Platform Culture Central Europe
Presidency of the Czech Republic, 1 January – 30 June 2017
PCCE Film Festival
Thessaloniki, 11 – 15 May 2017
The Platform Culture Central Europe (PCCE) was launched in Vienna in 2001 by six Central European countries – Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Austria has been part of the EU since 1995, the other five countries became EU members in 2004.
The main objective of PCCE is positioning the Central European region in the European Union, upkeeping mutual cultural dialogue, providing and supporting bilateral and multilateral projects focused on common Central European cultural interests and values.
Each PCCE country holds a regular semi-annual Presidency. Since 2011, our cultural activities have been aimed at the Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries, mostly in the form of one shared project during the respective Presidency. We are permanently looking for topics with importance for Central Europe and the host countries.
A short review of the last two years: On the occasion of the European Year of Development 2015, Slovakia organized thejoint project called “How Central Europe Helps the World“ with the aim to present the activities of PCCE in development policy. In the second half of 2015, Poland conducted the joint PCCE project in Ukraine as a theatre event “Art/Artists for children” focused onDonbas and Crimea refugees’ children. Hungary took the Platform to FYROM(the first half of 2016) with the project Roma Talent to introduce our efforts in supporting underprivileged talents and hereby the methods how the PCCE countries help the social inclusion of the most discriminated and vulnerable ethnic group in Europe. Austriaprepared a musical evening “Central European Café“ in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana in the second half of 2016 to confirm that the Central European region is interconnected in many ways, and that besides common historical formations and links, cultural identity plays the most significant role.
The Czech Presidency (the first half of 2017) has decided to organize a non-commercial PCCE feature film festival in Greece, one of the most burdened EU countries due to the economic and refugee crises. The chosen films are therefore focusing on humanity and friendship – two crucial and timeless values in people’s lives – and striving to introduce Central European aspects in these fields.
The joint project under the 2017 Czech Presidency called “PCCE Film Festival” will take place in Thessaloniki on 11–15 May 2017. We are very proud of our most appropriate Greek collaborator– Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF).
The festival is going to be non-commercial. The screenings are with free entrance (zero value tickets will be available at the TIFF box offices on the relevant screening days). Five PCCE countries have offered two feature films each, i. e. there will beten screenings altogether (each film to be screened once). The festival will be opened by PCCE representatives at Olympion Cinemas (Pavlos Zannas Theatre) on Thursday 11 May at 18:00. After the screening ofthe Czech film Home Care, the audience will be invited to a reception offered by the Czech Presidency, followed by the screeningof the Austrian film Macondo. On 12–15 May, there will be two screenings daily, at 19:30 and 21:30. All films will be provided with English and Greek subtitles.
PROGRAMME
Thursday 11/5, Olympion Cinemas (Pavlos Zannas Theatre)
18:00 – 20:30Opening of the PCCE Film Festival
Home Care (Domácí péče, 2015, 93 min), Czechia
20:30 – 22:00Reception
22:00MACONDO (2014, 98 min), Austria
Friday 12/5, Olympion Cinemas (Pavlos Zannas Theatre)
19:30 AFTERIMAGE (Powidoki, 2016, 98 min), Poland
21:30 THE CARER (Jutalomjáték, 2016, 89 min), Hungary
Saturday 13/5,Olympion Cinemas (Pavlos Zannas Theatre)
19:30 TO SEE THE SEA (Pojedeme k moři, 2014, 90 min), Czechia
21:30 CHUCKS (2015, 93 min), Austria
Sunday 14/5,Olympion Cinemas (Pavlos Zannas Theatre)
19:30 NICKY’S FAMILY (Nickyho rodina, 2011, 97 min), Slovakia
21:30 MOM AND OTHER LOONIES IN THE FAMILY
(Anyám és más futóbolondok a családból, 2015, 110 min), Hungary
Monday 15/5, Cinemas (Pavlos Zannas Theatre)
19:30 SOUL AT PEACE (Pokoj v duši, 2009, 98 min), Slovakia
21:30 THE LAST FAMILY (Ostatnia rodzina, 2016, 124 min), Poland
FREE ENTRANCE. Zero value tickets will be available at the TIFF box offices on the relevant screening days.