On the 28th of January, the annual AIMAFF event took place with resounding success, attracting an audience of 260 people who enjoyed the screening of 14 selections.
The festival commenced with Hektor Sakaloglou's opening remarks, extending a warm welcome to the directors and the audience. Chris Fiamegkos facilitated translation for foreign members of the audience.
This year, we were honored to have Stu Gamble, director of the AIMAFF 2023 winner "Stationheads," in attendance.
Additionally, director Floriane Colas and actor Axel Baille from France presented the World Premiere of the short film "Get Up 13."
From Russia, Ekaterina Gorbacheva flew in for the Greek Premiere of "Sob."
Ari Kwasner-Catsi, who shares a strong bond with the Greek audience being half Greek himself, was also present for the Greek Premiere of "Concrete."
Greek filmmaker Alexander Manolides showcased his sci-fi short "CASSANDRA," while Thomas Kunstler introduced his stop-motion animation "Pink Mountain." Nick Christod was also in attendance for the Greek Premiere of his award-winning short film "INSIDE."
The audience, in high spirits, eagerly watched the films, with some even sitting on the stairs to catch a glimpse of the selected projects. Following the screening, the audience had the opportunity to vote for their favorite, leading to the unveiling of the Audience Award, a new addition this year.
The AIMAFF Jury, comprising Diana Chemeris, Nikos Kosonas, John Konini, Chris Fiamegkos, and Hektor Sakaloglou, awarded "Stationheads" the Best Film of the Year.
The audience selected Ekaterina Gorbacheva's "Sob" as their winner, securing 17.8% of the votes. This was followed by "Daughter of the Sea" (14.1% of the votes) by Alexis C. Garcia and in 3rd place "The Master of Sento" (11.4% of the votes) by Yusuke Ishide.
Red Bull Greece added to the event's energy by providing refreshing drinks to the audience.
The official AIMAFF Gear worn by the crew featured Nike's Dri-Fit technology and was expertly heat-pressed by Maco Shirts.
Authorwave handled all the subtitling work for the festival selections.
A heartfelt thanks was extended to everyone who contributed to this beautiful event, including the loyal audience and, most importantly, the beloved filmmakers who traveled thousands of miles to join us on this memorable evening.
Looking forward to seeing you all next year!
