News

AGORA summer screenings around the world

ASIAN PREMIERE AT EBS INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL & BROADCAST BY EBS NATIONAL TELEVISION IN SOUTH KOREA

AGORΑ will have its Asian premiere at EBS International Documentary Festival (24–30 August 2015) hosted in Seoul, South Korea, renowned as one of Asia’s most prestigious documentary festivals. The documentary film-arc of the Greek crisis is one of the 10 documentaries featuring in this year’s competition. The film will screen twice on August 27 at 18:40 and August 29 at 12:00. It will also be broadcasted by South Korea’s National Television EBS on August 25 at 21:30.

INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTS BY AL JAZEERA ENGLISH

In times when citizens need to reflect on the events of the past four years in order to grasp the current dramatic events in Greece and Europe, AGORΑ’s recent broadcasts are received with growing interest. Satellite network AL JAZEERA ENGLISH presented the English TV version of the documentary (2 episodes of 48 minutes) in July, arousing the vivid interest of viewers all around the world.

BROADCAST BY AUSTRIA’S PUBLIC TELEVISION ORF

Broadcast by Austria’s National Television ORF on July 1 was also received with great interest by a significant number of viewers: 390,000 people watched the film thus giving it a 30% in ratings, the highest in a year for this TV slot in Austria. These impressive ratings confirm the growing need for alternative in-depth information by citizens in Europe.

CANADIAN PREMIERE AT CINEMA SOUS LES ETOILES IN MONTREAL

AGORΑ had its Canadian premiere at Cinéma sous les étoiles (26 June – 8 September), a summer festival which showcases a rich selection of international social documentaries in Montreal’s public parks. AGORΑ screened on July 20 and will screen again on August 19 at 20:30.

SCREENING AT FILM FORUM IN VITORIA-GASTEIZ

AGORΑ will screen in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country, Spain) on Tuesday 25 August at 20:00 as part of a Film Forum organized by Icono Difusión Cultural for the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council. The film will be presented by Dora Makri, Greek journalist and correspondent in Madrid.

Festivals, screenings and broadcasts in Belgium, France, Germany, UK, Canada and USA will follow. More news coming soon!

ONLINE DISTRIBUTION THROUGH VIDEO ON DEMAND

While its international course at film festivals, TV networks and cinema theaters around the world continues, AGORΑ has become available worldwide through online streaming at Vimeo On Demand in five languages: Greek, English, French, German and Spanish.

In the first two weeks of the VOD release, hundreds of viewers in more than 30 countries had the chance to see a film that documents the effects of austerity policies during the first four years of the ongoing Greek crisis.

The VOD is available at agora.smallplanet.gr

A SPECIAL DVD BOX SET IN SEPTEMBER

A special AGORΑ DVD Box Set (Greek/English) will be released in September! It will include a CD with the original soundtrack by Yiannis Paxevanis and a special booklet about the film and its makers.

AGORA worldwide release on Video On Demand

“Cinema is valuable when it is national, when it comes from the soul of a country. Recently I was not impressed by a film, but rather by the documentary film AGORA.”
Costa-Gavras, Interview at VIMAgazino

“It would be nice if our government team would take the time to look at such films in order not to lose touch with reality – in order to remember that the aim of its policy is to prevent such conditions instead of causing them.”
Orlando Pascheit, NachDenkSeiten

“Perhaps the most important documentary of the year.”
Thomas Schneider, Haus des Dokumentarfilms

After a successful international course at film festivals, TV networks and cinema theaters around the world, AGORΑ by Yorgos Avgeropoulos now has its online premiere worldwide!

The documentary film-arc of the Greek crisis has been released as VOD (Video On Demand) for online streaming via Vimeo On Demand. The film is available in Greek, English, French, German and Spanish.

The release started on Wednesday, July 1 at 13:00 GMT at agora.smallplanet.gr.

Winner of the Best Documentary Film Orpheus Award at Los Angeles Greek Film Festival and of the Best Pitched Project Award at FIPA INDUSTRY 2014 in France, AGORΑ had its world premiere at CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (November 2014) and was theatrically released in Greece in mid-January 2015, ten days before the national elections.

AGORΑ has been presented in cinemas and on TV in many languages all around the world and mostly in Europe, receiving an overwhelming response by audiences in Germany. It has been officially selected at major documentary film festivals whereas it will have its premiere in South Korea and Canada soon. It is also scheduled to be broadcasted in English by Al Jazeera. And the journey goes on…

A SPECIAL DVD BOX SET IN SEPTEMBER

A special AGORΑ DVD Box Set (Greek/English) will be released in September! It will include a CD with the original soundtrack composed by Yiannis Paxevanis and a special booklet about the film and its makers.

Festival screenings and TV broadcasts are scheduled to follow in Canada, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Canada, South Africa and South Korea. More information will be available soon!

Best Documentary Award for AGORA at Los Angeles Greek Film Festival

AGORΑ by Yorgos Avgeropoulos received the Best Documentary award at the 9th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival. The Orpheus Awards Ceremony took place on Sunday night June 7th at the fully packed Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

At the ceremony, director Yorgos Avgeropoulos sent his warmest greetings from Athens with a brief but significant speech:“I would like to thank you and the organizers of Los Angeles Greek Film Festival for the hospitality of the film and their warm hearts. I hope AGORA contributes in a deeper understanding of Greece and Europe’s financial and social crisis. I think time has come to ask ourselves: What is the biggest achievement of Europe? Is it Market’s Economy? Or Democracy? I believe the biggest achievement of Europe is Democracy and we now have to defend it, day by day.”

This year’s festival Jury were Gary Mairs, Associate Dean of the School of Film/Video at CalArts, Anastas Michos, ASC, Director of Photography, John Sideropoulos, Founder of 3 Ring Circus and Mark Roybal, Executive Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox.

The Jury awarded “Stratos” by Yannis Economides as Best Feature Film, AGORΑ by Yorgos Avgeropoulos as Best Documentary Film and “Citizen Day” by Basile Doganis as Best Short Film. “Beneath the Olive Tree” by Stavroula Toska received the Van Vlachakis Award and this year’s Audience Award went to “A Family Affair” by Angeliki Aristomenopoulou.

LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE COMING SOON

AGORΑ will also have its Latin American premiere at the 16th Buenos Aires International Human Rights Film Festival (17-24 June 2015) and will screen as part of the International Feature Film Competition together with 15 films representing 14 countries. There will be two screenings, on Tuesday 23 June at 20:30 (Alianza Francesa) and on Wednesday 24 June at 22:30 (BAMA).

More information about upcoming screenings of AGORΑ in Greece and the rest of the world will follow soon.

AGORA premieres in the US and Latin America

US PREMIERE AT LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIVAL

AGORΑ will have its official North American premiere at the 9th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (3-7 June 2015), the celebration of Greek Cinema that takes place annually in Los Angeles and presents an eclectic selection of recent fiction and documentary feature films as well as shorts by Greek filmmakers. The documentary film-arc of the Greek crisis has been selected to compete in the Documentary Feature Competition of the festival and will screen at the Spielberg Theatre on Saturday 6 June at 20:00.

LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE AT BUENOS AIRES INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL

AGORΑ will also have its Latin American premiere at the end of this month in Argentina’s capital. The film will premiere at the 16th Buenos Aires International Human Rights Film Festival (17-24 June 2015) and will screen on Tuesday 23 June, 20:30 and Wednesday 24 June, 22:30 as part of the International Feature Film Competition together with 15 films representing 14 countries.

AT THE FESTIVAL OF ECONOMICS IN TRENTO

AGORΑ will have its Italian premiere at the 10th Festival of Economics in Trento (29 May – 2 June 2015). The film will screen on Saturday 30 May at 19:00 at the Department of Sociology and Social Research of the University of Trento. The screening will be preceded by a debate on the policy followed by the EU in Greece coordinated by sociologist Mario Diani. Film director Yorgos Avgeropoulos will be available after the screening for debate with the audience.

SCREENINGS IN GREECE AND SWITZERLAND

Screenings by film societies and cultural organizations in Greece continue. On Wednesday 27 May at 21:30, AGORΑ will screen by Diavassi Pezon in Serres, Northern Greece. On Wednesday 3 June at 21:00 and 23:00, Ilioupoli Film Society will screen the film at Melina Merkouri Cinema in Athens. The screening at 21:00 will be followed by Q&A with the director.

A further screening is scheduled to follow in Europe. On Thursday 4 June at 18:45, AGORΑ will screen at the University of Zurich as the closing film of the Documentary Festival Film & Discussion Nights organized by the Zurich Greek Society and the Zurich Greek Students Union.

More information about upcoming screenings of AGORΑ in Greece and the rest of the world will follow soon.

AGORA at Munich International Documentary Film Festival DOK.FEST

AGORΑ will have its German festival premiere at the 30th International Documentary Film Festival DOK.FEST in Munich (May 7-15, 2015), one of the major documentary film festivals in Germany and Europe. 146 films from 37 countries have been selected, AGORΑ being the only Greek production featuring in this year’s programme. The documentary film-arc of the Greek Crisis has been officially selected for the DOK.Money section, a film programme focusing on various aspects of today’s global economy. Film director Yorgos Avgeropoulos will attend the premiere on May 14th and will hold a Q&A session with the audience. Two more screenings on May 15th and 17th will follow.

FURTHER SCREENINGS IN GERMANY

German audiences’ longing for an alternative understanding of the Greek crisis has led to upcoming AGORΑ screenings in three German cities. After its first TV broadcast by German Public Television WDR, the film will screen on April 16th at the Werkstatt der Kulturen in Berlin as part of a special event dedicated to Greece and Europe. It will also screen in Münster in a special screening organized by the Greek-German Society and Attac Münster on May 11th and at the Ulmer Volkshochschule in Ulm on May 18th.

SCREENINGS IN GREECE AND ABROAD

Yorgos Avgeropoulos has been invited by the Greek Cinema Club of Luxembourg to present AGORΑ at Ciné Utopia in Luxembourg on April 21st. A second screening of the film will follow on April 22nd. On April 24th, the film will screen in Athens as part of the special tribute to Greek documentary film WITH EYES WIDE OPEN organized by the Greek Documentary Association, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and Technopolis City of Athens. On May 8th, the film will screen at the Atalanti Film Society. Film director Yorgos Avgeropoulos will attend the screenings in Athens and Atalanti and will hold Q&A with the audiences.

More information about upcoming screenings of AGORΑ by film societies and cultural clubs in Greece and the rest of the world will follow soon.

Costa-Gavras: “I was impressed by AGORA”

“Cinema is valuable when it is national, when it comes from the soul of a country”. This was the key-phrase used by prominent Greek-French filmmaker Costa-Gavras when asked about his views on Greek cinema in an interview at VIMAgazino.

“Recently I was not impressed by a film, but rather by the documentary film Agora”, said the director of Academy-awarded “Z” (Interview in Greek here).

This is not the first time that Costa-Gavras has referred to the documentary film AGORΑ by Yorgos Avgeropoulos. He was actually one of the first to support it by acknowledging its contribution to collective memory and to the documentation of one of the most difficult periods in modern Greece’s post-war history: “I watched your film with great interest and often with intense emotion. It is a serious and important film, which depicts the terrible times that the Greek people are going through. Your film is a historical fact. I hope that change will come soon.”

PARTICIPATION AT THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL

After a rather successful national theatrical release and while screening events and broadcasts continue both in Greece and abroad, AGORΑ, the documentary film-arc of the Greek crisis by Yorgos Avgeropoulos, will participate in Greece’s most important documentary film event, the 17th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (13-22 March 2015). The film will screen at the Greek Panorama section twice, on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 March. Both screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with director Yorgos Avgeropoulos.

AGORA will also screen at the Thessaloniki Film Museum (Takis Kanellopoulos theater) on Wednesday 1 April and Wednesday 8 April.

FIRST TV BROADCAST IN SWITZERLAND

Following broadcasts in Germany (WDR), the Arab world (Al Jazeera Arabic), Finland (YLE), Spain (TVC) and Belgium (RTBF), Switzerland comes next. AGORΑ will have its first Swiss TV broadcast by RSI on Monday 30 March at 22:20.

UPCOMING TV BROADCASTS IN GERMANY

AGORΑ is also scheduled to be broadcasted by the German documentary channel PHOENIX on Saturday 21 March at 22:30 as well as EINSFESTIVAL, the digital channel of Germany’s biggest public broadcaster ARD on Tuesday 24 March (15:20), Wednesday 25 March (05:30 & 09:00) and Saturday 28 March (08:50).

SCREENINGS AT FILM SOCIETIES IN GREECE AND CYPRUS

More and more screenings are organized by film societies, thus giving AGORΑ the chance to meet audiences in many Greek cities. The film is scheduled to screen by Katerini Film Society (18 March), Preveza Film Society (19 March), Kos Film Society (27 March), Samothraki Film Society (4 April), Trenotechneion arts venue at Kyparissia (28 March), Lefkada Film Society (1 April), Karystos Film Society (1 April), Nisyros Cultural Club (1 April) while its tour in Cyprus continues with upcoming screenings in Paphos (23 March), Deryneia (30 March) and Larnaca (2 April).

More information about upcoming screenings of AGORΑ by film societies and cultural clubs in Greece and the rest of the world will follow soon.

Upcoming screenings & broadcasts in Greece and abroad

FIRST TV BROADCAST IN BELGIUM

After its first TV broadcasts in Germany (WDR), the Arab world (Al Jazeera Arabic), Finland (YLE) and Spain (TVC), more and more TV networks program AGORΑ, the documentary film-arc of the Greek crisis by Yorgos Avgeropoulos, in an effort to introduce their viewers to a revealing and thorough analysis of the effects caused by austerity policies in Greece at a time when such policies expand in Europe. Belgium comes next: AGORΑ will have shortly its Belgian premiere, with two TV broadcasts being scheduled by Public Television RTBF on Thursday 26 February at 21:15 and on Saturday 28 February at 22:50.

IN CINEMAS AND FILM SOCIETIES IN GREECE AND ABROAD

Now entering the 7th week of its national theatrical release, AGORΑ continues screening daily at AAVORA Cinema in Athens and TAKIS KANELLOPOULOS Cinema in Thessaloniki. At the same time, the film travels all around Greece and abroad, hosted by film societies and cultural clubs.

Screenings have been scheduled in various Greek cities and abroad in the following weeks. The film will screen at Itea Film Society in Itea (Saturday 28 February, 19:30), at Cultural Club Proodos in Kalymnos Island (Sunday 1 March, 20:00), at Lithografion Theatre in Patras (Wednesday 4 March, 19:00 & 22:00 and Thursday 5 March, 22:00), at Greek Film Society Sidney in Sidney, Australia (Thursday 12 March, 19:00), at Cultural Club Kampos in Ikaria Island (Friday 6 March, 22:00), at Hellenic Circle Cultural Society in Brussels, Belgium (Sunday 8 March, 18:30), at Alexandroupoli Film Society in Alexandroupoli (Monday 9 March, 21:30) and at the Arts Venue Trenotechneion in Kyparissia (Saturday 28 March, 21:00). Yorgos Avgeropoulos will attend the screenings at Itea, Kyparissia and Brussels and will have Q&A sessions with the audiences.

FIVE UPCOMING SCREENINGS IN CYPRUS

AGORΑ will soon begin its journey in Cyprus, hosted by the Cultural Movement of the Pancyprian Federation of Labour. The film will have its Cyprian premiere in Nicosia (Monday 2 March, 19:30, PFL Theatre) and the screening will be followed by Q&A with the director. Screenings will follow in Limassol (Tuesday 3 March, 19:30 Technological University of Cyprus), in Larnaca (Monday 16 March, 19:30, Cultural Centre of Ammochostou Cooperative Savings Society) and in Paphos (Monday 23 March, 19:30, PFL Theatre). On Wednesday 11 March at 20:30, the film will be screened by Larnaka Famagusta Cinema Society in Larnaca.

More information about upcoming screenings of AGORΑ by film societies and cultural clubs in Greece and the rest of the world will follow soon.

Hailing responses after AGORA’s first broadcast by German Public Television WDR

Particularly welcoming responses in the German Press followed the first broadcast of AGORΑ by German Public Television WDR whereas viewers shared their spontaneous praises and reflections in the social media.

“Perhaps #Varoufakis could invite #Schäuble to view @gavgero’s @agorathedoc together @WDR” was suggested via Twitter on the very same day that the finance ministers of Greece and Germany met in Berlin; it was also the day of the German broadcast premiere of the film. A thorough overview by Diogenis Dimitrakopoulos at Deutsche Welle reflects on the impact of this first broadcast of the film in Germany and presents the views of director Yorgos Avgeropoulos and the head of the Documentary Film Department of WDR, Jutta Krug who stated: “By broadcasting AGORA we hope to contribute to a differentiated and multifaceted examination of the Greek problem, in other words to present a point of view coming from within, whose dynamics have a major historical dimension. We wanted to give an alternative dimension to a particularly complex topic and we have been rewarded. This is really what public television is meant for. What government politics think about it is a secondary issue”.

Haus des Dokumentarfilms in Stuttgart published a glorifying critical overview of the film: “It is perhaps the most important documentary film of the year” according to Thomas Schneider, who focused on the humanitarian aspects of the crisis that has plagued Greece in the last four years. On the German website of critical views NachDenkSeiten, Orlando Pascheit commented: “It would be nice if our government team would take the time to look at such films in order not to lose touch with reality – in order to remember that the aim of its policy is to prevent such conditions instead of causing them”.

Prominent Greek-French film director Costa-Gavras also honoured Yorgos Avgeropoulos with a poignant commentary about both the film and the contemporary Greek tragedy: “I watched your film with great interest and often with intense emotion. It is a serious and important film, which depicts the terrible times that the Greek people are going through. Your film is a historical fact. I hope that change will come soon.”

Both the director Yorgos Avgeropoulos and the editorial team of WDR have been receiving touching messages by viewers of the film. “Now everybody here in Germany can see the truth”, “A very important film for citizens worldwide”, “I wish it will open more eyes” are some particularly revealing comments among many that were posted on the social media. Praising messages also followed the film’s first broadcast in Finland. Finnish citizens sent their solidarity greetings: “Thank you for your impressive, touching, thought-provoking documentary”, “Hope everyone in Finland, everyone in Europe sees it. And solidarity to the people of Greece!”

In the meantime, AGORΑ continues its journey in Greece. Now entering the fifth week of its national theatrical release, the film still screens at AAVORA in Athens, TAKIS KANELLOPOULOS in Thessaloniki and VITSENTZOS KORNAROS in Heraklion, Crete while it will also start screening at CINELAND PANTELIS in Rethymno, Crete.

On Friday, February 20th at 21:15 the film will screen at Lamia Film Society (Lamia city) and on Saturday, February 28th at 19:30 at Itea Film Society (Itea city). The director will attend both screenings in order to discuss with the audience.

More information about upcoming screenings of AGORΑ by film societies and cultural clubs in Greece, Cyprus and the rest of the world will follow soon.

AGORA enters the fourth week of its theatrical release in Greece

By virtue of a continuously welcoming response of audiences, AGORΑ by Yorgos Avgeropoulos enters the fourth week of its theatrical release in Greece while its first broadcasts have already been programmed abroad. Mr. Notis Forsos, Head Manager of Olympion Cinema and of the Film Museum in Thessaloniki comments: “I do not know if the film’s success could be considered surprising but it surely is impressive, at a moment in which cinema, commercial films included, goes through a box office crisis. The theater reminded us of festival days. We had a double full house, which is quite rare for commercially released films”.

The film will continue screening at AAVORA and STUDIO theaters in Athens, OLYMPION and TAKIS KANELLOPOULOS theaters in Thessaloniki and VITSENTZOS KORNAROS theater in Heraklion, Crete. On February 5th it will start screening at ΑΤΤΙΚΟΝ in Chania, Crete and on February 12th at CINELAND PANTELIS in Rethymno, Crete.

On Friday, February 6th at 18:30, film director Yorgos Avgeropoulos will introduce AGORΑ at VITSENTZOS KORNAROS theater in Heraklion, Crete. The screening will be followed by Q&A and discussion with the audience. On Saturday February 7th at 19:45, Yorgos Avgeropoulos will discuss with the audience of AGORΑ at ΑΤΤΙΚΟΝ theater in Chania, Crete.

AGORΑ also begins its journey to film societies throughout Greece. It will screen on Thursday, February 5th at 21:00 at Naxos Film Society (Naxos island), on Friday, February 20th at 21:15 at Lamia Film Society (Lamia city) and on Saturday, February 28th at 19:30 at Itea Film Society (Itea city). The director has been invited and will attend the screenings in Lamia and Itea in order to discuss with the audience.

More information about upcoming screenings of AGORΑ by film societies and cultural clubs in Greece, Cyprus and the rest of the world will follow soon.