Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival presents: Konstantina Kotzamani Retrospective
Sat, Jun 15, 2019 at 7pm
KONSTANTINA KOTZAMANI RETROSPECTIVE
JUNE 15 • 7 PM • 65 MIN
in Bosnian & Greek with English subtitles
NEPTUNE SCOTIABANK STAGES THEATRE
$12 • $10 ADVANCE • FREE FOR STUDENTS
HIFF is thrilled to present a retrospective of experimental short films from director Konstantina Kotzamani, one of the most exciting voices to emerge from the “Greek Weird Wave.” HIFF will be screening three exceptional selections from Konstantina’s uncanny and eerily beautiful world.
Limbo ⎮ 2016
Washingtonia ⎮ 2014
Morning Prayers ⎮ 2013
Konstantina will join us for a Q&A following the screening, via videoconference.
Limbo
Greece ⎮ 2016 ⎮ 29 mins ⎮ Drama
A group of children discovers the carcass of a whale that has been washed ashore.
Teaser: https://vimeo.com/165907333
Washingtonia
Greece ⎮ 2014 ⎮ 24 mins ⎮ Fantasy
Washingtonia starts when the giraffes heart can no longer be heard.
Washingtonia is an alternative name for Athens, a place where people, like animals, fall into summertime sadness because of the heat. Washingtonia is the only palm tree that its heart is not devoured by the red beetle. Because it's heart is small and dry and no one likes small and dry hearts.
Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSr1DP7T5SY
Morning Prayers
Greece ⎮ 2013 ⎮ 21 mins ⎮ Drama
A boy and a girl meet in club ’s toilet. High on drugs, they walk the streets of Sarajevo aimlessly. They end up in an apartment, fooling around, making out. Until this careless atmosphere is interrupted by someone else’s presence.
About Konstantina
Konstantina Kotzamani was born and raised in Greece. Her short films have premiered in major festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Locarno and have received numerous international awards. For her short films Washingtonia (2014) and Limbo (2016), she has been twice awarded by the Greek Film Academy with the best short film award and twice nominated by the European Film Academy for the best short of the year (EFA award). Her films have been sold and broadcasted in European channels such as ARTE, FRANCE TV, in Asia and USA and have been distributed on platforms like Criterion, MUBI etc. Konstantina, beneficiary of the Onassis Foundation Scholarship recently spent a year in Buenos Aires in order to develop her first feature film script, Titanic Ocean, in collaboration with UCINE (Universidad del Cine de Buenos Aires) under the supervision of the tutor Agustin Mendilaharzu. Her short films have been the theme of retrospectives in festivals like BAFICI, Go SHORTS, Festival du Nouveau Cinema MONTREAL, AMIENS FILM FESTIVAL, Mecal Barcelona Film Festival etc, while she has been invited as a jury member in multiple short film festivals. Her last short film Limbo was qualified for the short films Oscar nomination in 2017. She graduated with a degree in Film after completing her degree in Pharmacy.
About HIFF
Now in its 13th year, HIFF provides a unique venue for filmmakers and media artists to share their work in a forum dedicated to the celebration of independent cinema. Since its inception, HIFF has showcased the Atlantic region's most innovative works alongside the films of acclaimed visiting artists. As a filmmaker's festival, HIFF brings the directors of the works we show to Halifax in order to create opportunities for them to connect directly with audiences and local artists through hosted Q+A's, artist talks and workshops. HIFF also presents a number of professional development initiatives, designed to assist local filmmakers with improving their skills and getting their films programmed at festivals around the world.
