Generation Next, TIFF’s new program that is part of the festival’s Greek Section, was presented to the public on Tuesday, November 18th, at Tonia Marketaki theater. ‘Today we are making a leap into the future by presenting a new generation of Greek filmmakers, better known as Generation Next’, said Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Head of Greek Program.

TIFF president, Georges Corraface expressed his enthusiasm and satisfaction for the Generation Next initiative and wished the young directors to be able to make a lot of films. ‘I hope your generation will find fewer obstacles in its way. There are constant changes in the relationship between cinema, economy and the audience. At this moment, we cannot define exactly how the Generation Next will evolve. That is something for you to do. I also hope that you keep your first movie’s enthusiasm alive and feel it every time you make a new film’, commented Mr. Corraface.

Konstantinos Kontovrakis spoke about the aims of Generation Next. ‘We want to help young filmmakers at a crucial point in their career by using TIFF’s prestige and contacts’. He also introduced the five – out of a total of seven – directors who were present at the event: Aris Bafaloukas, Panayiotis Fafoutis, Bujar Alimani, Christos Nikoleris and Vardis Marinakis. The remaining two directors of this year’s Generation Next, Syllas Tzoumerkas and Margarita Manda are already shooting their first film, and were represented by their producers Maria Drandaki and Lina Giannopoulou.

Director Panayiotis Fafoutis thanked TIFF, and said: ‘There is a time gap between the shooting of short films and the realization of our actual first feature film. Most of our short films were made in 2005 and 2006, and this is a great disadvantage for our work. I hope that we will find a way to overcome this delay’. Producer Lina Giannopoulou also thanked TIFF and pointed out: ‘This program is very important to all of us. We feel that our work is being recognized and this gives us strength to carry on’.