Konstantina Kotzamani’s “Washingtonia” gets ΒΒΒ Best Film 2015 award at the 6th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival in Thessaloniki. The 6thBalkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival supported by European Fund for the Balkans had the opportunity to present for one more time films of great quality and select winners that their work stands out in terms of quality, approach and thematic. Audience of diverse nationalities and ages filled the venue of the Festival, WE, from October 30th to November 1st and had the chance to interact at the Festival’s events and communicate with the film makers.
With 30 films at the Competition Part the Jury of the 6th Balkans BBB consisted of Marija Milovanovic (Austria), Dimitris Savvaidis (Greece) and Ares Shporta (Kosovo*) decided to give the Best Film 2015 award to a female director whose film convinced them with its visual poetry, the creative way of story telling and it’s very moving connection between a tree, a city and love. As Marija Milovanovic states, in “Washingtonia” there is a special bond between the head and the heart, not only for humans. The head tells you what you have to do, but nevertheless…the heart will take what it wants.
The audience had active role at the Festival and voted for its best film which was “Seven Steps” by Giannis Karydas, Greece which won the Audience Prize 2015.
Taking into consideration the good quality of this year’s films presented at the festival, the Jury gave “Special Mentions” to three other films:
«Golden Shot», an animation by Gokalp Gonen, Turkey, “1973” a documentary by Stefan Ivancic from Serbia and the film “Enemies”, a Comedy/Drama by
Hristo Simeonov from Bulgaria.
BBB Prizes were a production by Solid3D Printing based on the artwork of Marietta Lyriotaki and the Best Film and Audience Prize get 500€ and 100€ accordingly.
6th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival with subject Living in… “City-mmetry” motivated and inspired the audience not only through the films but also through its parallel activities: BBB Photo Marathon, BBBWalk, BBB Dialogues (Round Table and Workshop), BBB Photo Display and BBB Photo shooting event. The audience had the opportunity to interact and get to know better the Balkans. The Screenings of the weekend were followed by two live bands with Balkan influences, Chalkina Ichochromata (Brass Sound) and BaiLdSa filling the venue with more than 700 people.
Winning films will be screened in other events and activities of the organization as well as at other collaborating Festivals. BBB continues its journey in the Balkans having its next stop and topic to be announced soon. For more information check www.balkansbeyondborders.eu , Facebook (Balkans Beyond Borders) and Twitter (BalkansBB).
With the support of
