18th Olympia Festival
Pyrgos, November 28 – December 5, 2015
Films
- In the competition section of the 18th Olympia Festival (Feature Film, Short Fiction Film, Short Animation Film and Kids & Docs categories) 68 films will be presented (20 feature films and 48 short films), all recent productions (2015-2014), from 45 countries around the world: Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Moldova, Myanmar, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA.
- 65 feature films and 50 short films will be screened in four different tributes (“Film Innovation and Education”, “Italian Cinema: From Open City to Kaos”, “Zoom in European Children’s Film” and “Current trends in European Animation”).
- The award-winning films of the Festival and selected films from the 15th Camera Zizanio will be screened in Alkyonis Cinema in Athens (10 – 16/12/2015).
Juries and Awards
- The International Jury for Fiction and Animation Films consists of 5 members, chosen among film-makers, actors and members of international institutions for Children’s and Young People’s Cinema.
- The International Jury for the Kids & Docs category consists of 5 members, chosen among people distinguished in the field of documentary direction, promotion and production, film criticism and media education.
- The Children’s Jury consists of 28 members chosen among primary school, high-school and university students.
- Prizes by ECFA, CIFEJ, UNICEF and the Greek Federation of Film Societies are awarded by representatives of their respective administrations.
- Olympia Film Festival is one of the 10 European festivals where the film winning the Best Film Award (Golden Olive Wreath) is automatically nominated for the Young Audience Award of the European Film Academy which is awarded by young viewers in special screenings at selected European cities.
- Olympia Film Festival is also one of the 10 European film festivals where the film winning the ECFA Award is automatically nominated for the Best European Film Award presented by ECFA every February in Berlin during the Berlinale.
Opening and Closing Ceremonies
- Official opening ceremony of the 18th Festival and the 15th Camera Zizanio: Pyrgos, Apollon Theatre, Saturday, November 28th 2015, 20:00.
- Closing and Awards Ceremony of 18th Festival and the 15th Camera Zizanio: Pyrgos, Conference Hall, Saturday December 5th, 2015, 20:00.
15th Camera Zizanio
November 28 – December 5, 2015
Marked by the strongest than ever wish of its foreign friends to participate in this year’s celebration and by the creative explorations of children and teenagers facing the harsh reality of our times, Camera Zizanio presents:
- Over 100 youthful creations from Europe and the rest of the world (from 300 entries). Among them are films from far-away countries such as Mexico (for the first time), Brazil and Australia.
- 110 Greek films, individual or collective class projects.
The two competition sections (European and Greek) of the 15th Camera Zizanio consist of three categories each, grouped by age: a) up to 12 years old, b) 13-16 years old, c) 17-20 years old, while in the International Panorama contains 50 films made by children of third countries. Three awards are presented in each category. Additional awards are presented in the Greek section:
- The «Nikos Kavoukidis» Prize, which consists of an offer of professional equipment for the winners’ next film.
- The Hellenic Cinema and Television School Stavrakos Award which consists of a full scholarship for the School.
Also a special prize will be presented by the Greek Children’s Ombudsman to a film distinguished for its social sensitivity, as well as Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs Educational Broadcasting Award for the Best Practices of Media Literacy.
School Cinema
November 28 – December 11, 2015
Film Workshops
- Nine direction, documentary, editing, lighting and animation workshops for students, aiming to promote the understanding of film language and the creation of short films. The workshops are run by Greek and foreign film professionals: Nikos Theodosiou, Nikos Alevras, Paolo Beneventi, Vangelis Vlachakis, Argiris Theos, Agathi Darlasi, Kiriakos Charitakis, Kostas Katrakis.
- A workshop for students, who follow all the activities of the 18th Festival and of the 15th Camera Zizanio and update the Zizanio News blog (zizanionews.wordpress.com) with news, interviews, reviews, comments etc, as well as presenting a live show through the frequency of ERT Pyrgos.
- Six workshops on film analysis held for the Children’s Juries of the 18th Festival and the 15th Camera Zizanio.
Mythos Project
The biggest challenge of the Festival’s young visitors, who are asked to create, withing multinational groups, films that hightlight the current realities of Greece and of the world. This year marks its fifth anniversary.
World is changing. What about us?
A Greek-German documentary production workshop designed and organized by YOUNG DOGS (Germany) and NEANIKO PLANO (Greece). In the workshop, held in two parts, take part two six-member teams of young creators from both countries. The Greek team consists of children from Pyrgos, who were trained in Camera Zizanio workshops during the previous years. Last October they travelled to Dortmund where the first part of the workshop was held, which was completed with the creation of three documentaries. The second part will be held in Pyrgos, with the participation of children from Dortmund and the creation of new documentaries.
Flash Forward
In this section we showcase the works of young people who, having the Festival as their starting point, made a big leap forward and have distinguished themselves in various fields. In this year’s event, we meet Yorgos Delimitrou, key member of the group «Jump Cat». During his school years he participated in the Festival’s film workshops and was also chief editor of Zizanio Newspaper. Jump Cat’s most recent work will be presented, a documentary series about university life titled «During the Academic Quarter», a co-production of the University of the Aegean and the Hellenic Parliament Television.
Masterclasses
Masterclasses for teachers, students etc. by film-makers and various specialists: Nikos Kavoukidis, Argiris Theos, Paolo Beneventi, Kiriakos Charitakis, Irini Andriopoulou, Sophia Papadimitriou.
Side events and activities
November 28 – December 11, 2015
Introduction to Drama Games
Experiential workshop for up to 70 teachers and 40 primary school students by educators and theatrical expression animators: Elias Pitsikas, Yannis Sfiris, Panis Kasianos, Sophia Drakou, Dimitris Karatzas.
Drama Game
Organization of open subject drama games for younger primary school students (First to Third Grade).
Theater in Class
A theatrical act titled «Badboy» for older primary school students (Fifth and Sixth Grade), based on the book of the same name by Angeliki Darlasi.
Literary Events
Writers in Schools. Writers visit schools of the regional unit of Ilia and talk with students and teachers about literature.
Venues
Screening Halls
- Apollon Theatre (Pyrgos)
- Conference Hall of the Western Greece Region Building. (Pyrgos)
- Cine-Orfeas (Pyrgos) – 3 cinemas
- «Kouvelos» Municipal Culture Hall (Pyrgos)
- Cine-Cinema (Amaliada) – 2 cinemas
- Municipal Cinema Cine-Atron (Lechaina)
- Kourvisianio Culture Centre (Gastouni)
- Zacharo Primary School Cinema Hall.
- Ster Cinemas Veso Mare of Patras.
- Apollo Municipal Cinema (Aegion)
- Municipal Cinema Anesis (Agrinio)
- Trikoupeion Culture Centre (Missolonghi)
Film Workshops
- Conference Hall of the Western Greece Region Building
- Multi-Purpose Hall Dexameni
- Hall of the Western Greece Region Building
- TEI of Patras/ Department of Pyrgos
- Schools
Organisation
NEANIKO PLANO
MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS
West Greece Region
Co-funded by the programme
CREATIVE EUROPE MEDIA of the European Union
………………………………………………………………………………………
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΚΙΝΗΜΑΤΟΓΡΑΦΟΥ
………………………………………………………………………………………
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATES
EUROPEAN CHILDREN’S FILM ASSOCIATION
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE of FILMS for CHILDREN and YOUNG PEOPLE
………………………………………………………………………………………
ASSOCIATES
MUNICIPALITY OF PYRGOS – PATRAS MUNICIPAL LIBRARY – PATRAS CULTURAL ORGANIZATION – MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISE OF AIGIALEIA – MUNICIPAL WELFARE COMPANY OF AGRINIO – EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION – HELLENIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE for UNICEF – THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN/CHILDREN’S OMBUDSMAN – THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL – THESSALONIKI CINEMA MUSEUM & CINEMATHEQUE – INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL in DRAMA – HELLENIC CINEMA AND TELEVISION SCHOOL STAVRAKOS – GREEK FEDERATION of FILM SOCIETIES – MISSOLONGHI FILM CLUB – PATRAS FILM CLUB – PATAKIS PUBLISHERS – TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE of WESTERN GREECE – GREEK DIRECTORS GUILD – SCRIPTWRITERS GUILD OF GREECE – GREEK SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS – HELLENIC ACTORS UNION – TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION OF PYRGOS – SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS UNION OF ILIA
………………………………………………………………………………………
SPONSOR
AEGEAN Airlines
………………………………………………………………………………………
COMMUNICATION SPONSOR
ERT
Greek 
English