GREEK FILM CENTRE PRESENTATION Autumn 2017 Contents The Greek Film - PDF document

GREEK FILM CENTRE PRESENTATION Autumn 2017

Contents The Greek Film Centre - About us ............................................................... 2 Main goals of the Greek Film Centre ............................................................ 2 Objectives ................................................................................................. 3 What do we do? ......................................................................................... 3 The structure of the GFC ............................................................................ 3 Funding for Production and Development - 2016 ......................................... 4 Memberships ............................................................................................. 5 Agreements - Conventions .......................................................................... 6 Hellenic Film Commission ........................................................................... 8 Greek Cinema promotion ............................................................................ 9 Festivals and Markets ............................................................................... 10 Award-winning Greek films (2016 - 2017) .................................................. 11 Cultural cinema events ............................................................................. 13 1

The Greek Film Centre - About us The Greek Film Centre (GFC) is the main institution that applies cinematographic policy in Greece. It is an institution which enjoys financial and administrative independence, operates in the public interest and is supervised by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. The GFC functioned under a different name and with a different structure since 1970, and in 1986 it was established as an organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture. Today the GFC operates based on the Law N. 3905/2010 (GGHR 219/ Α /23- 12- 2010), regarding the “Support and Development of Cinematographic Art and other provisions”, under a new legal form as a public benefit non -profit legal entity, established under private law, which is supervised by the Minister of Culture. Main goals of the Greek Film Centre • The protection, support and development of cinematographic film art in Greece • The promotion and distribution of Greek film productions, both domestically and internationally • The promotion of Greece abroad as an appropriate location for filming cinematic and audiovisual productions, as well as the attraction of foreign cinematic and audiovisual productions in Greece, in general 2

Objectives The GFC aims to protect and develop the production of cinematographic art in Greece, by applying the following practices: • Increase of investments from the local and foreign market • Attraction of foreign productions and co-productions • Increase of extroversion in Greek production • Reinforcement of new creators • Development of cinematic education in Greece • Transparency and efficacy in administration What do we do? To achieve its goals, among other activities, the Greek Film Centre: • Finances film productions and ensures advantageous conditions in which Greek filmmakers can complete their work • Promotes and supports film distribution both domestically and internationally in commercial and parallel circuits • Organizes retrospectives and film weeks abroad • Participates in film festivals and markets The structure of the GFC The administrative organs of the GFC, based on law N. 3905/2010, are the Board of Directors (seven members) and the General Director. They are designated by the Minister of Culture, and their service is 3-year long, with an option of renewal. 3

The Greek Film Centre consists of 4 Directorates: -The Development and Production Directorate, which checks and corroborates the financial amounts involved, as well as follows up the development and completion of the productions. -The Distribution and Promotion Directorate, named “Hellas Film”, which is responsible for promotion in international festivals and markets, and also for the support of Greek film productions and co-productions ’ exploitation. -The International Audiovisual Productions Directorate - Hellenic Film Commission, which is responsible for promoting Greece as a film friendly country and attracting foreign audiovisual productions to shoot in Greece. - The Financial and Administrative Directorate. Funding for Production and Development - 2016 The majority of the GFC ’ s funds are allocated to the production, promotion and support of Greek cinema at an international level and for the theatrical distribution of Greek films in a national level. The largest part of the Greek Film Centre’s budget is invested in film production. Emphasis is given to support new filmmakers, while there is always a special place in the funding reserved for the films of more acclaimed directors who have already presented a distinguished filmography. From July 2016 to the end of the same year, the GFC has funded more than 100 projects, based on its funding programs regulation. The funding regarded feature and short films, documentaries, as well as script development. The total amount of funding in 2016 was 3,285,324.00 €. As stated above, one of the basic obligations of the GFC is to support new filmmakers and help them to come to light. From the 100 projects approved 4

for funding, 32 were in development, 19 were completed films and 49 are currently in production. Specifically, from the 20 projects that were selected in the Main Program and in the Program for New Directors, seven (7) projects come from new filmmakers. They are young and promising for the future of Greek Cinema filmmakers, who have received awards or have already shown an important work in short films. Memberships The Greek Film Centre is the national representative in EURIMAGES - European Cinema Support Fund of the Council of Europe, as one of the 37 member states that participate in the programme. Eurimages is the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe with a total annual budget of 25 million euros. It encourages co-operation between professionals established in different European countries and promotes independent filmmaking by providing financial support to feature-length films, animation and documentary films. For the year 2016, there were two (2) international co-production projects coming from Greece, that were funded by Eurimages with a total amount of awarded support of 500,000 €. Also, for the half semester of 2017, Eurimages funded four (4) international co-production projects coming from Greece, with a total amount of awarded support of 570, 000 € . The very active presence of the Greek Film Centre in European cultural activities is especially promoted by its Creative Europe Media Desk Greece, 5

which promotes European culture and creativity through the film and audiovisual industries, as well as the cooperation with cultural organizations in other countries. The MEDIA programme supports the ability of the EU’s film and audiovisual industries to develop, distribute and promote their work across all platforms. During 2016, the Creative Europe Media Desk Greece participated in many activities and organized several Labs, such as the “ Exodus Lab ” for the Creative Documentary and the Short Film Script Lab, “Short Stories, Big Ideas”. Moreover, the GFC was the initiator of SEE CINEMA NETWORK of European agencies coming from the South-Eastern Europe, established in the island of Hydra, Greece, in 2000. The network still funds projects in the development stage, that are formed as co-productions between the member states. In the year 2016, seven (7) projects (feature films of international co- production) were funded for Development. The Network also funded the production of six (6) short films. The Greek Film Centre is a founding member of European Film Promotion (EFP), the unique European network for the promotion of European cinematographic film art in the world, and is also a member of the European Film Agency Directors (EFADs). Agreements - Conventions Greece was one of the first member States of the Council of Europe that signed the revised the European Convention of the Council on Cinematographic Co-production in January 2017. 6

The Parties to this Convention undertake to promote the development of international cinematographic co-production in accordance with certain provisions. In the field of cinema, Greece has bilateral agreements with France and Canada, which was recently reactivated. Recently Greece and China officially inaugurated the China-Greece Cultural Exchange and Cultural Industry Cooperation Year 2017, in Athens, and officials from the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on film co-production. Also, since 2014, a convention regarding the support of Greek-French co- productions between the Greek Film Centre and the French Centre National du Cinéma et de l’ Image Animée (CNC) is active. So far, it has funded 21 films in total, via the Aide à la Coproduction d’Œuvres Cinématographiques Franco-Grecques. On May 22, 2017, during Cannes IFF, the two Centres signed a new, 3-year long convention, confirming the continuous success of their collaboration that has already produced excellent results, both artistically and commercially. Among the completed projects, there are award-winning films, such as: “Son of Sofia” by Elina Psykou Tribeca FF / Best International Narrative Feature Award Sarajevo FF / CICAE Award “L’ Ultima Spiaggia” (“The Last Resort ”) by Thanos Ana stopoulos and Davide Del Degan (documentary feature) 7