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Perhaps, in the end, some of the greatest emotions, questions, answers and episodes in life, in some unique and unforgettable way fit into those few moments that short films have at their disposal and unravel before us. Especially in this era when technology is working in their favour, against technical difficulties and cost, they seem to be making up all the lost ground. This is what this year's Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival wants to prove once again this year, under the guidance of indefatigable visionary Yiannis Zachopoulos.
More specifically, this year is the 10th anniversary of the festival and it includes a tribute to the best Greek and foreign short films of the last decade, an homage to Achilleas Kyriakidis and his short films, which he will present himself, and a masterclass and Q&A.
TiSFF started off timidly in 2007 and continues to be a hospitable shelter for restless young film makers from all over the world, and this year, in the framework of the 'Dimitria' it brings to Thessaloniki moving frames from every corner of the earth, telling contemporary stories. The majority of the films are fiction on a variety of subjects, they focus mainly on human relationships, social problems, and political issues. Many of them have already received significant recognition.
In fact, the original goal of the festival was and still is to promote good, pioneering cinema. Taking into account, that at present, digital cameras, even mobile telephones, allow every talented young person to create important cinema, there are countless proposed entries and the selection process is difficult for artistic director, Yiannis Zachopoulos, who is not one for doing things by halves.
At the same time, the goal of the festival is to successfully promote new directors in Greece and in international festivals. It is no coincidence that the TiSFF is included on the list with the 44 best short film festivals in the world, 28 of which are European, such as Cannes, Berlin, Clermont-Ferrand, and others. We should also note that it is the only Greek short film festival on the list and in the top 3 in the Balkans.
It is interesting to hear how award winning Belgian film maker Philippe Lamensch described his experience at the Festival: “It is a unique festival that always stands out due to its exceptional programme. I have never seen bad or boring films. I have seen good films, some very good films and some small masterpieces. And an audience full of interest and a team full of energy and youth concentrated by Yiannis Zachopoulos. In other words, it is an excellent example of humanism and cinephilia”.
