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THESSALONIKI 2019

Thessaloniki International Film Festival celebrates its 60th anniversary

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- The most important Greek film gathering is showcasing a jam-packed line-up and is introducing a new competition section

Thessaloniki International Film Festival celebrates its 60th anniversary
Zizotek by Vardis Marinakis

For the third year running, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is focusing on an artistic concept that will run through its entire selection. For its 60th-anniversary edition (31 October-10 November), the TIFF has been inspired by the overview effect, a phenomenon that was coined by researcher and author Frank White. The effect aims to describe the unprecedented emotions that astronauts feel as they observe the Earth from space for the first time and perceive the world in its entirety, which in turn leads to a cognitive shift in awareness.

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The 60th TIFF will open with Noah Baumbach’s latest endeavour, Marriage Story (USA), and will close with the Toronto People’s Choice Award winner Jojo Rabbit [+see also:
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by Taika Waititi (Czech Republic/New Zealand).

The 14 films selected in the international competition have been directed by debutant and sophomore filmmakers, and will be setting their sights on the Golden Alexander. European co-productions have the lion’s share, as all but one of the titles in the line-up are from the continent, while three of them are Greek. In detail, the selection includes: Beware of Children [+see also:
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interview: Dag Johan Haugerud
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by Dag Johan Haugerud (Norway/Sweden), Cosmic Candy [+see also:
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by Rinio Dragasaki (Greece), Defunct [+see also:
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 by Zacharias Mavroeidis (Greece), The Fever [+see also:
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interview: Maya Da-Rin
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by Maya Da-Rin (Brazil/France/Germany), Fire Will Come [+see also:
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interview: Óliver Laxe
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by Oliver Laxe (Spain/France/Luxemburg), Lillian [+see also:
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interview: Andreas Horvath
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by Andreas Horvath (Austria), Monos [+see also:
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by Alejandro Landes (Colombia/Argentina/Netherlands/Denmark), Patrick [+see also:
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interview: GoCritic! Interview: Tim Mi…
interview: Tim Mielants
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by Tim Mielants (Belgium), Rialto [+see also:
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interview: Peter Mackie Burns
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by Peter Mackie Burns (Ireland/UK), Song Without a Name [+see also:
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by Melina León (Peru/Spain/USA), Swallow [+see also:
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by Carlo Mirabella-Davis (USA/France), A Thief’s Daughter [+see also:
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interview: Belén Funes
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by Belén Funes (Spain), Wet Season by Anthony Chen (Singapore/Taiwan) and Zizotek [+see also:
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interview: Vardis Marinakis
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by Vardis Marinakis (Greece).

This year, TIFF is introducing a new competition section, entitled Meet the Neighbours, in which ten films by debutant and sophomore directors from Southeast Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East will offer an insight into the life, people and situation of this wider region. The films included here are Africa by Oren Gerner (Israel), Belonging [+see also:
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interview: Burak Çevik
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by Burak Çevik (Turkey/Canada/France), Cat in the Wall [+see also:
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interview: Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova
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by Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova (Bulgaria/UK/France), The Criminal Man [+see also:
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by Dmitry Mamuliya (Georgia/Russia), Guerilla [+see also:
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by György Mór Kárpáti (Hungary), Not to Be Unpleasant, But We Need to Have a Serious Talk by Yiorgos Georgopoulos (Greece), The Rocket by Stefanos Sitaras (Greece/Italy), Simple Women [+see also:
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by Chiara Malta (Italy/Romania), Tlamess [+see also:
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interview: Ala Eddine Slim
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by Ala Eddine Slim (Tunisia/France) and Oroslan [+see also:
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interview: Matjaž Ivanišin
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by Matjaž Ivanišin (Slovenia/Czech Republic).

Also, for another year, the TIFF is organising the VR Competition section, with eight films aiming to immerse the audience in the world of virtual reality.

For the Greek Film Festival of the 60th TIFF, 13 established and first-time filmmakers will be competing in the First Run and Beyond Borders sections for a number of independent awards handed out by the festival. First Run comprises (all titles are 100% Greek unless specified otherwise) @9: At nine by Angelos Spartalis, Born on the 8th of March by Lyberis Dionysopoulos, Entwined [+see also:
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interview: Minos Nikolakakis
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by Minos Nikolakakis (Greece/UK), Exile by Vassilis Mazomenos, The Interrogation by Panayiotis Portokalakis, The Lair by Vassilis Noulas, Pencil Knife Baton by Konstantinos Kakogiannis (Greece/Germany/France), Persephone by Costas Athousakis, Siege on Liperti Street by Stavros Pamballis (Greece/Cyprus), We No Longer Hear the Songs by Takis Papanastasiou and Winona [+see also:
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by Alexandros Voulgaris (The Boy). Beyond Borders includes Common Birds by Silvia Maglioni and Graeme Thomson (France), and I Will Cross Tomorrow by Sepideh Farsi (Greece/France/Luxembourg/Netherlands).

One of the most prominent sections of the TIFF, the Balkan Survey, will present the latest and most important works from the region, including ten feature-length and five short films, while Serbian director Dušan Makavejev, who passed away earlier this year, will be honoured with a special tribute. The selection includes: The Father [+see also:
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interview: GoCritic! Interview: Kristi…
interview: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Val…
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by Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva (Bulgaria/Greece), God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya [+see also:
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interview: Labina Mitevska
interview: Teona Strugar Mitevska
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by Strugar Mitevska (North Macedonia/Belgium/Slovenia/France/Croatia), Ivana the Terrible [+see also:
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interview: Ada Solomon
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by Ivana Mladenović (Romania/Serbia), Monsters. [+see also:
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interview: Marius Olteanu
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by Marius Olteanu (Romania), Noah Land [+see also:
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by Cenk Ertürk (Germany/Turkey/USA), Open Door [+see also:
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interview: Florenc Papas
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by Florenc Papas (Albania/Kosovo/Italy/North Macedonia), A Tale of Three Sisters [+see also:
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interview: Emin Alper
interview: Emin Alper
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by Emin Alper (Turkey/Germany/Netherlands/Greece), What a Country! [+see also:
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by Vinko Brešan (Croatia/Serbia/Poland) and The Whistlers [+see also:
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interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
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by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania/France/Germany).

Finally, Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra, British director Joanna Hogg and the “Pope of Trash”, cult American director John Waters, will be welcomed and honoured by way of tributes at the 60th TIFF, while a special tribute dedicated to the works of Gregory J Markopoulos and Robert Beavers will include the screening of 12 rare films.

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