"12th International Panorama"

…since we have not sailed yet
the most beautiful seas…

In a successful and festive atmosphere, Patras International Film Festival & Culture – “12th International Panorama” ended on Saturday, 9th of October, organized by the non-profit organization “International Panorama of Independent Film and Video Creators” in collaboration with the Editorial Committee of the online magazine «Cineek magazine-online magazine of Alternative Culture», www.cineek.gr. The festival started on 1st of October 2010 and ended on 9th of October 2010 and it was held at the multipurpose, cultural and entertainment venue "IDEAL" in Patras.
The evening included not only the prize award and special distinctions of the Film Festival but also those of the Photo Contest entitled "Click on the Pros and Cons of my hometown" for photographers of Patras.
Patras International Film Festival proves that there is continuity and consistency in the institution, providing a forum for free expression not only for young Greek people but also for foreign artists, without any exclusions and sectional interests.
This effort is pioneer for our country, since it appears to be the only film festival in South Eastern Europe, without censorship and manipulation.
The screening room of IDEAL was crowded with an exquisite audience, directors and several representatives of local cultural organizations of Patras and personalities of the society of Patras such as aldermen (due to the election campaign it would not be appropriate to mention here their names).

The film screenings of the last section of "Cinema, the art of peace" ended at 8.30 in the evening and the audience had the opportunity to attend the play "Given time", a mix of theatrical and film art presented by the theatrical group Equus.

Ms Fiorella Mastrokalou, a member of the Organizing Committee, welcomed not only all the people and institutions of Patras being at the awards ceremony but also those who supported the International Panorama, by saying "... the International Film Festival after eleven successive tournaments has become the International Film Festival & Culture making an effort to include other forms of artistic expression. The strong bonds of all the arts inevitably lead to the broadening of the cooperation between different artistic areas and therefore human beings. So this year, the theater, poetry, comic books and a theoretical lecture completed the contest and a photography exhibition was already a part of this festival. The Festival presented 176 films from 49 countries and or the 12th year connects the creator, the spectacle and the audience. Thanks to this festival we can feel the anxieties, aesthetic concerns of all the independent artists from different places of the world ….. "

Afterwards, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Panagiotis Chionidis, the Art Director awarded honors to a literary man and historian of Patras, Mr. Vassilis Lazaris for his battles about Democracy and Culture.

Then, the members of the Judging Committee of the Photo Contest entitled "Click on the Pros and Cons of my hometown" Ms. Antonia Svetsou, Architect; Ms. Polymeropoulou Konstantina, Business Administration Consultant and Ms. Vasiliki Papageorgiou, PhD Anthropologist announced the rationale of their decision.

Mr. Andreas Michalopoulos, president of the Photographic Club of Patras "Idyfos" awarded the first prize to Mr. Papaioannou Vasilis series entitled "Fire, a source of joy and indignation" the second prize to Mr. Ifantis Nicholas series "Sunsets of Patras" and the third prize to Mr. Chris Kosmas series "Traffic".
Then, Mrs. Maria Nikolopoulou Head of Cultural Affairs & Arts Games of Secondary Education has given the distinctions to the following series: "Negative - positive clicks" of Mr. John Margaritis and to "Urban puzzle" of Mr. Paul Touliatos.

The hostess mentioned that all the photographic series, awarded and not awarded, will be presented in 38 cities of Greece.

Then, the names of the Judging Committee of the film festival were announced: Chaidas Alexander, Philologist, MSc in multicultural Education, Adults Trainer; Stefanaki Aggeliki, senior bank employee ;Korompili Aggeliki, Graduate of Greek Culture Studies-School of Humanities of HOU, Student in integrative psychotherapeutic counseling; Papastergiou Thomas, Actor, Film director; Miltos Mpitis, Accountant

On behalf of the Judging Committee, Mr. Haidas Alexandros, announced the philosophical rationale of their decision.

The awards of the International competitive section which will be sent to the directors by the Organizing Committee are:

AWARDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVE SECTION

AWARD FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM is granted to KAIN by Kristof Hoornaert 16’ 2009 - Belgium
AWARD FOR THE BEST ANIMATION is granted to ERGO by Geza M. Toth 13’ 2008- Hungary
AWARD FOR THE BEST DOCUMENTARY is granted to A COLD LAND by Shahriar Pourseyedian 23’ 2009 - Iran
AWARD FOR THE BEST VIDEO ART is granted to THE KINETICS OF FEELINGS by Werner Biedermann 5’ 2010- Germany
AWARD FOR THE BEST VIDEO DANCE is granted to AN ANT by Kimmo Alakunnas 23’ 2010- Finland

DISTINCTIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVE SECTION

DISTINCTION FOR THE POETRY OF THE IMAGE is granted to THE UNNAMED by Huang Ya-Li 10’ 2010- Taiwan
DISTINCTION FOR VIDEO ART FILM is granted to PLAY GROUND by Rinat Edelstein 6’ 58’’ 2009- Israel
DISTINCTION FOR DOCUMENTARY is granted to Mine & Tablou 2 by Hossein Jehani 17’ 2009- Australia & Iraq
DISTINCTION FOR FURTHERING THE STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS for the film Brush Stroke by Nihan Belgin 29’ 2010- Turkey
DISTINCTION FOR THE SENSITIVITY TO THE PROBLEMS OF IMMIGRANTS for the film Sin Palabras of Othman Naciri 19’ 2009- Morocco

AWARDS OF GREEK COMPETITIVE SECTION

The Organizing Committee will undertake to send the awards to the directors who could not attend the award ceremony. The awards are:
AWARD FOR THE BEST FEATURE FILM to “Gold dust“by Margarita Manta
DISTINCTION FOR EXPERIMENTAL CREATION to “Wrinkles and Dreams” by Georgia Petralli
AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM FOR THE STRUGGLE AGAINST DRUGS to “Evridiki’s Case” by Freddy Viannelis
SPECIAL AWARD FOR THE EMINENCE OF FOLK CUSTOMS to “The Mirror Bride” by Despoina Pantazi
AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM WITH ECOLOGICAL CONTENT to “A place without people” by Andreas Apostolidis
AWARD FOR THE IMMIGRANTS ISSUES to “Partners” by Josefina Markarian

AWARD FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM
The award was granted to Dimitris Nakos for the “Fotini and Alexandra by Mrs. Maria Karga, the President of the NGO “Citizens in action”
AWARD FOR THE DOCUMANTERY WITH SUBJECT: CITY&QUALITY OF LIFE
The award was granted to the directors Angeli Andrikopoulou and Argyris Tsepelikas for the film “The game must go on” by the representative of the Ecological Movement of Patras Mr. Giorgos Kanellis
AWARD FOR THE BEST VIDEO ART
The award was granted to G.M. Touliatou for the film “Theme from autumn drizzle” by Mr. Nikos Kostsonis, the President of the Association of Macedonians and Thracians in Patras
AWARD FOR THE BEST ANIMATION
The award was granted to Panayiotis Rappas for the film “The boy and the tree” by Mr. Isidoros Sideropoulos, the Vice-president of the Association “Lighthouse of the Pontics”
DISTINCTION FOR SHORT FILM WITH SUBJECT: «Television: angel or daemon »
The distinction was granted to the Elias Malasidis for the film “Live Broadcast” by Mr. Manolis Maglaras, the President of Panepirotic Association of Patras
SPECIAL AWARD FOR THE SCHOOL CREATION
The special award was granted to Stelios Dexis & Konstantopoulou Liza for the film “The monuments of our city” by Mr. Zacharioudakis, the Vice-president of Association of Cretans in Patras and Mrs. Chatzioannou Maria, the President of the Union of Cypriots of Achaia
DISTINCTION IN DOCUMENTARY
The distinction was granted to Nikos Chrisikakis for the film "TITOS-a poet in precarious balance" by Mr. Dimitrof Iordan, the President of the Association of Boulgarians in Peloponnisos “Chan Asparouh”
AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM WITH SENSITIVITY FOR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE
The award was granted to Thodoris Adamos for the film “I see you, do you hear me?" by the representative of the Movement of Defending Immigrants
AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHIC DOMUMENTARY
The award was granted to Aggeliki Aristomenopoulou for the film “Wandering Soul” by the President of the Association of Albanians Immigrants (Emigranti) Mrs. Kristiana Veliou
AWARD FOR THE INTERCULTURE IN MUSIC
The award was granted to Giorgos Zervas for the film “Like the air i breathe ... world music on Crete” by Mr. Spyros Katiforis, the President of Pamicrasiatic Association in Patras
AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM WITH ANTI-WAR CONTENT
The award was granted to Yorgos Avgeropoulos & Giannis Karypidis for the documentary “Gaza We Are Coming” by Mr. Andreas Antonopoulos, the secretary of the Committee of Piece in Patras
At the end, Mr. Panagiotis Chionidis, the art-director of the International Festival of Film & Culture was called to grant the two (2) last awards for:
AWARD FOR HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
The award was granted to Takis Papayiannidis for the film “Plunder from a bleeding land” by the agency of the Panhellenic Union of Fighters in National Resistance & Democratic Army of Greece (PUFNR- DAG).
AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM DOMENTARY
The award was granted to Yorgos Avgeropoulos & Giannis Karypidis for the film “Gaza We Are Coming” by Mr. Amman Nizari, member of the Afghan Community, who recited an afghan poem.

At the end of the ceremony, the Art Director of the International Film Festival and Culture, Mr. Panagiotis Chionidis stated that “... the outgoing municipal authority may did not have the political will to enact the film festival of Patras, but the citizens of Patras involved dynamically for another year ..” He also stated that “.. the festival has a sensitivity towards social problems, ecology issues, solidarity, fair society and anti-racism making the step for free expression of young artists from around the world..”