Best Fiction Feature Film

Best Documentary

Best Creative Documentary

Best Short Film

Beware of bear, directed by Victoria Vellopoulou. Produced by Photini Economopoulou and Haris Padouvas. Production: Cinegram, Greece, 2008. Duration: 19.26’. (UK Premier).

Best Student Short

Love at first click, directed by Triantafillia Dimopoulou. Production: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 2009. Duration: 13.30’. (World Premier).

Best Video Art

2755 miles, directed by Janis Rafailidou. Production: independent, Greece, 2008. Duration: 15’. (UK Premier).

Best Animation

Audience Award

Audience Award

www-Visitor choice

Best Fiction Feature Script

The First Casualty, by Paul Papadeas (USA). A political thriller / murder mystery that takes place in 1948 Salonika, Greece during the Greek Civil War. This is about the assassination of CBS Middle East Correspondent George Polk - who was a young, hotshot protégé of Edward R. Murrow. His death was said to have been the "first casualty" of the upcoming cold war and was never truly solved for political reasons. Today, journalists are awarded the coveted Polk award for bravery in journalism.  

Best Short Script

Two shoes on wheels, by Stefanos Mondelos (Greece)

One day, IGO, a habitant of the land of “WHOCARES” and fan of tap-dance, buys his new tap-dance shoes, after having parked his car over a wheelchair ramp on the side of the road. With his brand-new shoes on, IGO will slide on the pavement and falling down; he will find himself in the “WHEELED REPUBLIC OF ICAN”, a community of disabled people moving around exclusively on wheelchairs. IGO’s difficulty to adapt himself in that society, which is created for the needs of the disabled, will force him to become aware of his egoistic attitude and his indifference towards the disabled and their problems that are intensified in a society created only for the non-disabled.

Best Fiction Feature Film

Best Fiction Feature Script

The Tree and The Swing, by Maria Douza 

ELENI (KARAPANOU), a surgeon – has been estranged from her father, KYRIAKOS (KARAPANOS) for over a decade – ever since she defied his wishes and left Greece to relocate to the UK.  Despite Eleni’s efforts, Kyriakos, a prideful man who raised his daughter alone, has never forgiven Eleni’s defiance and has refused to be part of her life and family in the UK.    One day, Eleni gets a note from him asking her to visit him - he won’t discuss the reasons over the phone. Kyriakos’ note comes at a moment where Eleni’s life is at a crossroads. Her husband HARRIS, also a doctor, has just been offered a prestigious job in Cape Town.  Eleni who has chosen to make England her home, hates the idea of a new uprooting. On the pretext of visiting her father, Eleni takes her nine year old daughter, ANNA, and comes to Greece. Uncertain about the future, Eleni wants Anna to be able to return to a “home” in Greece if she wants to.  What she really needs though is to find a way back “home” herself. But when she reaches Greece nothing she finds is as she expects.   Kyriakos has been harboring a few secrets of his own.   Set in the heavily loaded atmosphere of the Greek-Orthodox Easter, the story interweaves present reality, political history, and mythology in a modern tale about the relentless movement of people, repentance, acceptance and love.

Best Short Script

A Mellow Dusk, by Marina Koulouri

Death, appearing as a handsome young man, comes for a 20 year old girl and takes her away in his one-horse carriage, while the girl’s mother and women from her village lament. On the way to the cemetery, Death drives the girl through the grain field, where a couple in love dally with each other,  through the village, outside the school, the tavern, alongside Old-Theodor’s field. Life is vigorous everywhere they pass. The girl – unaware of her condition – at times watches the journey still and dreamy and at other times, she vainly tries to communicate with the living. Once reaching the cemetery, only then does the girl realize that she is dead and gasps with fear. Death puts her to sleep, before taking her in his arms to carry her to the grave. When morning comes, life goes on as usual in the village, where the girl’s soul travels through and is felt by those true at heart, children and lovers.

Judge's Choice

Rites of Winter, by Koula Sossiadis Kazista

“Rites of Winter” set against the backdrop of the 1974 Turkish invasion of the Greek Island of Cyprus, is the story of two proud, Greek brothers living in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Petro and Vasilli struggle to make a living together running their family sponge diving business, while jointly raising Petro’s young son, Costa. While Petro sinks deeper into a depression upon the death of his wife, Vasilli strikes up a relationship with a beautiful, educated Turkish woman, Lani. As violence escalates in Cyprus, tensions mount between Turkish and Greek immigrants in the predominantly Greek community of Tarpon Springs. Despite the obvious difficulties they face, Vasilli and Lani can’t help but fall deeper in love and decide to marry. Petro is unable to tolerate a Turkish woman in his family. He forces Vasilli out of the family business, and more devastatingly, cuts the young couple out of his and Costa’s life completely. The Greek-American community quickly follows suit. Shortly thereafter, Lani mysteriously disappears leaving Vasilli devastated. By following his heart, Vasilli’s life is painfully and irrevocably changed. Years later, the wounds remaining from the brothers' estranged relationship are reopened when Costa rekindles his relationship with Vasilli and discovers both a mentor and a trail of dark secrets surrounding Lani’s disappearance that must be brought to light before the brothers can ever hope to reconcile. Ultimately, Costa’s desire to leave his community with the aid of Vasilli unearths.