Big Short Films 2022

The Onassis Foundation once again teams up with the Athens International Film Festival (AIFF) and the Drama International Short Film Festival (DISFF) in order to bring a selection of their respective 2021 festivals’ award-winning Greek short films to our screens.

The films were created during the pandemic, a fact which is a living proof that the new Greek cinema finds its way to survive even in harsh conditions. The award-winning films, which will be broadcast online for a 1-week period through the Onassis.org platform, stood out for their distinctive takes on social and existential issues rooted in the here and now, presenting stories full of ideas, diverse views, and deep reflections.

Darkness hovering over Athens streets (Creatures of the Night). Coping with coming of age (After Noon). The need to belong versus the attraction to the unknown (Soul Food). Individuality versus ‘common good’ in a harsh and competitive society (Brutalia, Days of Labor). Sexual awakening through artistic creation (Horsepower). Immigration leading to disappearance (To Vancouver). A personal moment regarding a difficult farewell (I Don’t Want to Forget Anything). A sibling bond builds bridges in a cross-border society (Motorway 65). The beginnings of sexual arousal amid summer sluggishness (Amygdala). The microcosm of an Athenian neighborhood through the eyes of a middle-aged woman (From the Balcony). A tribute to Lefteris Voyatzis (Last Visit). Julio Cortázar’s writing in a place both intimate and unfamiliar (Cortázar). Balancing between realism and dark fantasy (Apallou). The very last moments leading to the tank’s crashing through the main gate of Athens Polytechnic School (The Student). The encounter of two unaccompanied souls (Souls All Unaccompanied). A heartfelt encounter with the eternal Greek tourist summer as a background (A Summer Place).

Discover the “Big Short Films”: The scheduled program

Available to view between Thursday, June 9, 2022, 12:00, and Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 23:59

Discover the awards

“Brutalia, Days of Labor” by Manolis Mavris
(DISFF: ‘Golden Dionysus’ Best Film Award, Onassis Film Development Grant, ‘Ioulia Stavridou’ Honorary Distinction for the Best Costumes to Eva Goulakou, Honorary Distinction for the Best Set to Dafni Kalogianni / AIFF: Best Director Award to Manolis Mavris, Special Mention for Art Direction)

“Soul Food” by Nikos Tseberopoulos
(DISFF: ‘Tonia Marketaki’ Award for the Best Director to Nikos Tseberopoulos, Honorary Distinction for Male Leading Role to Apollonas Sarris)

“Horsepower” by Spyros Skandalos
(DISFF: Special Award of the Jury, Honorary Distinction for the Best Cinematography to Thomas Tsiftelis / AIFF: ‘Golden Athena’ Best Film Award, Best Female Performance Award to Ioanna Kolliopoulou)

“To Vancouver” by Artemis Anastasiadou
(DISFF: Special Award of the Jury, Honorary Distinction for Male Leading Role to Vassilis Koutsogiannis)

“A Summer Place” by Alexandra Matheou
(DISFF: Onassis Drama Queer Award, Honorary Distinction for Female Leading Role to Mary Mina)

“I Don’t Want to Forget Anything” by Vaggelio Soumeli
(DISFF: Best Screenplay Award to Vaggelio Soumeli)

“Motorway 65” by Evi Kalogiropoulou
(DISFF: Honorary Distinction for Best Film, Honorary Distinction for the Best Editing to Christos Giannakopoulos)

“Amygdala” by Maria Hatzakou
(DISFF: Honorary Distinction for the Best Original Music Score to Marilena Orfanou)

“From the Balcony” by Aris Kaplanidis
(DISFF: Best Southeastern European Film Award, Onassis Film Development Grant, Honorary Distinction for the Best Sound Design to Aris Kaplanidis, Special Mention for Animation / AIFF: ‘Silver Athena’ 2nd Best Film Award, Best Screenplay Award)

“Last Visit” by Spiros Alidakis
(DISFF: Honorary Distinction for the Best Sound to Yiannis Loukos)

“Creatures of the Night” by Memi Koupa
(DISFF: Honorary Distinction for the Best Sound to Stefanos Efthimiou)

“Apallou” by Niko Avgoustidi
(DISFF: Special Mention)

“Cortázar” by Argyris Germanidis and Katerina Strauch
(DISFF: Special Mention by the Greek Society of Cinematographers to Argyris Germanidis)

“Souls All Unaccompanied” by Yorgos Teltzidis
(DISFF: Honorary Distinction for Interpretation to Jouvany Guirguis)

“After Noon” by Alexis Koukias-Patelis
(AIFF: Best Male Performance Award to Ilias Moulas, Best Female Performance Award to Katerina Zisoudi)

“The Student” by Vasilis Kalamakis
(DISFF: Special Mention)

In 2021, the Onassis Foundation launched two new cinema awards that were granted at the 2021 Drama International Short Film Festival. Greek filmmakers who were selected at the festival’s International Competition received the Onassis Film Development Grant. Manolis Mavris and Aris Kaplanidis received 10,000 euros each to develop their own respective feature script. That same year, in collaboration with the festival, a new inclusion and acceptance award was established, namely the Onassis Culture Queer Drama Award; the prize will be awarded yearly to one of the National Competition shorts with LGBTQI content, accompanied by a 2,000 euros monetary stipend. This year, the award was granted to “A Summer Place” by Alexandra Matheou, a film about the boundaries one sets, companionship and acceptance of difference, an homage to every relationship that seeks to find its own place.