Big Short Films Open Call 2023: Here come the winners
This year, for the first time ever, Onassis Culture invited Greek and international filmmakers and producers to submit proposals for new films. The Onassis Culture team received 132 submissions in total, and selected five short film projects that stood out from the rest for their singular cinematic visions, bold writing, and strong teams. Discover the winners here.
The winners
That Brilliant Light Rising – Lia Tsalta
Fouetté – Dimitris Zouras
MJ – Yiorgos Fourtounis
New Wild – Thanasis Trouboukis
The Animals in the Forest – Dimitra Mitsaki
The resulting 132 submissions were judged by the Onassis Culture team. The five selected proposals will each be funded with a sum of 10,000 euros. All will go into production this year, setting off on their journey towards the big screen to encounter Greek and international audiences at film festivals across the world.
“That Brilliant Light Rising” by Lia Tsalta, produced by Ioanna Petinaraki (Moving Rooster Productions)
A flower is cut. A parting of ways. Valeria is ready to become light itself.
Lia Tsalta was born in Kalamata. She is a filmmaker and screenwriter based in Athens, where she studied Film & Television Directing. Her first short –“The Forest” (2018)– premiered at the 24th Sarajevo Film Festival before going on to screen at the Encounters Film Festival, the Uppsala Short Film Festival, and elsewhere. Her second short –“Magma” (2022)– premiered at the Drama International Short Film Festival, where it won Best Cinematography and Best Original Music. It also won the Silver Athena Special Jury Prize at the Athens International Film Festival – Opening Nights, and went on to receive its international premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).
“MJ” by Yiorgos Fourtounis, produced by Eleni Kossyfidou (Blackbird Production)
MJ would do anything to be the best – anything for glory. But behind his mask, this trap artist isn’t all that sure he can actually handle it.
Yiorgos Fourtounis was born on Rhodes. Raised in Athens, he trained as a film director alongside his studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens’ School of Philosophy. His short film “Face Down” screened at the Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival – Curta Cinema, the Short Shorts Film Festival in Tokyo, and elsewhere. He won Best Fiction Film at the 34th Drama International Short Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Short Film by the Hellenic Film Academy. His short film “Ikaros” screened at the Athens International Film Festival – Opening Nights, where it won Best Director.
“New Wild” by Thanasis Trouboukis, produced by Konstantinos Vassilaros (StudioBauhaus)
A maritime epidemic blights the lives of citizens in a seaside town who fish illegally using dynamite.
Thanasis Trouboukis lives in Athens, where he works as a film director, screenwriter, and producer. His short films have screened at international festivals, and as part of art exhibitions: Oberhausen (Special Mention), Sarajevo, Palm Springs, Hong Kong, Montréal Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Premiers Plans, Encounters, Helsinki, Reykjavík, Vienna Shorts, Drama ISFF, Athens IFF – Opening Nights (Best Director), CPH:DOX, and documenta 14. He is also currently developing the script for his first feature film –“Lionfish”– with the support of Onassis Culture, the Greek Film Center, and the CNC (French National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image).
“Fouetté” by Dimitris Zouras, produced by Christine Tsakmaka (Honeybee Productions)
A ballet dancer fights to win the acceptance of her mother, but she is fixated on the homosexuality of her son.
Dimitris Zouras was born in Athens in 1994. He studied film directing at the Hellenic Cinema and Television School Stavrakos, graduating in 2016. Since then, he has worked with Athens Casting as a casting director for film, advertising, and television (“Monday”, “Pity”, “All the Fires the Fire”, “Bella”, “Milky Way”, “Broadway”, and more). His graduate thesis film “Magda” won Best Actress at the Drama International Short Film Festival in 2016. His second short film –“Mama” (2020)– won Best Screenplay at the Athens Marathon International Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Short Film at the San Francisco Greek Film Festival. His third film –“Cactus” (2022)– won the Drama Queer Award at the Drama International Short Film Festival.
“The Animals in the Forest” by Dimitra Mitsaki, produced by Panagiotis Ydraios (FLP Athens)
Margo and Michalis are going on holiday to get their relationship out of a rut – but things between them soon go off the rails.
Dimitra Mitsaki is a writer, director, editor, and producer. She studied directing at filmArche in Berlin, and writing at the National Theater of Greece. Her films have screened at film festivals, and as part of art exhibitions, in Germany, Greece, Brazil, Ukraine, the Philippines, Japan, Bosnia, and elsewhere. Her most recent film –“Is the City Dead?”– is a hybrid documentary, and she is currently also developing her first feature-length project. In 2017, Dimitra founded the Balkan Can Kino pop-up and mobile film festival.
