Evia Green Film Project, the green initiative launched by Thessaloniki Film Festival, returns July 2-6, 2024, for its third edition, offering five days of free film screenings, workshops and masterclasses, discussions and other cultural events, all open to the general public, at three different locations; Edipsos, Limni, and Agia Anna.
Renowned artists and distinguished film industry professionals from Greece and abroad will attend Evia Green Film Project to share the secrets of their art with the audience, while guests will also be able to experience the local nature, culture and gastronomy.
Water is this year’s core theme: “The sea, rain, all water resources, and their pivotal and life-defining ties with mankind take center stage, along with the agony triggered by their destruction.”
A unique blend of film, music, nature and gastronomy
A total fifteen short and feature length fiction films and documentaries will be screened at open air cinemas in the festival’s three host towns, kicking off with L’Odyssée by Jérôme Salle, about the life of the Cousteau family, starring Lambert Wilson, Pierre Niney and Audrey Tautou.
The Friday midnight screening of Steven Spielberg’s emblematic 1975 film Jaws, which stirred the waters of the Hollywood film industry, will be among the highlights of the schedule, which also includes two music events in Edipsos, on July 4 and 6.
The first one will be a unique dj set by The Boy, filmmaker Alexandros Voulgaris, on Thursday evening, and the second one a concert by Lena Kitsopoulou, Doros Dimosthenous and a group of musicians which will feature beloved Greek folklore songs, calling it a wrap for the 3rd Evia Green Film Project late on Saturday.
Besides the film screening events, between July 4-6, six masterclasses will be held in Evia’s popular beach resort of Agia Anna, looking into different aspects of filmmaking.
Catering to younger guests, 17-year-old filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, musician, and choreographer Pablo Soto González on July 3 will discuss how to write, direct and complete your own film, and how to promote it in film festivals and online.
The following day, WWF Greece will host the children’s workshop “Hunters of the Green Treasure”, inviting the young guests to discover a hidden green treasure during a fascinating walk in Edipsos.
Extended and mixed reality filmmaking at Evia Green Film Project
In addition, extended and mixed reality filmmaking will have its own prominent place in the schedule of Evia Green Film Project.
Focusing on mankind and its relation to the environment, three XR films and an original installation will be showcased within the framework of the Immersive: All Around Cinema section of the festival, aiming to offer the audience a breathtaking viewing experience. The movies screened portray diverse aspects of an extended reality, transcending film genres and immersing the viewer to the environment of each creation.
The films of the XR selection will be screened in a specially configured venue at KYMA in Edipsos throughout the 5 days of the festival, with daily working hours from 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm.
On July 4, Yolanda Markopoulou will deliver a masterclass on the Challenges in the creation of a Mixed Reality project.
Greek “meze” gastronomy links to sustainability
A side aspect of Evia Green Film Project, that of local gastronomy, will see flavor journalists Eleni Psyhouli and Ioanna Stamoulou introduce the delights of the Greek “meze” food to international guests, which is closely connected to sustainability.
“If we had to come up with one identifying feature of the Greek food table, above anything else, that would be no other than the love for shared tastiness and joint delight. The Greek traditional meze serves on small plates the Ancient Greek notion of “living in pleasure”, the habits of jest and joking, the outgoing and hearty enjoying of life under the sun, the blessing of being in the company of people, the act of sharing,” says Eleni Psyhouli.
“‘Mezes’ equals sustainability and locality, embraces a farm-to-table approach, respects food miles and seasonality and praises zero food waste, as it recycles everything and has nothing thrown away.”
Evia film events supporting green cinema
Evia Film Project is the third pillar of activities under the Thessaloniki Film Festival brand, which also includes the International Film Festival, held in November, and the International Documentary Festival, held in March.
Its goal is to consolidate Northern Evia, a region severely hit by the 2021 calamitous wildfires, as an international hub of green cinema.
It is held in collaboration with the Greek Film Centre, the Municipalities of Istiea-Edipsos and Mantoudi-Limni-Agia and the Port Authority of the Regional Unit of Evia.
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