WELCOMING ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR OF DRAMA, THOMAS MARGARITIS

Drama, a city of culture and artistic creation, for the twenty-seventh consecutive time is hosting this leading cinema institution, the Short Film Festival. Drama opens its gates in order to welcome, not only established Greek seventh art creators but also significant personalities from the international cinematography, coming here from all over of the world, to keep their annual international cinema appointment.

It is common knowledge that today, the Drama Short Film Festival is at one of its most creative periods, as a result of an important collective and systematic effort. The success of this Festival has considerably strengthened the presence of our city on the ecumenical culture map and we are looking forward to its further consolidation in the near future.

The Festival in Drama consistently glances towards the Balkans and the developing world, while it insists on remembering and honouring important personalities of “yesterday’s” and today’s cinema.

We all know very well that the short films screened at the Festival require special preparation, knowledge, taste and care.

It is our duty to assure that the Festival is made as widely accepted as possible, primarily by the city’s local audience, but also by both local and international filmmaking people –and to that end we offer it all possible support.

In the beautiful autumn city of Drama it is certain that, with this year's Short Film Festival, life goes on with more light, less loneliness and more beauty, amidst an artistic and cultural environment, as we have envisioned it for the sake of the warm, man-oriented society of the city we have been elected to serve.

Shortly, the lights will be dimmed and the "pictures of the 21st century" will leap from the cinema screen and invade all our souls.

For all of us, the people whose hearts beat at 24-stills per second, the big celebration of images sets off once again.