12th Chania Film Festival Awards

After eleven days filled with screenings, seminars, and numerous activities, the 12th Chania Film Festival concluded on Saturday, October 26, 2024, with a grand closing ceremony, attended by the festival’s honored guests, its co-organizers, members of parliament, the CEO of H.F.A.C.-Creative Greece, representatives of local authorities.

The main hall of the Cultural Center of Chania was filled with creators and film enthusiasts attending the festival’s awards ceremony, alongside viewers of all ages who enjoyed the Oscar-winning short film Sing with director Kristof Deák in attendance. The screening was followed by a musical performance from the Children’s and Youth Choir of the Municipality of Chania.

As the Festival Director Matthaios Frantzeskakis noted: “Acceptance, inclusion, the value of historical memory and the promotion of our local history were some of the themes highlighted through the award-winning films at the festival, and that brings us great joy. Once again, the Chania Film Festival was a place of gathering and expression for film professionals, the educational community, and film lovers”. He also thanked the festival’s co-organizers for their support and trust and emphasized that preparations for the 13th Festival begin the very next day after the current one concludes.

Leonidas Christopoulos, CEO of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece, expressed his enthusiasm for the Chania Film Festival, and he highlighted that the new organization will have the capacity to provide even greater support for noteworthy initiatives like this.

Chania MP Sevi Voloudaki described the Festival as a persistent and spirited adolescent that grows and matures every year, emphasizing that “In Chania, through the Film Festival, the 7th Art has proven its purpose—to educate and elevate us.” In a similar vein, Chania MP Alexandros Markogiannakis noted that attendance at the Festival has exceeded all expectations and that it’s one of those events we eagerly anticipate each year.

The co-organizers of the Festival, including the Deputy Regional Governor of Chania Nikos Kalogeris, the Municipality of Chania Deputy Mayors of Culture and Finance, Giannis Giannakakis and Tasos Aloglou, the Mayor of Platanias Giannis Malandrakis, General Secretary of the Cultural Center of Chania Manolis Kelaidis, and Regional Councilor Sofia Malandraki, expressed their satisfaction with the Festival’s success, high attendance, and year-round activities.

Oscar-winning director Kristof Deák expressed his delight at seeing so many students attending the screening of his film Sing and was thrilled when the Children’s and Youth Choir of Chania performed one of the film’s songs live on stage.

12th Chania Film Festival Awards

Honorary awards to distinguished guests of the 12th Chania Film Festival:

• Honorary Award to Director of Photography Giorgos Arvanitis for his work.
• Honorary Award to composer Dimitris Papadimitriou for his contributions to film music.
• Honorary Award to graphic designer Yiannis Kouroudis, designer of the 12th Chania Film Festival poster.
• Honorary Award to Hungarian director Kristóf Deák, creator of the film Sing (Oscar for Best Short Film 2017).
• Honorary Award to sculptor Antonia Papatzanaki, creator of the festival’s artistic poster.

Audience Awards for the 12th Chania Film Festival:

Greek Feature Documentary, Joint award to the films:

• The unclaimed, by Marianna Economou
• Share the secret, by Maria Pentari and Elpiniki Voutsa Renzepopoulou

Greek Short Fiction:

Abel, by Konstantinos Karamagiolis

Greek Animation:

Open wings, by Taxiarchis Deligiannis and Vasilis Tsiouvaras

International Animation:

Piano, by Marjan Keshani and Shahab Shamsi

International Short Fiction:

Things unheard of, by Ramazan Kılıç

International Feature Documentary:

Nelly and Nadine, by Magnus Gertten

Greek Short Documentary:

Titi – In cyclone’s wake, by Natasha Blatsiou

Film for Children and Youth:

Max and the Senior Squad, by Winfried Oelsner

Greek Student Short Film:

Occupation – Resistance – Liberation, by Ion Efthymiou

Podcast Award:

Sounds and whispers, human roots, by Konstantina Stavropoulou

Special Awards from Chania Film Festival Collaborating Organizations:

Educational Creation Award “Walter Lassally 2024”, by H.F.A.C.-Creative Greece

The paths of life, by 1st Vocational School of Evdilos-Ikaria, awarded

Best Greek Feature Documentary, by the Federation of Film Societies of Greece 

The red teacher, by Stelios Charalampopoulos

“Mikis Theodorakis” Award, by the Pancretan Society of Friends of Mikis Theodorakis 

The red teacher, by Stelios Charalampopoulos

“History, Culture, and Tradition of Crete” Award, by the Historical, Folklore & Archaelogical Society of Crete

Underwonder: Elephant cave, by Kostas Karydas

#ThisisEU (European Values) Award,  by the European Commission Representation in Greece

The killing of a journalist, by Matt Sarnecki

Animation Award from Chania Film Festival and Animasyros Collaboration:

Corvine, by Sean McCarron

“Right to Life” Award:

Loxi, by Thanasis Kafetzis and Dimitris Zachos

Short Documentary Award from gr2me (a new platform promoting Greek culture worldwide):

Stavroula, by Ira Ntika

Special Mention for a film showcasing local history:

White Mountains, by Alexandros Papathanasiou

Honorary Award to the Children’s and Youth Choir of the Municipality of Chania for its contribution.

Commemorative certificates were also awarded to 16 schools that completed films as part of the Chania Film Festival’s annual educational program. The schools received mementos from both the Chania Film Festival and H.F.A.C.-Creative Greece.

Finally, commemorative certificates were awarded to 23 schools from across Greece for their participation in the Chania Film Festival’s annual competition, “Stories to be Heard.”