2nd International Experimental Film Festival: Redefining Cinematic Boundaries
The International Experimental Film Festival is a three-day cinema festival organized by the Institute for Experimental Arts in Athens, showcasing 46 films from 20 countries. This extraordinary event invites us to look at the world in new ways. We are searching for stories from parts of everyday life that remain hidden, unknown images of our societies, new ideas and inspiration.
Thursday 17 to Saturday 19 October 2024
starts at 19.00
Free entry / voluntary donation
Free Self Organized Theatre Empros
Riga Pallamidi 2 / Psirri – Athens
The International Experimental Film Festival seeks to expand the possibilities of film beyond traditional formats and spaces, creating a zone of creative contagions between analog and digital, establishing a meeting place for cinema and the visual arts, filmmaking and critical thinking, history and research of contemporary social conditions.
Experimental cinema is a free, radical and purposeful medium that responds to the aesthetic, political or philosophical need to see and explore cinematic horizons, away from large industries and hegemonic formulas of creation. It is through experimental cinema that we find authentic ways to create audiovisual art.
This is a cinema that breaks narrative conventions and opens visual bounds to which we’re accustomed. It elaborates the medium to its fullest, including even the most extreme possibilities. As John Cage aptly said: “An experimental action is one the outcome of which is not foreseen.” The cinema we’re looking for is a cinema of the unpredictable.
Join us for this extraordinary showcase of cinematic artistry! Experience three days of thought-provoking, visually stunning, and emotionally resonant films that challenge conventional storytelling and open new horizons of imagination.
Organized by the Institute for Experimental Arts
Supported by:
http://www.filmpoetry.org
http://www.pzaz.io
Film Zone
Thursday 17/10 – QUEER Cinema – Gender Antinomies
Start Time: 19:00 Total Runtime: 1:21:33
Clown Tits (5:53) – USA
Director: Ezra Rose
A vibrant tapestry of drag, dreams, and dance, weaving personal and queer history.
My Dear (30:00) – Portugal
Director: Aragon Yao
A young Chinese director’s introspective journey of sexual identity.
The Princess and the Peacock (13:22) – Germany
Director: Daniel Baker-Wells
Following Mona, a trans girl from rural France, as she explores her identity.
Better a Fascist Than a Faggot (14:31) – United Kingdom / Italy
Director: Norman Mine
A Neapolitan teenager’s raw experiences with homophobia and fascism.
Lucas (17:47) – Mexico
Director: Jessica Quiroz
A poetic documentary exploring pleasure and the concept of orgasm as dessert.
Thursday 17/10 – Archaeology of the Future
Start Time: 21:00 Total Runtime: 2:05:27
Ruin of a Fiction (9:00) – Netherlands
Director: Giovanni Giaretta
Dive into the archaeology of obsolete special effects in this B-movie inspired artificial world.
Labyrinth Riders in (dis)remembering Atlantis (19:48) – Germany
Director: Vanja Smiljanic
Ancient Atlanteans linger millennia after their civilization’s fall.
LOS (6:29) – USA
Director: Martin Del Carpio
A dystopian future where AI, once liberators, become oppressors.
Return To Planet Underground (1:30:10) – Netherlands
Director: Gideon Homes
A former underground techno DJ’s descent into society’s dark underbelly.
Friday 18/10 – Images of our Time
Start Time: 19:00 Total Runtime: 1:41:59
The Tenth Door (14:29) – USA
Directors: Michael Lies, Evgeniia Ektova
An avant-garde teacher takes students on an intense, transformative experience.
FEAR (5:00) – Lebanon
Directors: Line Itani, Alex Meouchy, Rayan Zrein, Leen Aoun, Jamal Jaafar, Yara Amache
A gripping, experimental exploration of fear in its many forms.
under*score (23:45) – Germany
Director: Noam Gorbat
Intimate conversations about friendship, selfhood, and emotions on Hamburg’s streets.
DEAD EMPIRE (8:14) – Turkey
Director: Murat Boncuk
A free adaptation of artist Hüseyin Aksoy’s exhibition.
A Lullaby unlike any other (9:00) – Tunisia
Director: Amani Jaafer
A young Palestinian woman’s wanderings through Stockholm.
The Poem We Sang (20:00) – Palestine
Director: Annie Sakkab
A documentary that meditates on love and longing contemplated through overcoming the trauma of the loss of a family home
Sonido: Ivans & Tobis (21:31) – Portugal
Director: Diogo Baldaia
Children subjected to an intense auditory experience.
Friday 18/10 – Planisphere
Start Time: 21:00 Total Runtime: 1:24:00
Predators (10:00) – Greece
Director: Kiriakos Anastasiou
A gripping tale set in one of Europe’s last remaining forests.
Arancia Bruciata (1:14:00) – France, Germany
Director: Clémentine Roy
Discover a community in southern Italy devoted to mystical divination.
Saturday 19/10 – Existential Quests
Start Time: 20:30 Total Runtime: 2:19:14
Personal (12:15) – Greece
Director: Alexandra Tzouanaki
A poetic exploration of identity and coexistence.
Nightwood (15:00) – Finland
Director: Rita Anttila
Anna shares a past relationship with Laura, while nature holds secrets.
Simeio (27:00) – Greece
Director: Nikos Antonopoulos
A man’s journey to uncover a 20-year-old secret on his childhood beach.
Why Are You Image Plus? (9:00) – Portugal
Director: Diogo Baldaia
A deceased girl possesses a young woman to communicate with her grandmother.
Instant (15:00) – Brazil
Director: Paola Veiga
An exploration of life’s unavoidable actions.
The House in the Woods (16:27) – Italy
Directors: Giovanni Benini, Luca Mantovani
AM’s journey through memory and dreams.
Therapia Fragmentos (16:27) – Colombia
Director: Marlon Moreno Solarte
A privileged view into the complexities of human relationships and pain.
The Journey (8:50) – Spain
Director: Trovador
A couple’s tumultuous journey, balancing anger and hope for forgiveness.
Five to One (13:45) – USA
Directors: Vincenzo Carrano, David Atrakchi
Mia faces an unexpected challenge in Lillian after overcoming her toughest battle.
Terra Nova (15:57) – Greece
Directors: Georgios Aggelopoulos, Nikolas Georgios Roumeliotis
A journey of death and rebirth through an ever-changing forest.
The Τwo (5:00) – Greece
Directors: Evangelos Vlachakis, Penny Milia
A poet’s muse summons his inner child to revive their relationship.
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The evening also includes the presentation of the digital platform www.pzaz.io for the production of motion pictures. Learn how to streamline every step of filmmaking—from script development to scheduling and post-production—so you can focus more on creativity and less on logistics.
Video Art Zone (Playing all 3 days)
Start Time: 20:00 daily Total Runtime: 1:17:13
Breath in, Breath Out (4:51) – USA
Directors: Lucy Smith-Williams, Fatema Yasser
A high school student’s magical journey of connecting with nature during class.
Lucid Dreams: the Lifecycle of an Artist (9:50) – USA
Director: Nina Assimakopoulos
A soul-stirring exploration of an artist’s journey from awakening to rebirth.
Ashes (6:00) – Spain
Director: Carme Puche-Moré
Challenging stereotypes of witches in audiovisual imagination.
Dear Kevin (4:59) – USA
Director: Kate Ferguson
A woman’s quest for connection leads to self-realignment.
Feminine (3:36) – Hong Kong
Directors: Po Yee Kwan, Pu Zhu Han, Ho Laam Tang, Yu Kwan Zhon
An abstract celebration of female form and life’s intrinsic connections.
On the Other Side Of (6:45) – Estonia
Director: Mia Felić
Exploring transgender and non-binary transitions through 19th-century photographic processes.
Anima #3 (3:55) – Portugal
Director: Vasco Diogo
A rapid-fire presentation of hand-drawn faces celebrating diversity and inclusion.
Chaotiquette (1:43) – Hong Kong
Director: Meiki Wong
A 19th-century inspired collage loop exploring chaos and marionettes.
Flow (3:03) – Hong Kong
Director: Alex Bai
A mesmerizing blend of video, photography, and digital geometry.
One, Two, Three (1:00) – Hong Kong
Director: Alex BAI
City textures come alive through circular and grid patterns.
Tao (2:00) – Hong Kong
Directors: Shuxin Yan Wang, Simai Stella Huang, Haoran Yan Yang
An exploration of Chinese Taoism, yin and yang, and the Five Elements.
text pop (2:00) – Hong Kong
Director: Samantha Olschan
A journey through visible language, neurodivergence, and constructed meaning.
The Corridor (8:36) – Iran
Director: Kourosh Mohammadi
A disjointed body’s quest for self-reconstruction.
Male Gazing (7:30) – Belgium
Director: David Verdeure
A fresh take on Hitchcock’s Rear Window, subverting the male gaze.
Once Wanted (3:14) – Finland
Director: Iiris Saaren-Seppala
A comedic exploration of trash and its nasty nature.
Shrine of Mari Baruti Labiae (5:12) – USA
Directors: jdaugh, MaeDea Farrell Moon
An incantation for the transmission of feminine power.
Physalia (3:49) – Australia
Director: Ian Gibbins
A fascinating look at colonial organisms in marine life.
Please note: Each film will be introduced by a presenter who will read a brief description. Some directors will also be present to speak about their work. We’ve allocated approximately 20 minutes between thematic blocks for these presentations and any necessary transitions. Due to the extended runtime of some categories, certain screenings may continue slightly past 23:00. We appreciate your understanding and enthusiasm for this immersive cinematic experience.
Join us for this extraordinary showcase of cinematic artistry! Experience three days of thought-provoking, visually stunning, and emotionally resonant films that challenge conventional storytelling and open new horizons of imagination.
Free entry with voluntary donations welcome. Let’s explore the unpredictable together at the Theatre Empros in Athens!
Organized by the Institute for Experimental Arts
Supported by:
http://www.filmpoetry.org
http://www.pzaz.io
