Yanni’s mum is on her way to audition for a role as Shakespeare’s Viola when she discovers that her young son has been left home alone. Through a series of phone calls, she fights to balance the most important roles of her life, whilst walking in the most controversial area of central Athens, Patision Avenue.

Interview with Director Thanasis Neofotistos

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! Patision Avenue is a film about my mother, content-wise, but also a great opportunity for me to experiment with my personal film language.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I think you are already obliged to see it as it is a part of a block of short films in a film festival! But, I would also say the same reasons that made me do this film in the first place.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

I don’t believe in such divisions. As an artist, I dive in a highly personal universe from where I derive my inspiration. Then everyone who sees my films will hopefully identify with it also in a personal way. If this succeeds it is what makes a film universal.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

We have been working on the script for almost two years. It began as a simple idea, the fast rhythm of a city like Athens, the dilemmas we have to face every day and the randomness of the events that can change our lives. The project evolved in numerous phases, when it got selected in script workshops and labs (like Nisi-Masa ESP), when we found our protagonist Marina Symeou and also when we had the first rehearsal of the long take-shot in our hands and we got some constructive criticism.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The film has, overall, very good feedback!

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

From when the film took it’s final form no. I really believe it’s the best it could be.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

More visibility means wider communication, and this is the utter goal of making cinema for me; the communication with the audience through my stories and films.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

I always look at my next steps as Patision Avenue has a full crew on already. I am so happy with the festival circuit of the film so far (Premiered in 75th Venice Film Festival, got three awards in Clermont-Ferrand ISFF 2019 and has more than 20 Official Competitions so far). The next steps are an Oscar Qualifying award, the results of our EFA nomination (European Film Awards) and any possibility that this focus will make the creation my first feature film Peter and the Wolf easier.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I make films to leave a small mark in this world.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

This is always the first question: How many takes did you do?

*(the answer is 1 and a half!)

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I‘m looking for a world premiere for my next short film called Route 3 and I am in the financing stage of my debut feature film Peter and the Wolf.

Interview: April 2019

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Patision Avenue

Length: 13:00

Director: Thanasis Neofotistos

Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti

Writer: Yorgos Angelopoulos, Thanasis Neofotistos, Pavlos Sifakis

About the writer, director and producer:

THANASIS NEOFOTISTOS is a film director, writer & architect from Athens, Greece. Berlinale Talents alumnus. His latest short film, called Patision Avenue (13’-2018), premiered in 75th Venice Film Festival, won three awards at Clermont-Ferrand 2019 (Jury, Canal+, EFA) and has already selected in more than 20 top-A-tier film festivals. Prosefhi: Greek School Prayer (20’-2014), was his dissertation and has been selected by several important International Film Festivals (Encounters, Sao Paulo and 40 more IFF) and won several prizes like Golden Dionysus Award. His documentary called Pogoniskos (10’-2015) won the Best Documentary Award at the 38thDramaISFF. He initially studied Architecture (M.A/DUTh) and afterwards continued by studying Film Directing (B.A/QMU). One of his characteristic assets, Production Design, is an influence from his studies. Over the last years, he works also in the Greek Ministry of Education on matters concerning Greek Art Public Schools. He is a member of the Greek Director Guild (ESS) & Film Directors/Producers Guild of Greece (ESPEK) and has studied Acting (2-years). He is now in the financing stage of his first-debut feature film, which he envisions as a dark, coming-of-age, folktale, Peter and the Wolf; the film project has already been selected, amongst other, at First Films First SEDA 2017, MFI 2016, Sarajevo Script Station and got a MEDIA development fund.

Key cast: Marina Symeou

Looking for: buyers, film festival directors, journalists

Facebook: Thanasis Neofotistos

Twitter: @thaneofotistos

Instagram: @thaneofotistos

Hashtags used: #PatisionAvenue

Website: www.patisionavenue.com; www.thanasisneofotistos.com

Other: IMDb

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Moscow IFF / 04.2019 / TBA; Dresden ISFF / 04.2019 / TBA; Brussels ISFF / 04.2019 / TBA; Busan ISFF / 04.2019 / TBA