The Festival opened on the evening of Sunday 21 August 2022 the “gates” of its 7th event with an inspiring ceremony, dedicated to the 100 years of the Asia Minor Disaster
With short greetings, the 7th Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival “Beyond the Borders” began, which takes place every year in the last week of August on the unspoiled island.
The Festival opened on the evening of Sunday, August 21, 2022, the “gates” of its 7th event with an inspiring ceremony, dedicated to the 100 years of the Asia Minor Disaster, which was broadcast live streaming by APE-MPE.
The organizing committee of the Festival, without whom the 7th event would not have been possible, was thanked “from the bottom of my heart” – bypassing, as she said, the protocol – by Irini Sarioglou, artistic director of “Beyond Borders”, which “with in his way and his struggle, he is trying to find Kastelorizo again the place it deserves in the cultural scene”.
He also thanked the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who “once again ‘gives’ us her patronage”, but also the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, “who once again accepted our invitation by sending Protoprestor George Maltezos to represent him ».
“The Festival is entitled ‘Beyond the Borders’. It is necessary to prove that we can live beyond borders”, said Michel Knoll, artistic advisor and director of international development of “Beyond Borders”, emphasizing that “history does not belong to anyone” and that the Festival “is for all of us”.
For his part, Georgios Hatzimarkos, Regional Governor of South Aegean, expressed his joy to be in Kastellorizo for the event. “The complex of Rho, Strongyli and Megisti is a unique jewel in the crown of a Region that starts just outside Attica and ends here, to be precise in Strongyli, which is a physical border, but it is not necessarily a cultural border either . And you prove this by serving the title of ‘Beyond the Borders'”, noted the Regional Governor to the organizers.
The General Secretary of Contemporary Culture, Eleni Doundoulaki, representing the Greek government and the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stated that she felt “extremely honored, emotional and proud” for this representation, stressing that “the Ministry of Culture, recognizing the national importance, the international cultural scope of the organization, as well as its high quality characteristics, is constantly present, a practical helper and supporter of this festival”.
Archpriest Georgios Maltezos, who represents the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as the Metropolitan of Symi, Tilos, Chalkis, Kastellorizos, Chrysostomos, expressed his “honor” for the representation, conveying “thanks, wishes and blessings and confidence for the successful organization of the Festival”.
Also, at the opening ceremony, the greeting of the General Secretary of the EOT, Dimitris Fragakis, was read, who spoke about “Beyond Borders”, the “great film festival that highlights the beauty and contribution of film storytelling through history and society”.
The ceremony continued with the special screening of the film “Radiograph of A Family” (IDFA Awards 2020), by the acclaimed Iranian director Firouzeh Khosrovani, while the special performer Iro Saia, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Asia Minor Disaster and the Pontian Genocide, presented a musical performance with strong oriental tones.
The Kastelorizo International Documentary Festival “Beyond Borders”, instituted in 2016 by the Hellenic Foundation for Historical Studies (IDISME), has now established itself as an institution of international scope, as 790 nominations were submitted from 100 different countries, of which the selection committee, made up of accomplished filmmakers, selected the best 30 from 25 countries to compete.
This year as part of the Official Competition Section, the Festival’s Jury will award the prizes for: Best Historical Documentary, Best Socio-political Documentary and Best Short Documentary – all courtesy of the Hellenic Parliament – the Best Greek Documentary award sponsored of YKK, the Special Mediterranean Friendship Award, sponsored by EKOME, as well as the Special Odysseus Award, sponsored by the General Secretariat of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy.
From this year, the Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival “Beyond the Borders” consolidates and will award a FIPRESCI Award, which will be given by a 3-member committee of the International Federation of Film Critics.
Also, this year, for the first time, the second competitive stage of screenings was instituted in the microCRO category, in which short documentary films by experienced as well as new, up-and-coming creators will participate. Three of them will be awarded with the awards: Golden Phoenix, Silver Phoenix and Bronze Phoenix, with the exclusive sponsor of the German state channel Phoenix/ZDF.
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