15th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival (BBB)
–Human Traces–
BBB Cine-Forum II
Roundtable: Cinema as a Tool for Emancipation and Social Transformation
At the 15th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival – Human Traces – Spetses, the BBB Cine Forum II will host a compelling roundtable titled Cinema as a Tool for Emancipation and Social Transformation. This event will take place on Saturday, October 12th, from 10:00 to 11:30 at the Kapodistrian Auditorium. The roundtable will explore the intersection of cinema and social justice, focusing on how film can serve as a powerful medium for the emancipation of marginalised communities and the promotion of social change. It is open to both educators and the general public, offering a space for meaningful dialogue and exchange.
This roundtable brings together filmmakers, practitioners working with excluded youth, and local representatives to discuss the innovative ways they use cinema to address societal challenges. Drawing on the festival’s theme Human Traces, the discussion will center on how the arts—particularly film—can be a catalyst for empowering marginalised groups, fostering social inclusion, and igniting transformative social change. Through diverse perspectives, the session will not only highlight the power of cinema to reflect the complexities of human identity but also to stimulate awareness and action on pressing social issues.
This roundtable provides educators with valuable insights into the potential of cinema as an educational tool to inspire critical thinking and engage students in social justice issues. Participants will explore practical methods for using film to address inequality, amplify the voices of underrepresented communities, and foster a deeper understanding of global challenges.
Speakers:
Alexia Tsouni is an established filmmaker and activist, known for her work in promoting human rights and peace through documentary filmmaking. She is a member of WIFT GR (Women in Film and Television – Greece) and the Greek Documentary Association, and member of FemArtAct. Tsouni’s films often focus on issues of social justice, peace, and activism, such as “Shalom – Salaam – Peace” (2024) and “Make Art Not War” (2023). Her extensive work in the field of human rights advocacy, combined with her artistic talent, makes her a pivotal voice in the conversation about the role of cinema in social transformation.
Veroniki Krikoni was born on 30th June of 1983 in Athens where she currently lives. She is holder of the Joint Masters of Arts on European Cultural Studies completed under the Erasmus Mundus Euroculture Programs and has completed a BA on International and European Studies. She is the co-founder of the non-for-profit organization Balkans Beyond Borders contributing to the cultural diplomacy sector through the power of image and new media. Veroniki has 15 years of professional experience in the field of culture and creativity, specialising in project management and development of cross-border civil society initiatives that revolve around the dynamic interplay between intangible cultural heritage and community identities. Veroniki critically engages with projects that disrupt dominant narratives toward a bottom-up approach, emphasising locality and communities as key players in reshaping and interpreting cultural identities anew. For her work she has been awarded the 2018 Civil Society Award for Cultural Heritage by the European Economic and Social Committee.
Coordinator: Nikos Pasamitros was born and raised in Piraeus. His paternal ancestry is from Spetses Island. He is a founding member of the Inter Alia NGO and a creator of the series of ECHO projects. He has worked as a Contractual Lecturer of International Studies at the Department of Political Sciences of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the University of the Peloponnese, and a Junior Researcher at the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS). He has also been among the text-writers for the creative documentary Dark Vein and a co-producer at the For Memory’s Sake theatre play. This is his second, proud participation in a BBB Film Festival roundtable discussion.
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Saturday, 12/10, 10.00-11.30
Venue: Kapodistrian Auditorium
Free Entrance
In cooperation with Action Bomaye and co-funded by the EU