Category Archives: Fall

7th Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival

7th Short Film Festival

7th Short Film Festival

Just when the weather starts getting a bit chilly, we are entering the month of the film festivals, and we have the chance to get lost in the stories and atmospheres that they have to offer.

Let’ start with the 7th Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival

What is it ?

A challenging international short-film festival for outstanding and cutting-edge short films, promoting directors of good cinema and providing excellent viewing for the cinephiles attending it. Now in its 7th edition…

History

The festival was initiated in 2007 as AZA Short Film Festival, and in 2009 the Mayor of Thessaloniki recommended it changes its name to THESS SHORT FILM FESTIVAL as representing the city of THESSaloniki.  Numerous films selected and screened have reached nominations for OSCAR, Cesar awards, Cannes and other important distinctions.

When

20-26 October 2013

Where

Cine Alexandros – Ethnikis Amynis 1 ( Opposite the White Tower )

2nd Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon

If you are downtown tonight and see the main streets closed for cars, don’t panic ! It is time for the 2nd Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon !

Quite a few renowned long-distance runners will honor the 2nd International Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon, on Saturday Oct. 19, joining the party which will see more than 9,000 participants occupy the main streets of the city by night.

The competition will not only have a huge participation in all, but will also host quite a few elite Greek runners, who will have the rare experience of such an after dark event.

Top-class runners such as Mihalis Parmakis, Kostas Poulios, Antonis Papadimitriou and Kostas Drosos, accompanied by Dimitris Tsiounis, Yannis Krekas and Iason Ioannidis will fight for the top spots at the Night Half Marathon.

Moreover, there is going to be the triathlon champion Grigoris Skoularikis joined by his sister Hara Skoulariki, while the women’s list boast with more renowned runners, such as Magda Gazea (winner of last April’s 8th “Alexander the Great” Marathon), Denise Dimaki, Vasiliki Karageorgaki and Efthymia Pouliopoulou.

The participants list has got some important names registered for the 5000 m Road Race as well. Pavlos Apostolidis, winner of the respective race of the 8th “Alexander the Great” Marathon six months ago, will do his best for another medal. The Road Race will be honored by two of the greatest current Thessaloniki sporting stars and Olympians, albeit not representatives of track & field: Swimmer Aris Grigoriadis and cyclist Yannis Tamouridis, both world champions in their field of expertise, will join the nighttime party and enjoy running the streets of Thessaloniki.

If you want to participate but did not register in time for the event the organisers have some good new for you!  They decided to offer 1,000 more places for non-registered people who wish to participate in this nighttime running party.  These 1,000 additional places (300 for the Half Marathon and 700 for the 5000m. Road Race) will be distributed on a first come – first serve basis, at the Registration Center of the Kaftanzoglion Stadium, which will be open on Thursday Oct. 17 and Friday Oct. 18, from 10:00 to 20:00.

So if you want to participate in this huge party for all citizens and visitors of Thessaloniki you still have time !

Starting Time: 18:42

Route description: The race starts at Nikis Avenue

The Halfmarathon route follows the streets: Nikis Avenue, Alexander The Great Avenue, Paraskevopoulou, Vasilisis Olgas Avenue, Vasileos Georgiou Avenue, Andronikou, Tsimiski, Politechniou, Kountouriotou Avenue, Salaminos, Nikis Avenue where the athletes finish in front of the White Tower, after three rounds.

Route map

Route map

For more info you can visit their website or their Facebook page. 

Open House Thessaloniki 2013

Open House Thessaloniki 2013

Open House Thessaloniki 2013

Open House Thessaloniki is back for the second year !

In 2012 Thessaloniki joined the Open House family and started organizing an event that celebrates the city’s architecture and design.

Do you know what exactly is it ?

A simple but powerful concept: showcasing outstanding architecture for all to experience, completely for free. Open House initiatives invite everyone to explore and understand the value of a well-designed built environment.

The history behind it

The Open House event started in London in 1992, gaining in the past 20 years a lot of appreciation and support. Today 21 cities are members of the Open House Worldwide family and host annually this event, including New York, Dublin, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Helsinki, Melbourne, Barcelona, Chicago, Rome, Lisbon etc.

The second Open House event in Greece is taking place on 19th and 20th of October in Thessaloniki. Selected architectural sites will be open to the public during this weekend.

The event is organised by the non-governmental and non-profit organisation Open House Greece, founded in 2012.

Open House Thessaloniki aspires to expose the architectural treasures of this dynamic city, and make architecture accessible to all. Its aim is to contribute to the deeper understanding of urban design and public space, and enable all citizens and visitors to explore and understand the value of a well-designed built environment. You will find the detailed program with venues and times here.

We cannot wait !

3rd Thessaloniki Performance Festival

performance festiva;A performance festival will take place in Thessaloniki next week in the context of the 4th Biennale 

After the successful conduct of the first and the second Performance Festival, the public’s positive response and how it contributed to the spread of performance as an artistic expression and practice, the 3rd Festival is aiming to be an important project that will explore the concept and the development of performance, will instigate awareness and will set down an indelible mark on the city.

The festival’s program will include live performances which will highlight the diverse elements that constitute the art of performance, master classes by artists participating in the festival and a workshop to be held a week before the opening of the Festival and will aim to broaden the relationship between performance and photography, as also the transition through the photographic lens.

In addition, the Festival will include an one day conference with theorists/art historians and interventions by artists and participants of the Festival, experimental electronic music concerts and screenings of video performances. In addition, underlining the historical background of this artistic practice, the Festival will make tributes to two major art figures that throughout their longtime artistic trajectories, they excelled in the area of performance.

ARTISTS 
Live performances: Maria Jose Arjona (Colombia), Ron Athey (USA/UK), Aymeric Hainaux (France), Clarice, Lima (Brazil), MaraM (Italy), Mohamed El Mahdaoui (Morocco), Monali Meher (India), Alekos Plomaritis (Greece), Tamar Raban (Israel), Maria Sideri (Greece)
Workshop + exhibition: Manuel Vason
Tribute: Dimitris Alithinos (lecture, re-enactments, video screenings
Screenings: VALIE EXPORT
Video-performance exhibition: Filippo Berta (Italy), Andres Galeano (Spain), Sarah Trouche (France), Mary Zygouri (Greece), Performance Voyage by Artists’ Association MUU (Finland)-Annette Arlander (Finland), Filippo Berta (Italy), Trine Hylander (Norway), Essi Kausalainen (Finland), Mikey Mc Parlane & Michael Mallis (USA), Maria Nikiforaki (Greece / UK), Anna Nykyri (Finland), Andreas Pashias (Cyprus) , Dana Sederowsky (Sweden), Surya Tuchler (Germany), Tracy Valcarcel (Peru / Canada), Eero Yli-Vakkuri (Finland)
Conference:“You had to be there.” Documenting, archiving and curating performance art. Coordinator: Angeliki Avgitidou, Key note speakers: Adrian Heathfield & Manuel Vason
Masterclasses: Aymeric Hainaux , Clarice Lima, Tamar Raban

Duration: October 15-19, 2013
Curator and Coordination: Eirini Papakonstantinou

THE FASHION ROOM SERVICE

roomservice

The Fashion Room Service Thessaloniki edition is back in town, tomorrow October 6th !

This Sunday, October 6. The Ozon creative team in synergy with OFF Radio present the established Fashion Room Service event in PORTO PALACE HOTEL ,Thessaloniki.

After two years, the event returns to the city, presenting new designers, collections and creations for this season- in one of the biggest deluxe class hotels.

Selected rooms in PORTO PALACE will transform into mini pop up showrooms giving the chance to stylists,  fashion editors, fashion bloggers, photographers, press and of course the public to explore and discover new up and coming Greek designers and promising creators/artists.

The participants of this year’s FASHION ROOM SERVICE are:

GEORGINA KOSTARA, PANDORA PSILOPOULOU, FOTIS GIAKOUMATOS, YIORGOS KOULASIDIS DRAMA QUEEN, POPPYSEEDS, KNIKATI, SPANAKI CLUTCHES, ASELELEONORA, LUCKY PIG, BORD DEL’EAU DESIGN, ZOI GIAKOUMATOU , 3RD FLOOR, ARCHITECTURAL FASHION BY NEFELIA

The Fashion Room Service event will complete its course with a party- DJ set, curated by OFF Radio’s radio producers while the guests will be able to enjoy free and cool cocktails made by the Absolut Vodka bartending team in the amazing Roof Garden of Porto Palace Hotel.

The rooms will be open from 15:30 – 22.30

Porto Palace: 26th Octovriou st, Thessaloniki Port.

Evening Party by ABSOLUT vodka from 18:00

For more info: 210 3634009

Boat Bars

Boat barDo you know that Thessaloniki has not one, not two, but three boat bars ?

There are three boats, that you will find sitting in front of the white tower where you can enjoy your drink while getting a mini cruise on the gulf of Thermaikos !

You get the chance to view the city from a totally different prospective, by the sea, and you might also get the chance to see some huge container ships up close !

Some people find the boat bars touristic and many locals wouldn’t be seen dead in there, but I actually like them a lot, and thankfully have some friends who like them too, so we regularly go there for a drink, even during the winter time if the weather is not very cold.

boatbarEach bar has a different music style so if you are particular about the soundtrack of your mini cruise choose the one you like best: rock, reggae or mainstream.  If you don’t care so much about the music, but want to enjoy the ride just hop on to the first available one to leave next.  There are tables with the times of departure just in front of the boats and also people there who will tell you which one leaves next.

My favourite time to go there is in the evening but it is also great during sunset or on a sunny winter sunday morning !

Entrance is free, and you only pay for your drink.

P.S. If you are lucky enough to get caught by rain during the cruise there is no way to escape it – you just get wet !

DIMITRIA 48th edition

48th Dimitria

48th Dimitria

The big arts festival of Thessaloniki is here for the 48th time !

As you should already know if you read a bit about the history of Thessaloniki, this city is 2330 years old, so a 48 year old arts and culture festival is not that old in comparison !  Actually, as early as the golden age of Byzantium, about the 14th century AD, Thessaloniki hosted a regular spectacular “New Festival” each autumn.

In October 1966, the festival was reborn and named Dimitria after Saint Demetrios, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. There is also a big street and of course a church named after him.  The church is a must visit, but I will tell you about it some other day.

Back to our subject, the art and culture festival of Dimitria which opens tomorrow, Thursday 26th and lasts for a whole month till October 26th – the name day of Saint Demetrios and of the whole city.

The whole program can be found here, unfortunately only in greek, but if you walk around in the city, you are probably going to get your hands on a printed version with, hopefully, some info in english as well !

The official opening ceremony will be held at the morning of Sunday 29th in the open space area of the port pier, in a feast of music, dance and food delicacies !

In total you will find around 50 events: music concerts, dance, theatre, fine arts, some paid and many for FREE.  The venues are many different spots around the city.  The weather is thankfully still great to wander around and discover them so go on, explore the city and enjoy !

Update 5/10

Good news ! The festival program just came out in english ! 

A different day in the centre of the city !

parallaxiTomorrow Sunday the 22nd of September is the annual european car free day.  It is the best day to walk in the centre, ride your bike or rollerblade in the middle of the main streets of Thessaloniki.

The last few years an activist group named Thessaloniki Allios ( meaning Thessaloniki Otherwise ) formed and supported by Parallaxi mag has offered us many different days in the city.  Thanks to them we have discovered many unknown corners of the city and had many alternative experiences we wouldn’t have imagined in the past.

The different day in the city starts tomorrow at 12.00 and will last till 20.00.  There are 35 different events that will be happening in various points downtown and all of them are completely FREE.

The program in brief goes like this:

Point – Proxenou Koromila & Lassani – Games for children and grown ups !

Point – Ag. Sophias street – Various athletic events like Yoga, Dance, Tai chi, Zumba and more! Also free bikes and bike repairs up on the street near the church !

Point – Ermou & Svolou – Music events !

Point – Tsimiski street – Parades and organised city tours !

Point – Aristotelous square – Movie on a grass filled square at 20.00 !

Street Yoga 2012

Street Yoga 2012

The detailed program can be found here and the official facebook page here.  Most info is in greek but don’t let that stop you. Just go downtown and wander around the events and blend in with the locals !

Since no cars will be allowed in the centre you will only be able to go by foot, bike or bus.  Have in mind that because of the day buses are FREE and so are some of the parkings around the city centre.

Don’t forget the rest of the events this weekend, like the eco festivals, Reworks, and Κ.Ο.Θ. underground ! This is definitely on of the best weekends in the city!

Bike Parade

bikerideThis weekend really has it all ! Music festivals, eco festivals, fun events, and 2 bike events ! I don’ t know if the term parade that I put on the title is valid for the organised bike rides, but I’m using it anyway and if you can suggest a better term let me know !

First of all, let me tell you that we are having a bike events weekend since tomorrow is the european day without cars.  A new post with the events of tomorrow will follow !

There is one public organised bike parade which is open to ANYONE and will start today Suturday 21st at 18:30 in the centre of the city. The route is really short and simple and anyone can follow. People of all ages and fitness levels attend these events just for the fun of it.  Roads close for the cars during the parade so it is a wonderful experience to just ride your bike on the same busy streets you pass everyday with your car. If you are in town, there is no excuse not to go!

bikerideThere is another organised bike ride which is open to professional athletes. The greek world champion Christos Volikakis will be there as well as athletes from other countries. They will follow a city circuit of 54 km in the centre of the city.  This is really nice to watch while you drink your coffee in one of the coffee bars of Nikis street, like Thermaikos.  The photos featured here are from last year’s event and as you can imagine I shot them while I was having a relaxing coffee with friends.

Tomorrow the athletic bike ride will continue with another group of around 180 athletes from all over the world, who will start a country route from Thessaloniki and will go 175 km away to Siatista!

2nd Day with Colours from Sfina

coloursIf you are not so much into music or simply want some genuine crazy type of fun, then I have another suggestion for you!

The Day with Colours will be housed tomorrow Suturday 21st and for the second year in a row, at Camp Field Kodra in Kalamaria. The event is inspired by the Indian religious ceremony of Holi, but here we do it just for fun!

The host is the activity group Sfina, or else a group of crazy people doing crazy stuff in the city.  Not only they like doing crazy stuff but they like filming them too, so here is an excellent video clip from last year’s event.

The video speaks for itself so there is no need for me to say more. If you feel like letting the child inside you have a fun Suturday out, then wear a white outfit and be at Camp Field Kodra at 14.00.  You can easily go there by bus # 5.  The event is free but you will have to pay 2 euros for each bag of coloured powder.  All the colours used are safe for humans so you can safely bring any children with you.