The Ist Ιnternational Film Festival of Patmos [IFFP] launches its beginning this summer, 19-25 July 2010, on the island of Patmos – one of the most discreetly glamorous destinations of the Dodecanese in the Aegean sea.
IFFP is organized by a committed team of professionals who aim to establish a new platform for Greek and international filmmakers to showcase their work and communicate innovative ideas and film styles in a unique setting. Combining a breathtaking natural beauty with a long and carefully preserved cultural history, Patmos has traditionally attracted people of the arts and cinema in particular. Our vision is to make this treasured destination an exciting place for celebrating talent, originality and craftmaship in world cinema today.
This year the IFFP is non-competitive, presenting selected award-winning Greek and international feature films, documentaries and short films screened at a specially designed open-air theater overlooking the port of Patmos and the Monastery of St. John at the Chora. Parallel events include a cross-media workshop run by Watergun. TV and tribute lectures and screenings on Bob Lax, the American poet who lived and wrote in Patmos for more than three decades.
If you love film and wish to mingle with a multicultural film crowd while enjoying the charm of the island of the Apocalypse, the IFFP is the place to be!
Organizing Committee:
Steve Krikris, Film Director, Babis Tsoutsas, Film Director, Anna Wenneker, Producer, Gerasimos Mazarakis, Legal Advisor, Tim Τimmers, Technical Advisor.
TUESDAY 20 JULY - SKALA
21.30 Four Black Suits
Comedy feature film
85´ | GREECE | 2010
Director: Renos Χaralambides
Language: Greek
-------------------------
23.30
Edge of Night
Road Movie feature film
117´ | Greece | 2000
Director:
Nikos Panayiotopoulos
Language: Greek
------------------------- CHORA
17.00 - 20.00 Cross Media Workshop
Production by WATERGUN.TV
The ability to understand and
work through different media
is one of the most useful
tools for any audiovisual
creator today. This workshop
will encourage you to explore
the possibilities of mixing
and playing with different
sources of material in order
to convey a story.
-------------------------
21.00
Psarokokalo Short Films A´
A selection of awarded short
films from the established
festival of Athens
"PSAROKOKALO"
THURSDAY 22 JULY - SKALA Welcome
Drama feature film
115´ | France | 2009
Director: Philippe Lioret
Language: French, Kurdish, English
-------------------------
23.30
Plato´s Academy
Comedy feature film
103´ | Greece - Germany | 2009
Director: Fillipos Tsitos
Language: Greek / Albanian
------------------------- CHORA A Tribute to Robert Lax
19.00 Why should I buy a bed when all I want is sleep
Experimental Poetic feature film
55´ | Germany | 1999
Director: Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel
Language: English
-------------------------
20.15
Speeches and poetry
Reading by Ulf Knaus, Nikos Eliou and people that knew and loved Bob | 60´
-------------------------
21.15
Gratitude for the gaze
Experimental short film
15´ | Greece | 2008
Director: Nikos Eliou
Language: Non Verbal
-------------------------
21.30
Middle of the moment
Experimental Poetic feature film
75´ | Germany | 1999
Director: Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel
Language: English
-------------------------
23.00
Psarokokalo Short Films B´
A selection of awarded short films from the established festival of Athens
"PSAROKOKALO"
FRIDAY 23 JULY - SKALA
21.30 Arcadia Lost
Drama feature film
95´ | USA - Greece | 2010
Director: Phedon Papamichael
Language: English
-------------------------
23.30
Ajami
Dramatic feature film
120´ | Israel - Germany | 2009
Director: Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani
Language: Arabic / Hebrew
------------------------- CHORA
19.00 The End of Poverty?
Documentary
104´ | USA | 2008
Director: Philippe Diaz
Language: English / French
-------------------------
22.50
The New Tenants
Short film
21´ | Denmark - USA | 2009
Director: Joachim Back
Language: English
SATURDAY 24 JULY - SKALA
21.30 The Secret in Their Eyes
Drama, mystery romance
127´ | Argentina - Spain | 2009
Director: Juan Jose Campanella
Language: Spanish
-------------------------
23.30
Closing party
------------------------- CHORA
19.00 Hempsters
Documentary
90´ | USA | 2008
Director: Michael Henning
Language: English
-------------------------
20.30
A Sea Change
Documentary
83´ | USA | 2009
Director: Barbara Ettinger
Language: English
-------------------------
22.00
Nomads Land-Sur Les Traces de Nicolas Bouvier
Documentary
90´ | Switzerland | 2008
Director: Gael Metroz
Language: French
Director: Udayan Prasad
Script: Raman Singh, Christina Concetta
Photography: Haris Zambarloukos
Producer: Thierry Cagianut
Colour,100mins
On the island of Patmos, the inhabitants have lived, danced, and laughed for thousands of years. But, with the arrival of a straight-laced, high-tech archaeologist, Eric, everything could change forever: his satellite-guided equipment reveals that his most important find may be buried under the taverna owned by the object of his affection - the beautiful and uncompromising Katerina. Will Eric toss away a lifetime of work - and the hope of fulfilling his father´s deepest wish - for the love of a vivacious and independent woman?
4 bankrupt grave-diggers agree to undertake the task of carrying by foot the corpse of a Greek of the diaspora from Athens to Voiotia. This peculiar enterprise will turn into an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
Director: Nikos Panayiotopoulos
Script: Nikos Panayiotopoulos/ Thanos Alexandris
Photography: Aris Stavrou
Editing: Ioanna Spiliopoulou
Music: Stamatis Kraounakis
Actors: Nikos Kouris, Athina Maximou
Producer: D.P Skouras
Production: Greek Film Center, Ert tv, Lumiere Productions, Marianna Film
Distribution in Greece: Feelgood Entertainment
Colour, 35mm,117mins
Young ?ndreas and Stella face the hard game of survival wandering through contemporary Greece. What they have to struggle with is a world of rising unemployment, illegal migration, and limited hope for the future. At the end of their journey, violence and fear will show their face...
CAIRO FILM FESTIVAL, nominated, golden pyramid
THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL, won, best actress, best set, best sound
Director: George Ovashvili
Script: Nugzar Shataidze
Photography: Amir Assadi
Producer: George Ovashvili, Sain Gabdullin
Colour, 35mm 90mins
The extraordinary story of Tedo, a 12 year-old boy from Georgia, forced to face the consequences of mass displacement due to the civil war in Abkhazia.
DHAKA FILM FESTIVAL, won, best actor, best asian film, best director
ANTALYA GOLDEN ORANGE FILM FESTIVAL, won, best actor, best director
Director: Philippe Lioret
Script: Philippe Lioret, Emmanuel Courcol
Photography: Laurent Dailland
Producer: Christope Rossgnon
Colour, 35mm, 115mins
17-year-old Bilal has spent the last three months travelling illegally across Europe, in an attempt to reunite with his girlfriend Mina who has moved with her family to England. The long journey is almost over when he finally reaches Calais. With all legal options exhausted, Bilal resolves that his only option is to learn to swim and cross the Channel himself.
Stavros, a forty-year old xenophobic Athenian haberdasher, spends his days commenting caustically with his friends on anyone who passes-by. Knowing very little about his own past, one day he discovers that he actually has an Albanian brother.
LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL, won, Silver Leopard, Best Actor, Antonis Kafetzopoulos
Director: Phedon Papamichael
Script: David Ariniello
Photography: Phedon Papamichael
Actors: Hailey Bennett, Carter Jenkins, Nick Nolte
Producer:Kelly Thomas
Colour, 95mins
Stranded after a car accident in the rural countryside of Greece, step-siblings Charlotte and
Sye slowly realize they are actually struggling between life and death in the still-submerging
car. During their surreal journey, they meet Benerji the vagabond-philosopher who guides them
and helps them imagine what it means to be family, to be an adult, and to be alive.
Director: Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani
Script: Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani
Photography: Boaz Yehonatan Yaacov
Editing:Mosh Dan, Thanasis Karathanos
Actors: Shahir Kabaha, Ibrahim Frege
Producer: Mosh Dan, Thanasis Karathanos
Distribution in Greece: Ama Films
Colour, 35mm 120mins
Ajami is the untold story of the walled in city of Jaffa, on the outskirts of the Palestinian – Israeli conflict, where violence and hatred are a daily reality. The characters in this high-paced film live in a violent reality where enemies live as neighbours. It is a meeting of conflicting views – Jews and Arabs, Christians and Moslems, fathers and sons, cops and robbers.
ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINATED, Oscar Best Foreign Language FIlm of the Year
CANNES, Won, Golden Camera
THESSALONIKI, Won, Audience Award, Best Screenplay
Director: Juan Jose Campanella
Script : Juan Jose Campanella
Photography: Felix Monti
Actors : Soledad Villamil, Ricardo Darin
Producer : Mariela Besuievski
Distribution in Greece: Filmtrade
Colour, 35mm 127mins
Benjamin Esposito has spent his entire working life as a criminal court employee. Recently retired and with time on his hands, he decides to write a novel. He does not decide to make up a story. There is no need to. He can draw on his own past as a civil servant for a true, moving and tragic story in which he was once very directly involved. In 1974, his court was assigned an investigation into the rape and murder of a beautiful young woman.
Director: Marianna Oikonomou
Script: Niki Tsilingiroglou
Photography: Dimitris Katsaitis
Producer: Lilet Botasi, Biket Ilhan
Distribution in Greece: Inka Films
Colour, Documentary, High Def 65mins
The film explores the universal human need to believe in miracles, the expressions that it takes and the consequences it creates, following Suha and Deniz, a Muslim couple, and Diamantis, a Christian, to Saint George’s monastery in Prince’s island in Turkey.
Director: Angeliki Andrikopoulou & Argyris Tsepelikas
Script : Angeliki Andrikopoulou & Argyris Tsepelikas
Photography: Argyris Tsepelikas
Producer: Rea Apostolides
Distribution in Greece: Feelgood Entertainment
Colour, 81mins
In a crowded part of a Greek city, each day after school, Alexandra, Vlad, Chrysa and the rest of their crew gather in front of Christos’ house to play soccer until bedtime. But as soon as they begin, the neighbours assault them with curses, threats and sometimes violence. The kids’ reaction is fiercely defiant. There’s nowhere else to go.
Alexandra decides to talk to the mayor and insist that he see the situation for himself. Thus begins a yearlong campaign to get the town to build them a play area.
Director: Philippe Diaz
Script: Philippe Diaz
Photography: Philippe Diaz
Producer: Beth Portello, Robert Schalkenbach
HD Colour, 104mins
In a world with so much wealth, why is there still so much poverty? Global poverty did not just happen. It began with military conquest, slavery and colonization that resulted in
the seizure of land, minerals and forced labor. Today, the problem persists because of unfair debt, trade and
tax policies -- in other words, wealthy countries taking advantage of poor, developing countries.
Director: Michael Henning
Photography:Michael Henning, Josh Hickman, Authur Rouse, Christoper L. Smith
Producer: Michael Henning, Diana Oliver
Colour,Documentary, 90mins
Filmmaker Michael Henning details the efforts of seven activists in challenging the United States government to legalize industrial hemp, in order to cease reliance on foreign oil, conserve the forests, and discover more efficient forms of energy.
Director: Barbara Ettinger
Photography: Claudia Raschke
Colour,Documentary, 83mins
A Sea Change follows the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby on his quest to explore the problem of rising acidity of the oceans and what this “sea change” bodes for mankind. Speaking with oceanographers, marine biologists, climatologists, artists and policy experts, Sven discovers that global warming is only half the story of the environmental catastrophe that awaits us.
Director: Gael Metroz
Producer: Francine Lusser, Gerard Monier
Colour, 90mins
The young director, Gaël Métroz, takes the road alone, camera in hand, in the footsteps of writer Nicolas Bouvier, who recounted his journey through the East in the Fifties. Discovering that today the East is no longer the almost carefree land Bouvier described in l’Usage du Monde, the director changes his route to follow a nomads’ family in their own journey. While creating his own route, Gaël Métroz remains faithful to Bouvier’s philosophy of travel.
SAN FRANCISCO FILM FESTIVAL,won, Golden Gate Award
Director: Joachim Back
Script: Anders Thomas Jensen
Photography: Pawel Edelman
Producer: Tivi Magnussen, Sam Bisbee
Colour, 20mins
Set amidst the as-yet-unopened boxes and hopes for a fresh start of two men on what might be the worst moving day ever, their new apartment reveals its terrifying history in a film that is by turns funny, frightening, and unexpectedly romantic.
A new bed that comes in pieces is the occasion for a meeting of two very different people. A man who lives in an invisible squared box and a girl that lives in a handmade room in the centre of a city. The girl uses her artistic flair and imagination to communicate with him.
The neglected siblings Roland and Paul watch the deportation of their immigrant
neighbors. After the police leave, they decide to enter the abandoned apartment.
Inside they discover another world; exotic food, music, clothes and make-up, belonging to
the deported family.
For a moment they have the chance to immerse themselves in a world of games and play -
however when their father discovers them, they are quickly brought back to reality.
Stephanie Lansaque/ Francois Leroy | France | animation 15´
MEI LING , an idle young chinese woman, lives alone in her ?at, waiting for her lover. One day,she
?nds a little octopus in the kitchen sink. She decides to adopt it to avoid boredom.
How innocent is young Felizol? What is the realm that Osiki has appeared from? Is Fluffy the best
dancer ? does doctor know how to drive? Does Alice really love him?
HE and SHE meet exactly at the same time they break up with their own couples... Is it possible for
two strangers to begin a conversation full of recriminations, arguing until they get hoarse, and
passionately reconcile as if they were a couple in the end?
Mister Cok is the owner of a large bomb factory. Looking for ef?ciency and pro?t, he decides to
replace his workers by sophisticated robots. The formers stare helplessly at the toil of the robotic
labourers. But one of the workers does not accept being discarded so easily
This is the fantastic story of Marina, 38, a ?sherman´s wife in Colombia who lives in a humble
house besides an immense and isolated beach in Chocó. One day she wakes up sadden by a
dream she just had the night before and decides to go to the open sea, alone, amidst the rain,
taking with her just a small boat and the ?sh her husband had caught that day, to put them back in
the sea, giving them back their life and freedom.
«Party» is the story set in a sunny, bright summer day in Vukovar. Enjoying and living
day like that it seams almost impossible to believe that the brightness and joy can be
easily interrupted. Party is a part 2 of six short ?lms dealing affectionally six
different parts of planet Earth on the same day.
Point of mouth is an „inner documentary about a man from Sarajevo, using animated drawings
allowing us to see images from his life from an ultimately subjective point of view. This is a ?lm
about reminiscences of a time, about growing up in Sarajevo, about never being able to leave his
hometown no matter how far he travels.
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The ability to understand and work through different media is one of the most useful tools for any audiovisual creator today. This workshop will encourage you to explore the possibilities of mixing and playing with different sources of material in order to convey a story.
Our aim is to produce a music video from scratch, going through the whole process of developing the idea, producing and executing it, using different materials, such as drawings, photographs, digital video, mobile phones, etc. We will learn how to integrate them, experiment, tweak and, more importantly, how to create through them meaning and narrative. The final video will be screened at the closing party of the 1st International Film Festival of Patmos (19-25 July 2010).
The workshop will be held between July 20-22 at the Old School in Chora and shot in various locations of Patmos. It is hosted by Watergun.TV collective.
8 -10 people will have the chance to participate in the workshop. If interested, please apply at info@iffp.gr by simply sending an email with your contact information, clearly stating “For the Cross-media workshop”. Participation is free and the selection will be on a “first come, first served” basis. It is possible to participate merely as an auditor.
WATERGUN. TV BIO Watergun started in 2007 as an audiovisual studio based in London, Madrid, New York
and Los Angeles. As an international collective we build on the eclectic background of our members to work across all disciplines of the moving image and produce music videos, short films, animation and motion graphics.
WORKSHOP PROGRAMM
20.07 17.00 - 21.00 Old School, Chora Introduction, briefing on the project, brainstorming, concept development, dividing in groups, assignments, instructions and organizing.
21.07 Shooting hour and location depends on concept.
22.07 12.00 - 16.00 Old School, Chora editing and producing the final video.
Robert Lax, or Petros for the old Patmians, was born in 1915 in Olean, New York, where he died on the 26th of September 2000, date of the celebration of Saint John the Evangelist. His father had a clothing store owner and his mother a homemaker.
He attended Columbia University in New York City, where he studied with poet and critic Mark Van Doren. After wondering around in America and Europe he ended up in Greece, where he settled between 1963 and 2000, spending most of his time on the islands of Kalymnos and Patmos.
His humble way of living was evident by the fact that in Patmos only a few knew that he was a poet. He made no effort whatsoever to publish his writing, nor to establish his name in the world of poets, although he is recognised as one of the most important English-speaking poets of the 20th century.
In the beginning, his poetry had a more narrative content, while later it became minimalist. He also had great interest in the visual aspect of the poem on the page. He wrote non-stop, both day and night. At the same time he lived and wandered around, sharing his beautiful smile with everyone he met, whether he knew them or not. He wrote without correcting one word, as he deeply believed it all came from God, whom he was searching for his entire life.
He was a compassionate man who cared for his next -door neighbour, so life never deprived him of love and care from the people around him. Laughter, endless laughter, accompanied him until almost the end of his life.
On the 22nd of July, we will gather together in the Old School Of Chora, those who met and knew Bob, and those who want to get to know him through others. We will hear their stories and his poetry will be read in English, Greek, and German. A documentary will also be shown, shot by his friends Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel.
PROGRAM OF TRIBUTE:
19.00 - 20.00: Screening: “Why should I buy a bed when all I want is sleep” movie by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel
20.15 - 21.15: Speeches and poetry reading by Ulf Knaus, Nikos Eliou and people that knew and loved Bob
21.30 - 21.45: Screening of the short film “Gratitude for the gaze” of Nikos Eliou
21.45 - 22.45: Screening: “Middle of the moment” movie by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel
Babak Jalali was born in September 1978 in Northern Iran. He has lived mainly in London since 1986.
He received a BA degree in Balkan / East European Studies and an MA degree in Politics from the University of London. He graduated with an MA in Film-making from the London Film School in 2005.
His graduation film, "HEYDAR. AN AFGHAN IN TEHRAN", screened at 60 film festivals worldwide and received a BAFTA nomination as Best Short Film in 2006.
He was selected as one of the residents at the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL CINEFONDATION RESIDENCE in 2006-2007 (session 13). In the residence, he developed his first feature film called ‘FRONTIER BLUES’.
He has just completed his first feature film called FRONTIER BLUES which was shot in and around his hometown of Gorgan on Iran’s northern frontier with Turkmenistan. It is the story of desperate men, longing, remembering, waiting and absent women.
The film premiered in the International Competition at the Locarno International Film festival in 2009 and has gone on to screen at over 15 festivals worldwide so far including Ghent, Sao Paulo, Stockholm, Gijon, Sofia, New Directors/ New Films in New York, San Francisco and Edinburgh.
FRONTIER BLUES is released in the cinemas in the UK by Artificial Eye on 30th July.
Director Barbara Ettinger’s first film Martha and Ethel screened at Sundance and was
distributed theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics. She and her husband Sven Huseby cofounded
Niijii Films, through which they produced Two Square Miles, aired nationally on
PBSs Independent Lens in 2006 and 2007. Two Square Miles is a documentary about the
conflicts that unfold as a proposed coal-fired cement plant threatens to reshape the small
town of Hudson, NY. A Sea Change is their second project.
Costas Yiallourides studied film at the Stavrakos Film School in Greece and at the Northern Film School of Film in the U.K.
He graduated with his surrealist short film "Ink Control" which participated in numerous international film festivals.
In 2009 he was invited to the Berlinale Talent Campus.
"Instructions" is his third short.
Is a film director from Tbilisi, Georgia, He is a graduate of the Georgian State Institute of Cinema and Theatre (1996) and The New York Film Academy at Universal Studios in Hollywood (2006). He has directed a number of poignantly elegant shorts, most notably – Zgvis Donidan (Eye Level) ( New York Film Academy Scholar- ship Award at Berlinale 2005, Special Prize of International Jury at Odense Film Festival) and Wagonette (special prize of international juryat "Molodist" film festival ). "Gagma Napiri" (The Other Bank) is his big-screen directorial debut.
Joachim Back born 1972, spent his formative years in Denmark, where he started as a runner. He eventually moved on to be a lighting assistant, editors assistant and, at last, a camera assistant. He felt a clear need to direct, so he started borrowing equipment to make films with his friends. His ability to draw solid, rooted performances from his actors combined with visual storytelling and an oddball comic sensibility got him the attention of production companies in Europe. he was quickly shortlisted for a Golden Lion at Cannes for "The Mouth", a spot he directed for MTV. In 2001 he founded the company Bacon along with two other directors. In 2004 he moved to the States and signed up with Park Pictures.
He has directed campaigns for Viagra, Captain Morgan, Tositos, Hyundai to name a few. His Viagra spots won a Gold Lion at Cannes Festival.
During the 1980s, Mr.Henning was the lead singer/songwriter and guitarist for his band "The Tribe", which was chosen to represent the State of Texas, in a compilation album released internationally, by Warner/Elektra Records called, "Ten From Texas"!
During his career, Michael has worked in almost every department related to feature film production, including Camera Op., Dolly Grip, Grip, Lamp Operator, Electrician, Props, Set Decorator, Greensman, Wardrobe, Sound Mixer, Digital Recordist and Boom Op.
In 1994, Mr.Henning launched his Directorial Film Debut, with the 35mm film short, "Rockabilly Rebel", based on his screenplay. The film was awarded "Audience Favorite", at the 1996 Dallas Video Festival.
Mr.Henning directed "Robs Chop Shop" in 1996, a pilot for episodic television. He has now concluded his first feature length documentary, on the legalization of Industrial Hemp in America, entitled; "Hempsters:Plant the Seed", featuring Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Gatewood Galbraith and Ralph Nader. "Hempsters" is scheduled for release October 2010, through distributors Cinema Libre/LA and New Video/NY and will be screened at the International Film Festival of Patmos, www.iffp.gr, July 19-25, 2010, for its first official festival competition!
Nikos Panayotopoulos was born on the island of Mitilini (Greece) in 1941. Studied cinema in Athens and started his career as an assistant director on Greek and international productions. Studied cinema at the Sorbonne institute of cinema in Paris, where he lived between 1960–1973, frequenting the Cinémathèque Française. Has been living and working in Athens since 1973.
Award-winning Director and Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael was born in 1962 in Athens,
Greece and moved with his family to Germany where, in 1982, he completed his education in
Fine Arts. Working as a photojournalist in 1983, Papamichael began work in cinematography.
Later, he collaborated with cousin John Cassavetes. Today, he counts forty features to his credit
as Director of Photography. As a cinematographer, his most recent projects are KNIGHT AND
DAY starring Tom Cruise, and THE DESCENDANTS directed by Alexander Payne.
In addition to his feature work, Papamichael has shot and directed over 100 commercials
including such clients as BMW, AUDI, VW, CADILLAC, NISSAN, RENAULT, BARILLA,
McDONALDS, FOSTERS, BUD LIGHT, BECKS, GOODYEAR, ESPN and NEXTEL. On the
music video side, his work includes U2s "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," "Electrical Storm," and
Stuck in a Moment of Time, as well as singles for The Killers, Willie Nelson, and Eric Clapton.
In 2008, Papamichael directed FROM WITHIN, Papamichael’s first theatrical release.
In 2009, Papamichael shot and directed in his home country of Greece the film ARCADIA LOST.
He is attached to direct WHIRRR, which he co-wrote. Papamichael is a member of the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1997, The American Society of Cinematographers,
and the International Cinematographers Guild. He resides in Athens and Los Angeles and
speaks English, German, French, and Greek. He holds Greek and German citizenship.
Born in Paris France, Philippe Diaz studied Philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris, and began his film career as
a director in 1980. After directing and producing several shorts, commercials and corporate videos, Diaz
moved fully into the producer’s role with his first feature, "Havre" by Juliet Berto (cult actor/director of the
French New Wave). His second feature, "Rue Du Depart" by Tony Gatlif ("Gadjo Dilo") starred Gérard
Depardieu, winning several Grand Prize awards at major international festivals.
His third feature, "Mauvais Sang" by Leos Carax (the first
film about AIDS) became an international hit, winning one
of most important awards in France, the 1986 Louis Delluc
award, and was also nominated for 3 Césars (the French
Oscar) as well as winning major awards around the world.
This was a movie known for defining a generation and
launching the careers of Juliette Binoche and Julie Delpy.
Diaz added a distribution division to his company, Films
Plain Chant, to specialize in films by "author/directors"
such as "Bless Their Little Hearts" by Billy Woodberry and
"Candy Mountain" by acclaimed American photographer
Robert Frank (produced by Diaz featuring Kevin J.
O’Connor and Tom Waits).
His fourth production in 1989, "Pierre Et Djemila" by Gérard Blain (a political Romeo and Juliet), represented
France in the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Continuing to search for new talent and making films that appealed to global audiences, Diaz produced "The
Bengali Night" (shot in English in India) which launched the career of director Nicholas Klotz and featured Hugh
Grant in his first leading role along with John Hurt and Indian mega-star Shabana Azmi. This marked the
beginning of Diaz’s collaboration with American studios, in particular Columbia Pictures, and the opening of his
first US based production company in Los Angeles.
Soon after, New Line Cinema tapped Diaz to co-finance and produce "The Man Inside", a political thriller
directed by Bobby Roth with Jurgen Prochnow and Peter Coyote.
His collaboration with Canal+ extended into the takeover of the ailing AAA, which saw the young filmmaker
installed as chairman and head of acquisition. This takeover fulfilled the need for another major independent
distributor in France, which Diaz built by successfully acquiring and distributing dozens of films including "Paris
Trout" and "My Own Private Idaho".
After moving to Los Angeles in 1991, he has continued to produce films with budgets ranging from $200,000
and $15 million under his production shingle, Sceneries Entertainment. With "Heavy Metal 2000", he was able
to broaden his production knowledge with the animated production and his collaboration with Columbia /
TriStar. His directorial debut was the documentary, "Nouvel Ordre Mondial (Quelque Part en Afrique)" shot in
Sierra Leone which won the Grand Prix at the Festival of African film in Montreal and well as a Special Prize at
the 1World Film Festival , Prague. He also continued his distribution activities by bringing foreign films into the
U.S. with the support of the European majors he had collaborated with throughout the years.
In 2003, he created Cinema Libre Studio, with a consortium of partners to provide an alternative structure for
intelligent, independent films to get developed, financed, produced and distributed.
"The Empire in Africa," re-edited in 2006 for the U.S. market, won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary
Feature at Slamdance 2006 and the Hollywood Discovery Award from the Hollywood Film Festival.
Born in Athens in 1970. Self-taught actor, director and script writer. He has starred in film, television and theater. This is his fourth film as a director, in which he also developed the soundtrack.
Scandar Copti is a Palestinian citizen of the Israeli state, born and raised in Jaffa. After graduating from the Israeli polytechnic "The Technion" as a mechanical engineer, he decided to leave his profession and pursue his childhood dream of becoming a filmmaker. After studying acting and scriptwriting, Scandar made »The Truth«, a 12-minute mockumentary which was produced by the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, and was acclaimed for its bold political statement. »The Truth« was screened at the 2003 Artists Against Occupation in Montreal, and was purchased by the Israeli Channel 8, but was eventually censored and shelved.
Since then Scandar has written, directed and edited several fiction, documentary and experimental short films. His video art works were screened at the Israeli Center for Digital Art, the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art and at the Redding Art Fair 5 in Tel-Aviv.
Born in India, UDAYAN PRASAD came to Britain at the age of nine. After attending art school in Leeds and the National Film and Television School, he made a number of documentaries, including A Corner Of A Foreign Field (1985), about Pakistanis in Britain and Invisible Ink (1987), about the literature produced by writers from the Indian sub-continent on the British in Britain.
During the early nineties he directed a number of high-prestige dramas for BBC TV, working with Britains top writers. His creative partnership with Simon Gray was particularly fruitful resulting in: They Never Slept (1990), a merciless parody of the British secret service during World War II starring Edward Fox; Femme Fatale (1992), with Simon Callow and Donald Pleasence; Running Late (1992), starring Peter Bowles in a picaresque black comedy which won a Golden Gate Award for Best TV Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival. He won a second Golden Gate Award for 102 Boulevard Haussmann (1991), starring Alan Bates and scripted by Alan Bennett. 102 Boulevard Haussmann was also nominated for a BAFTA for best single TV drama. In 1998 he again collaborated with Alan Bennett, directing Talking Heads – Playing Sandwiches which resulted in a second BAFTA nomination for best single TV drama.
His first theatrical feature was the critically acclaimed, Brothers In Trouble (1995), a tragi-comic story set in the Sixties of an illegal immigrant struggling to survive in a grim northern English town. Brothers In Trouble won the Golden Alexander Award for best first feature at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. His second theatrical feature, My Son The Fanatic, was selected for Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and won the best feature award at the Potsdam Film Festival. The film was distributed in Europe and the United States to great critical acclaim. Gabriel & Me, his third feature, starring Billy Connolly and Iain Glen, was followed in 2001 by a documentary, According to Beryl. About Dr Samuel Johnson’s relationship with Mrs Thrale, the film featured Dame Beryl Bainbridge and was centred around her novel According To Queenie. In 2005 he made his fourth feature, OPA!, starring Matthew Modine and Richard Griffiths, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival the same year. His fifth feature is The Yellow Handkerchief, starring William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne. Produced by Arthur Cohn and shot in Louisiana, the film was his US debut, and had its premier in January 2008 at the Sundance Film Festival. The Yellow Handkerchief was released, to critical acclaim, in 2010 in the United States by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Yaron Shani is an Israeli Jew, born in 1973. He graduated the Tel Aviv University Department of Film and Television with his thesis film »Disphoria«, a 40-minute drama, which won the Audience Award at the Babelsberg International Student Film Festival, as well as a Special Jury Mention at Karlovy vary. The film was broadcast on ARTE and ZDF (Germany), and participated in several other international festivals. As the director of The Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival in 2002, he met Scandar Copti, and they both started to develop their first feature film »Ajami«. In that time, Yaron had directed and edited documentaries and 3D films for Orpan Group, shown in museums and cinema theaters all over the world.
Patmos is a religious centre that attracts international interest due to the Holy Cave of the Revelation and the Monastery of St John the Theologian. Yet, thats not all Patmos has to offer. It is a beloved travel destination as it combines a beautiful landscape and a carefully preserved Chora with a touch of tourist urbanism.
Located on the eastern borderline of the Aegean Sea, Patmos is the northernmost island of the Dodecanese. Its interesting landscape features low barren hills succeeded by small plateaus, while its coastline is deeply indended by tens of promontories forming countless picturesque bays and coves. With a mostly dry climate, the island is regularly visited by north winds, bathing into sunlight for 3000 hours throughout the year. Situated at a distance of 158 nautical miles from the mainland port of Piraeus, it covers an area of 34 square kilometres with greatest length of about 25 kilometres.
Arriving in Patmos: Patmos is so small its a good thing that there is no airport, as it would tend to be overcrowed and polluted. The most common way to get to the island is by sea, although it is possible to fly to Kos or Leros and then take a flying dolphin correspondance for Patmos. For daily boat schedules to all islands in Greece you can call (+30) 1440 for a recorded message in Greek.
For specific information about timetables you can contact the following Ferry offices from Piraeus (Athens) to Patmos:
Festival Restaurants
Lampi Restaurant
Balkoni Restaurant
Bennetos Restaurant
Cactus Restaurant
SPECIAL THANKS
The IFFP team would like to thank the following people for all their help:
James Gianopulos
Alexei Boltho
Maria Birbili
Panos Panopoulos
Alexandra Alexandraki
Efi Papoutsi
Vassilis Kostantilieris
Sarandis Giannaros
Michalis Zenelis
Pater Vartholomaios
Iera Moni Patmou
Rokos Michalis
George Karvelas
Thanasis Karathanos
Feelgood Entertainment
Nutopia Entertainment
Filmtrade
Boo productions
AMA Films
Jim Goltsis
Alekos Kritikos
Kostas Pittas
Panagiotis Tsiligiannis
Lilly Papagianni
Stavros Mitilinaios
Giwrgos Theodwsiou
Stavros Mathaiou
DJ Alex Afanas
All the technicians for their help and expertise
All our friends filmmakers who believed in IFFP and contributed with their work
And all the people in Patmos who helped with their time, resources, and spirit to make this Festival a memorable event.
