The "Reframing Images" competition returns for a second year, showcasing filmmakers who explore innovative approaches to storytelling and cinematic form. It presents, in their Greek premiere, twenty-four debut or second films, regardless of length or genre. Working with 8mm and 16mm film, in-camera effects, handmade animation, archival material, performativity, and artificial
intelligence, the filmmakers investigate the liminal space between the real and the imaginary. From the Southern European countryside, as depicted in The Seasons by Fazendeiro, to Thebes and Serifos in the works of Io and Dona respectively, and to the Palestine of Al-Sharif’s Morgenkreis, the filmmakers engage with themes such as memory, colonial violence, trauma, and identity, transforming cinema into an act of resistance and reflection. Landscapes emerge as vessels of multiple temporalities and narratives in films such as such as Tufenkian’s In the Manner of Smoke by Tufenkian, Bim’s To the West, in Zapata, Djordjevic’s Wind, Talk to Me by, as well as in the works of Gioti, Xenofontos, Schmid, Duque and Regal. Artificial intelligence functions as a new narrative tool in Stamou’s film, while Marković and Popivoda explore personal and collective history. All the above filmmakers will will be present at the festival for presentations and discussions with audiences.
The ARTWORKS Best Film Award, offered within the “Reframing Images” competition section of the 14th Athens Avant-Garde Film Festival, is generously supported by Katherine Embiricos, executive producer of internationally acclaimed documentaries, championing fresh, boundary-pushing approaches to filmmaking.
ARTWORKS was established in 2017 with a founding grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which to this day remains its primary supporter, actively funding the majority of its programs.
