The first big-scale film festival of the year will close on February 19, 2012. The Award Ceremony will be held on February 18, 2012.

From the announced world premieres, Steven Soderberg’s “Haywire”, Billy Bob Thornton’s “Jayne Mansfield’s Car” and Stephen Daldry’s “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” stand out.

Clive Owen, Diane Kruger, Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman and Michael Fassbender are only some of the many celebrities that will walk the Red Carpet of this year’s Berlinale.

The Greek presence might not be as strong as in previous years but it is definitely there, and particularly noteworthy because of the tense relations between Greece and Germany lately.

Greek director Spiros Stathoulopoulos’ feature film “Meteora” will compete for this year’s Berlinale Bears. “Meteora” is set in Greece, and explores the dynamics of spirituality and human desire, told through the story of a Greek monk and a Russian nun.

Stathopoulos’ film has already premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and won the Directors’ Award at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival. The success of the film has resulted in a joint Greek-German co-production.

Another Greek film to be screened at this year’s Berlinale is Angelos Abazoglou’s documentary film “Mustafa’s Sweet Dreams”, which will enter the Generation 14+ Competition for young directors.

In addition, the experimental 8-minute-long film “Austerity Measures” of Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell, shot at the infamous Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, was officially chosen by the Berlinale to be screened on February 11-12 at Forum Expanded.

Last but not least, the 62nd Berlinale will hold a tribute screening of “The Weeping Meadow” in memory of the late Theodoros Angelopoulos.

Dionysis Savvopoulos will be one of the performers, accompanied by musicians Ghiotis Kiourtsoglou, Orestis Plakidis and Vanghelis Karipis.

The idea was born in a workshop for the translation and musical adaptation of some text of the musician’s songs conducted by the Department of Modern Greek Language and Literature, under the supervision of Professor Paola Maria Minucci.

This concert is its natural conclusion: a tribute to the ”singing poet” who in 1968 composed the opera ‘Il giardino del pazzo’ in Milan, and an opportunity to bring people in Rome in contact with the work of a great artist who has accompanied and commentated on nearly fifty years of life and history in Greece.

The revenues of the concert will go to scholarships for students of the Department.

(Source: ANSAmed)

The traditional vasilopita cutting event was attended by the newly enthroned Greek-Orthodox Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Mid-Europe, Arsenios, the Chargé d’affaires of the Republic of Cyprus, Poli Ioannou, the Greek Consul to Vienna, Dimitris Daskalakis, the Greek-born municipal counselor and member of the Federal State Parliament of Vienna, Hanes Harvanek, many diplomatic representatives from Greece and Cyprus, as well as many Cypriots and Greeks living in Vienna and Austrian friends of the two countries.

In his greeting speech, the President of the Cypriot Cultural Centre and renowned baritone Kiros Patsalidis paid tribute to the deceased historic figure of the Greek-Orthodox church of Austria, Metropolitan Michael. He also referred to the challenge Cyprus must face by taking up the next rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. Mr. Patsalidis pointed out that the Greek-Cypriots will never forget the occupied lands and the occupation, wishing at the same time that 2012 may be the year to bring the final and much desired solution to the Cyprus Problem, so that Cyprus can become a united and peaceful country.

Mrs. Poli Ioannou has also characterized Cyprus’ rotating presidency of the Council of the EU as a “historic event” and stressed that it is a matter of national pride to exercise the 6 month presidency with absolute dignity.

Mr. Daskalakis on his part commented on the actions and initiatives taken by the Cypriot Cultural Centre in promoting Hellenism in Vienna, and highlighted the need to fight the Greek debt crisis through unity and joint efforts.

The newly elected Metropolitan Arsenios also made reference to the Cyprus Problem and expressed his hopes and optimism that the Cyprus presidency will be a success story.

The event included a music programme with parts from well-known opera works and Greek and Austrian operettas.

Co-hosted by the Department of Film Studies and the Centre of Hellenic Studies at King’s College, the event was very well received by a sizeable audience. Presentations by the two editors were followed by brief talks from three of the contributors, and a very lively Q&A session.

Covering the silent era to the present, this wide-ranging collection of essays examines Greek cinema as an aesthetic, cultural, and political phenomenon with the potential to appeal to a diverse range of audiences. Using a range of methodological tools, the authors investigate the ever-shifting forms and meanings at work within Greece’s national cinema and locate it within the booming interdisciplinary study of European cinema at large.

Designed for undergraduate courses in film studies, this well-researched volume fills a substantial gap in the market for critical works on Greek cinema in English.

(Source:ljmu.ac.uk)

The Greek award-winning director (77) was killed in a motorcycle accident, while shooting for his new film “The Other Sea” outside Athens, and Vadim Glowna died at the age of 70.

Since the beginning of the 1970s Theo Angelopoulos has been regarded as one of Europe’s major directors of auteur cinema. He was a guest at the Berlin International Film Festival multiple times. Most recently, Theo Angelopoulos presented I Skoni tou Chronou (The Dust of Time) in the Berlinale Competition in 2009.

The Berlinale will show Trilogia: To livadi pou dakrizei (Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow) in a special screening – in the original version with German subtitles – at the Cinemax 9 at Potsdamer Platz on February 16, 2012, at 9pm. Greek author Petros Markaris, who worked with Angelopoulos on many of the scripts for his films, and Phoebe Economopoulos, widow and producer of many of his films, are expected to attend the screening.

Actor and director Vadim Glowna was a prominent figure of New German Cinema. Starting in the 1960s, character actor Glowna played in more than 160 film and television productions, and performed on stage for many noted directors. He won the Golden Camera at Cannes in 1981 for his directorial debut, Desperado City. Vadim Glowna was a constant companion of the Berlin International Film Festival and a member of the International Jury in 1989.

In memory of Vadim Glowna, the Berlinale will present Desperado City, in cooperation with the Deutsche Filmakademie, at the Filmkunst 66 in Charlottenburg as part of the initiative “Berlinale goes Kiez” on February 11, 2012 at 8pm.

The ARTE France Cinéma Award (10,000 Euros) for the Best CineMart 2012 Project is given to Duncharon by Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece), a co-production of Haos Films and Faliro House Productions (Greece), Maharaja Films (France) and The Match Factory GmbH (Germany).

‘A project that is close to science fiction but actually speaks much more about the European sub-consciousness in an original way.’

ARTE France Cinéma gives its Award, consisting of 10,000 Euros, to the producer of the Best CineMart Project in support of the financial development of the winning project.

CineMart contributes to the development and production of independent filmmaking.

Europe’s international marketplace for the yacht and water sports industry maintains its pole position. 246,700 visitors came to Düsseldorf in order to attend the exhibition. 1,600 exhibitors from over 50 countries presented their innovations for the coming season in 17 Düsseldorf exhibition halls from 21 to 29 January 2012 – from fishing rods right through to luxurious large yachts.

BOOT 2012 is the place where journalists from home and abroad came to meet and work.

The Greek National Tourism Organization participated with its own stand in the International BOOT Dusseldorf 2012 exhibition. The Greek stand attracted many visitors and informed them about the beauties of Greece and the possibilities of approaching Greece on a speedboat.

Most of the German tourists expressed their enthusiasm about Greece and stated their intention to come to Greece for vacation.

The next BOOT Dusseldorf 2012 Exhibition will be held from 19th through 27th January 2013.

The ‘Sympossio’ brings together a host of experts, including trade partners, to take part in a multi-dimensional experience. These include tourism representatives and a wider social mass: bodies of state, transportation, travel agents and tour operators, Greek producers, as well as representatives of local and international media.

The new title ‘Sympossio’ adds to the event’s cultural and historic continuity, as it continues a tradition which began in ancient Greek Symposiums. The principles of hospitality, entertainment and food, will be combined in a joint participatory process; cooking, eating and drinking in unison. This year’s journey of Greek gastronomy to the big cities of Europe relies on the strength of collectivity.

The event has been expanded and the 3rd Greek Gourmet Touring will visit 7 European countries and 15 cities: Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Salzburg, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Lyon, Toulouse, Rome, Florence, Brussels, London.

The 2012 Mobile World Congress conference programme welcomes the top keynote speakers from the mobile communications market. Among them will be a Greek company that has recently created an internet application called ‘taxiplon’.

The MWC is recognised as the world’s premier event for mobile industry networking, business opportunities, and deal-making. Barcelona will not only host the Mobile World Congress (MWC) but will also become a permanent technological and cultural center which aims to boost and create new business opportunities and global awareness of the potential of mobile communications.

The 2012 Global Mobile Awards presentation is on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 28, 2012 during Mobile World Congress.

Vasilis Lekkas began his career in music in the 80’s, while his acquaintance with the charismatic composer Manos Hadjidakis has marked his development as an artist. With Hadjidakis’ help and guidance, Lekkas learned how to pave new roads in his art and career, develop his singing, and try out new techniques.

Vasilis Lekkas has also worked with several other major Greek composers throughout the years. The repertoire he will present to the Schwetzingen audience will cover both traditional and contemporary Greek songs.