National Competition

43rd Drama International Short Film Festival (DISFF)

Drama International Short Film Festival presents an annual National Competition showcasing the best new films from Greece. Over 200 films are submitted each year, and the sellection commitee lead by creative director Yannis Sakaridis selects around 30-40 films to screen in competition during the festival. Short film juries of international film and media professionals select the award-winning films, with awards given at the Awards Ceremony.

42 Drama:

The Jury of last year’s 42nd National Competition consisting of Dimitris Charitos, Maria Lafi, Spyros Siakas, Dimitris Spyrou and Giannis Fotou decided to bestow the following awards:

GOLDEN DIONYSOS
The Golden Dionysos awards goes to the film “Index” directed by Nikolas Kolovos. For the skillful camera choreography in a 12-minute one-take and the wonderful utilization of the cinematic language, which underlines a universal issue starting from a child’s desperate action. The award is accompanied by two prizes: Finos Film offers a cash prize of 4,000 €, ERT offers a cash prize of 3,000 €.

Award for Best Direction
The Best Direction award goes to the film “The distance between us and the sky”, directed by Vasilis Kekatos. For having the best rhythm, for the successful dialogues and especially successful use of the frame into building a new relationship between the two boys. The award is accompanied by lab provisions and post production services of a value of 2,500 €, offered by Stefilm company.

Greeks of the World Award
The award goes to the film “Sleepwalking”, directed by Melissa Anastasi. For the fear and expectation that the filming choices of the director cause viewers, in order to force the main character in unprecedented actions at a very young age. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of 2,000 €, offered by the Greek Film Center.

Documentary Award
The award goes to the film “Cleoniki”, directed by Anna Antonopoulou. For highlighting the character and the imprint of an era that is about to disappear, through the memory and the life of a super-centenarian old woman. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of 1,000 €, offered by ERT.

«DINOS KATSOURIDIS», Special Award for the Best Newcomer Director
The award goes to the film “Rouge”, directed by Kostis Theodosopoulos. For his complete and meaningful 1st appearance as a filmmaker. In memory of the great Greek filmmaker, the Katsouridis family keeps sponsoring the award he had established 19 years ago and offers the director full technical coverage for the production of his next film.

Best Student Film Award
The award goes to the film “Sad girl weekend”, directed by Dimitris Tsakaleas and Leda Vartzioti. For the borderline moment of the end of a carefree era and the passing to a new situation. The award is accompanied by lab provisions and post production services of a value of 2,500 €, offered by Stefilm company.

Tonia Marketaki Award for Best Female Director
The award goes to the film “I am Mackenzie”, directed by Artemis Athanasiadou. For the director’s fresh look and correct recording of the intense feelings during the passage from adolescence to the early adulthood. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of 2,500 €, offered by the Greek Film Center.

Best Animation Film Award
The award goes to the film “Violent equation”, directed by Antonis Ntousias. For a powerful visual animation with deep knowledge of the motion image principles that highlights modern social concerns.

Best Screenplay Award
The award goes to Kostis Theodossopoulos for the film “Rouge”, which he also directed. For a charming group of girlfriends that take the viewer on a self –awareness journey.

Best Cinematography Honorary Distinction
To Giorgos Frentzos GSC for the cinematography of the film “The weight of the sea”, directed by Kostis Alevizos.

Honorary Distinction for Best Editing
To Livia Neroutsopoulou for the editing of the film “Postcards from the end of the world”, by Konstantinos Antonopoulos.

Honorary Distinction for an Actress in Leading Role
To Sissy Toumasi for her performance in the film “The weight of the sea”, by Kostis Alevizos.

Honorary Distinction for Actor in a Leading Role
To Nikolakis Zeginoglou for his performance in the film “The distance between us and the sky”, by Vasilis Kekatos.

Honorary Distinction for Best Sound
To Giannis Antypas for the film “Pathologies of everyday life”, directed by Alexandros Papathanassopoulos.

Honorary Distinction for Best Sound Design
To Christos Giannakopoulos for the film “Sable Noir”, by Thanasis Trouboukis.

Honorary Distinction for Best Original Music
To Nikos Giannakakis and Dimitris Giannoulis for the music of the film “Chopper”, by Giorgos Kapsanakis.

Honorary Distinction for Best Set
To Christos Symeonidis for the film “Flickering souls at night”, by Iakovos Panagopoulos.

Honorary Distinction for Best Costumes
To Vaggelis Kaberis for the film “Sad girl weekend”, by Dimitris Tsakaleas and Lida Vartzioti.

Honorary Distinction for Best Make-up
To Ioanna Lygizou for the film “Rouge”, by Kostis Theodossopoulos.

Honorary Distinction for Special Effects
To Giannis Patsiaouras and Berta Valverde for the film “W”, by Stelios Koupetoris.

Special Mention
The special mention goes to Alexandros Kakaniaris for the film “The dude” To a film that wanders around in a world that is tailor-made for its main character, who while seems not to fit anywhere, fits everywhere nevertheless.

Special Mention
The special mention goes to Ioko-Ioannis Kotidis for his outstanding performance in the film “The distance between us and the sky” by Vasilis Kekatos.

PITCHING LAB FINOS FILM AWARD
Finos Film bestows the “PITCHING LAB” award for the 42 nd Short Film Festival in Drama to Anngelica-Marie Eshesimua and Matthew Allen for the project “The Broken Key”– USA. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of 1,500 €, offered by Finos Film.

PICHING LAB AUTHORWAVE AWARD
Authorwave bestows the “PITCHING LAB” award for the 42nd Short Film Festival in Drama to Kaki Wong for the project “The Wild Child” – Hong Kong – China. The award is accompanied by post production services (DCP) offered by Authorwave.

Greek Film Center Motivation Distinctions
The Greek Film Center bestowed three MOTIVATION distinctions to the following new filmmakers: The Greek Film Center awards young directors, who are now taking their first steps and offers them the “MOTIVATION” to keep creating in the field of cinema. For this reason, the Greek Film Center decided to bestow three (3) equal awards, of 2,000 € each, as support for the realization of their next film. The awards go to the following filmmakers: For the film “Mila”, by Andreas Vakalios. For the film “O Karahiozis” by Michael Gigintis. For the film “In the room», by Yeorgia M. Sotirchou.

PITCHING LAB GREEK FILM CENTER AWARD
The Greek Film Center bestows the “PITCHING LAB” award for the 42nd Short Film Festival in Drama to Marta Gonzalez De La Vega for the project “The Valdomeros” – Spain, as financial support with the cash prize of 2,000 € towards the production of the film.

Greek Society of Cinematographers Award
The Greek Society of Cinematographers (GSC) represented by Pantelis Mantzanas, Kostas Stamoulis, and George Frentzos, recognizing the importance of the Director of Cinematography in the aesthetic and narrative result of a film, awards a young filmmaker. This year, for the excellent use of simple means as natural light, we bestow the award to Fili Olsefksi for the film “Mila” by Andreas Vakalios.

Greek Film Clubs Association Award
The Greek Film Clubs Association bestows a Best Film Award for the National Competition Section of the 42 nd Short Film Festival in Drama to the film “Mila” by Andreas Vakalios, because it deals with the subject of breaking family bonds in its own way, with directness, narrative thoroughness, a critical realistic view, sensitivity, humor, dynamic capturing and vibrant illustration of characters. Mila is stuck in the middle of her parents’ quarrels, caused mainly by her father, but refuses to be crushed. She rolls on her board on the slippery water without crashing.

Greek Film Critics Association
For the accuracy with which it condenses the story of a broken family, reads the characters it consists of and expresses their drama through the expressive figures of its protagonists. The Greek Film Critics Association bestows the award for best Greek film to the film “Mila” by Andreas Vakalios, who, in a year, manages to balance on a skateboard from the high speed of a “Death Car”.

Award for Technical Excellence by the Film, Television & Audiovisual Technicians Union
To the film “W” by Stelios Koupetoris.

Terms of Participation

1. For the promotion of cinematography in Greece, cultural decentralization and the diffusion of the Greek short films, the 43rd NATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL in DRAMA is organized by the “CULTURAL ORGANIZATION-SHORT FILM FESTIVAL in DRAMA” from 20 to 26 September 2020 in the city of Drama.

2. The films which will participate in the contest of the National Short Film Festival in Drama must meet the following requirements:

a) No public screening of the film should have taken place in Greece or the Internet, prior to the screenings in Drama.
b) The films must have been completed within the year 2019 or 2020.
c) The final screening copy must be available in DPC, Apple ProRes 422, H264 or MPEG4.
d) The films must have a greek production or co-production, or the director should be Greek or Greek-Cypriot.
Films made by a Greek or a Greek-Cypriot director but shot outside Greece and which are not a greek production or co-production participate in the category ‘Greeks of the World”.
e) Each director is entitled to participate in the Festival with only one film and has to state the genre and the special category in which they compete (Greeks of the World).
f) Acceptable genres: fiction, documentary, animation, experimental films.
g) A film cannot be submitted if it has already been through the preliminary contest in the past and has been rejected.

3. Entry form
a) The Application form, the delivery of the pre-selection material, and a digital copy of the film are to be submitted digitally by 15th June 2020.
From the moment that the application of participation and the pre-selection material have been submitted and the film has been selected, it cannot be withdrawn by the director or the producer for whatever reason (objection to the screening order etc.).
b) Procedure and conditions concerning material delivery for selection.
The director or the producer should submit digitally by 15th June 2020 :
1. The application form with all the mandatory item fields filled in.
2. A private link of the film for the pre – selection (a secure / password protected link with a download option which has to be available up until the results of the committee are announced).
3. At least one (1) photo from the film and one (1) photo of the director in digital form (300dpi).
c. Acceptance of the terms and conditions.
The submission of the application of participation in the Festival in Drama automatically entails the unreserved acceptance of this Regulation and constitutes a Solemn Declaration for the accuracy of the submitted data (crew identity, category statement, technical data-check).

4. PRE-SELECTION COMMITTEE
a) The selection of the films is made by the Pre-selection Committee, presided over by the Artistic Director, who appoints its other members. Films which have not been selected for the competition section are not screened in it.
b) The screening of the film in a cinema, TV channel, Festival or the Internet before or during the Festival is forbidden, except for the Festival’s scheduled screenings.

Material Delivery

The delivery of the film material that has been selected for the final screening must take place by 27th August 2020.
a)The final screening copy and the other material described below will have to be submitted to the Festival offices in Athens (Em. Benaki 71 Str. 10681 Athens) by 27th August until 17.00.
The following material is to be delivered:
1) Screening copy in one of the following acceptable formats:
– DCP subtitled in English or Greek for non – greek speaking films.
– H264 subtitled in English or Greek for non – greek speaking films.
– Apple ProRes 422 subtitled in English or Greek for non – greek speaking films.
– MPEG4 subtitled in English or Greek for non – greek speaking films.
2) Signed Solemn Statement of final technical check by the film’s technical supervisor and by the director.
If not, the film is excluded from the festival screening and the contest.
b) The user license for each film submitted is the responsibility of the producer under the copyright law.
c) The return of the films will be carried out by the Festival secretariat (offices in Athens or Drama, after consultation), under the responsibility of the directors, in 15 days at the most after the end of the event: ‘’The Festival in Drama travels to Athens.’’ The Festival is not responsible for the keeping of the films beyond the aforementioned return time limit of 15 days.
Exceptionally, a film may be returned earlier, after the end of the Festival, from Drama, provided that there is a request of the producer or director in writing.
d) The schedule and the screening order for the films are defined by the Festival’s Artistic Director.

Jury - Prizes

The Artistic Director exclusively selects and sets up the Jury, which consists of at least 5 members and appoints its Chair.
The Jury give the following awards:
GOLDEN DIONYSUS
1st Best Film Prize
DIRECTION PRIZE
2nd Best Film Prize
‘GREEKS OF THE WORLD – Socrates Dimitriades’ PRIZE
DOCUMENTARY PRIZE
TONIA MARKETAKI PRIZE
The Prizes are awarded to one director or film and cannot be shared.
The Jury can award honours and commendations for individual artistic virtues (script, photography, male and female performance, sound, editing, music, sets – costumes, special effects etc.)

Other Terms

a) One digital copy of the final copy of the film is required for the Film Market and it remains in the Festival archive.
b) The Festival retains the right to digitize the submitted films for the needs of the Film Market and its Archive.
c) For the promotion and advertising of the programs, the Festival can show snapshots of the films on TV or on the internet, which will not exceed the 10% of the total film duration and, in each case, not over three minutes.
d) The Festival retains the right of the publication of film data, including the contact information of the director and the producer.
e) The Cultural Organisation – Short Film Festival in Drama hosts the director or an artistic factor from each contestant film during the Festival.
f) The Cultural Organisation – Short Film Festival in Drama is charged with the transportation and insurance expenses of the films, both during their shipment (Athens – Drama) and their return (Drama – Athens), and during their stay in its headquarters for up to 15 days after the Festival’s end, as well as during the event ‘The Festival in Drama travels to Athens’.
In case of loss or damage of the copy with the Festival’s responsibility, the Festival is obliged to compensate the value for the printing of the specific copy.
g) The Festival Chairman is responsible for resolving every matter relating to the implementation of the Regulation and the provisions enforced.
h) The Courts of Drama are appointed responsible for settling any possible disputes.