Can we generalize this? 45th International Short Drama Film Festival, which wrapped up its work on Sunday, deciding to focus on a few National Competition Program awards? If so, then the Golden Dionysus, presented in the movie “5 p.m.”. Beach” by Valentin Steiskala, with the characters of two old army friends who, through a strange drowning ritual, express their repressed homoeroticism, is an award for a modest and sensual portrayal of masculinity – actor Antonis Tsiotsiopulos also received an award for the best male interpretation of events.

One could even say that the Silver Dionysus awarded to Michalis Kimonas for Kiddo, the “otherworldly” urban chamber drama, seemed to reward directorial debuts. Accordingly, the award for female performance went to Niovi Charalambous, who played the title role in Tony Misiali’s film Daphne, which deals with difficult issues of female sexuality; highlights included Nasos Gatsulis’ documentary “Toxic Magnus”, a passionate confession of an artist who was the victim of a patriarchal upbringing; and the director was probably right Konstantinos Giannarischairman of the jury of the National Competition, when, describing his motives at the closing ceremony, he mentioned the efforts of the creators “to deal with topical social problems, and also – which is very pleasant – various genres of cinema.”

The day before Yannaris explained “K”which was found in the drama that it would be a long-awaited project if all thematic trends were reflected in the National Competition (young people’s insecurities, parent-child relationships, second-generation immigrant identities, etc.), prove to be a beacon of great cinematic length: “I saw something like a turn towards realism,” the director said, “and all these films did not look like rushing steps. There was something solid about it. This festival had a social aspect.”

“All these films were not like the steps of a meteor. There was something solid,” said director Konstantinos Giannaris.

For his part, the chairman of the jury of the International Competition (the Grand Prix of which was awarded to “Techno, mother” of the Lithuanian Saulius Baradiskas) Vassilis Kekatos commented on the increase in the level and extraversion of the organization: “Once upon a time it was a” local “festival, said “K” director, “but in the end, without losing the man-made feeling, he became a European.”

And if it follows from the above that this year’s festival was a heterogeneous and charming mixture, then so was its coexistence with Drama itself, a city where one could see the aesthetically renewed banners of the organization in front of plane trees and historic buildings and where one could hear the beeps of traditional weddings. , and somewhere creative teams raised their glasses, uttering toasts “for diversity”.

However, the richness of the event was also established by its program, which included a total of six competitive educational events such as film therapy, a master class by Yannis Economides, and a discussion on the role of TikTok in the film industry. in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Modern Culture, Nicolás Giatromanolaki, who also presented the plans of the Ministry of Culture to promote drama as an international cinema center. However, the conclusion from the overall experience of the 45th International Drama Short Film Festival was best summed up by its artistic director: “Cinema and festivals,” Yiannis Sakaridis said at the closing ceremony, “are not dead.”