part does not imply any exceptional procedure and choice of respectable and very severe experts of cinema.
Our main preoccupation has been to listen carefully to the creators that were present to the Festival, to trust one another as members of a workgroup. Not to let the need for convergence of opinions silence the healthy subjectivism and the spontaneity of none of us. We tried to enjoy ourselves, as if we were watching for the first time cinema, the dreams that got born in many geographic parallels and travelled till the hug of the capital city of Achaia in order to find a sweet word, a tender eye glance, acceptation and recognition, a wink to the fact that production and distribution of dreams are sill allowed.
Today, we are delighted to release you our proposal and be collectively responsible for your judgement of ours. May all of you, you who have been giving us this warm hug being here all these days and giving us a meaning and a perspective to the Festival, may you all build a lot of strong companies who will comment the awards and will get involved institutionally in the procedures of the Festival giving it a brand new life with suggestions and new ideas.
We are no specialist, we just love the movies. We are not blind, we love what “yells” pure and not decimals its name. We are no one’s remonstrator, we respect and estimate every artist’s work. We didn’t drag any illuminated owl in this festive circle, just a small lantern with the light of our truth.
Thank you.

The members of the Judging Committee
Ioanna Papaioannou: (Geologist - MSc in Environmental Sciences, Head of the Department of Environmental Education.)
Panayotis Karonis: member of the cultural team of the NGO "Citizens in Action". He lives and works in Patra.
Dr.Τheodore Mallias: President, of Patras Artist club, painter, Professor of Psychology and Physical Education in the Technological & Educational Institute of Patras.
Pappas Ioannis: Chairman of Association of Patra's city Philologists (www.sfp.gr ) electronic literary magazine Diapolitismos (www.diapolitismos.gr )
Dionysis Voultsos: Actor - director and artistic director of «Ionian Theater» and «Politeia Theater».
Attaleiadis Nikos: Relevant for cultural activities of the Non Governmental Organization “Citizens in action”

The award winning films are the following:

International competition

Best Video Art - «Iris» by Santtu Koivu Finland 1’ 52’’ v.a. 2008
Best Animation - «Solitude» by Mehrdad Sheikhan Iran 10’ anim. 2008
Best short film - «Wrong road» by Joan Chemla France 12’ s.f. 2008
Best documentary - «Elegy of wood» by Vaclav Kadrnka Czech 12’ doc.. 2009
Special award for short film - «Angels die in the soil» by Babak Amini Iran- Iraq Kourdistan 30’ s.f. 2008
Special award for the music - «Asia minor… over again» by Tahsin Isbilen Turkey
The award was given from the President of Peace Committee of Achaia Prefecture

Greek competition
Special Awards
Special award for the music to Mr Psaroudaki Gianni for the film Bear of Mrs Victoria Vellopoulou.
Special award for the Student’s film to Mr Vaggelis Lalopoulos for his film Coloured Earth
Best film for ecological message “Source of life” by Christos Venetsianos
Special award for the sensitive for handicap people “Portrait” by Vasiliki Prigkouri

Awards
Best female actor to Mrs. Michaela Gavriliou for the film «Elsa» by Markantonis Christos
Best male actor to Mr. Dimitris Lalos for the film «West of Eden» by Zafeiris Chaitidis
Best video art “Blue Red Metamorphosis” by Penny Dika-Korneti
Best video dance “Echoes and Narcisus” by Rousselo Aravantino & Aggeliki Papadopoulou
Best animation “The mouse who wanted to touch a star” by Panayiotis Rappas & Aggelos Rouvas
Best short film “Pet shop” by Michalis Gavriel Zenelis
Best documentary “The secret of dawn” by Giorgos Avgeropoulos
Best feature film “A hero at the Rome” by Panos Aggelopoulos

Best film which
Supports the peace “Women of Sand” by Nikos Mpistinas & Katerina Pantazopoulou
Best antiracist film “Attimo Fuggente” by Gavriel Tzafkas
Best poetry film “Together” a collective film from the student’s of School of Drama of Municipality of Agia Varvara

The 11th International Panorama was supported by volunteer directors, designers, photographers and musicians and by the aegis of University of Patras city www.upatras.gr . Friendly support from N.C.O. www.politesendrasei.gr