Greek Oscar Chaos Deepens as Government, Industry Look for Way Forward After ‘Unacceptable and Distressing’ Selection Fiasco

As a seasoned film industry professional with decades of experience under my belt, I find myself deeply concerned about the current state of affairs in Greece’s cinematic landscape. The formation of Creative Greece, while promising, seems to have hit a snag, leaving many talented filmmakers in limbo.

A week after the selection process for Greece’s Oscars plunged into turmoil, leaving only two of the original 23 films in contention for the international feature film category at the 97th Academy Awards, representatives from the industry gathered with government officials this week to address their concerns and map out a solution. This comes as frustration mounts over the struggling state of Greece’s film industry.

Maria Drandaki, one of the producers representing the Audiovisual Producers’ Association of Greece (SAPOE), stated during a meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Culture on Tuesday, that the recent Oscars mix-up is merely a small part of a larger problem.

“She stated, ‘The issue at hand is growing more significant than the Oscars, as the mismanagement of this situation and the underlying tension in the audiovisual industry for months have come together.’ She continued, ‘We’ve been struggling to manage this tension…and our concerns have consistently fallen on deaf ears [from the government].'”

Recently, the Greek Ministry of Culture appointed four prominent figures from the entertainment industry to decide on Greece’s entry for the international Oscars competition. This team consists of film critic Leda Galanou, actress Kora Karvounis, screenwriter Kallia Papadakis, and director Vassilis Kekatos, who was awarded the Cannes short film Palme d’Or in 2019 for “The Distance Between Us and the Sky.” Notably, Vassilis Kekatos has been chosen to lead this committee.

In two days’ time, the committee members received an unexpected email, stating they were suddenly dismissed. A government official admitted that the notification of their selection was a mistake, implying that their participation wasn’t confirmed yet. This sudden turn of events led to Greek industry representatives expressing outrage over what they considered an unacceptable and upsetting mishandling of the situation. In quick succession, a new committee was introduced.

That kicked off a frantic week of recriminations and accusations, as old grievances resurfaced and more than two dozen filmmakers withdrew their films from the Oscar race, penning a blistering open letter to the Ministry of Culture casting “serious doubts on the credibility and validity of the procedure.”

Simultaneously, a few members from the replacement committee chose to resign, such as Asimina Proedrou, director of last year’s Greek Oscar nominee “Behind the Haystacks.” On Facebook, she announced her decision to step down, stating that she would not lend legitimacy to the government’s mishandling of the selection process.

The situation became more complicated over the course of the week, as Deputy Minister of Culture Iasonas Fotilas tried to shift blame during a press conference on Thursday, implicating an anonymous underling who allegedly broke the law during the selection process.

In a strongly worded missive I penned and forwarded to EbMaster, a collective of culture ministry staff members responded forcefully, charging Fotilas with “seeking to shift blame” instead of taking responsibility himself and his government peers. We firmly assert that they should shoulder their responsibilities without delegating them to us, hardworking employees who have consistently performed our tasks with integrity, diligence, a keen eye for meritocracy, and transparency.

“The letter clearly expressed that we won’t accept any manufactured disciplinary actions meant to shift blame away from the political leaders. We support our team members in the specific department and the employee who is unjustly accused, ensuring that accountability falls on the right shoulders.”

Greek Oscar Chaos Deepens as Government, Industry Look for Way Forward After ‘Unacceptable and Distressing’ Selection Fiasco

For Drandaki, the producer behind Sofia Exarchou’s 2023 Locarno prizewinner “Animal,” which was considered one of the frontrunners for the Greek Oscar bid, the scandal has simply highlighted ongoing grievances between the industry and the government, which earlier this year announced the creation of a new body, Creative Greece, that will oversee all audiovisual production in the Mediterranean nation. The organization unites the Greek Film Center, formerly responsible for domestic production, and the National Center of Audiovisual Media and Communication (EKOME), the body that manages the country’s 40% cash rebate scheme.

“She remarked that the Oscars are insignificant when considering the broader context of events unfolding in Greece,” she said, expressing her discontent over Creative Greece, who have not yet appointed their executive committee, and persistent financial difficulties at the Greek Film Center.

Additionally, she agreed with other Greek filmmakers that Deputy Minister Fotilas, who recently took office in June and is meeting industry representatives for the first time, may not be capable of dealing with the current situation. Local filmmakers are asking for a more comprehensive discussion than just the Oscars, she noted, stating that “the deputy minister seems unprepared to handle this issue.”

Upon being contacted by EbMaster, Fotilas stood firm in his allegations against a civil servant at the culture ministry, stating emphatically: “The issue I had wasn’t about the academy or the producers. Instead, it was all about the process.”

He suggested a plan for industry representatives to establish a fresh selection committee. He emphasized that he would be open to their suggestions, and further stated that he might alter the law immediately if feasible, to transfer the Oscar selection process to the Hellenic Film Academy. This move has been advocated for by the film body and its approximately 700 members for a long time.

“Fotilas expressed his hope that his obligations would be sufficient for them to rethink their stance. If not, he fears that Greek cinema might be in jeopardy.”

With less than three weeks left until the September 13th deadline set by the deputy minister for Greece’s Oscar submission, Drandaki expressed that the film industry requires additional support from the government before filmmakers would even think about re-submitting their films, and that possibility seems unlikely. “It’s challenging to return if we aren’t truly listened to,” she said. “I’m not sure how this can be achieved in just two weeks.”

Last week, the Hellenic Film Academy wrote an open plea suggesting that this year’s selection process be discarded and urging Greece to abstain from submitting a film for the international feature film competition at the upcoming Academy Awards in March.

“Lefteris Charitos, president of the academy, stated that the current situation is drastic and harmful to the nation, and it negatively impacts the country’s standing. Considering recent developments, he expressed that reversing the damage before the Academy’s October 2 deadline would be challenging. However, there’s a sense of unity among us all, and we are collectively striving to progress.”

Greek Oscar Chaos Deepens as Government, Industry Look for Way Forward After ‘Unacceptable and Distressing’ Selection Fiasco

At the conclusion of the Sarajevo Film Festival, Yorgos Zois, winner of the best directing award for his sci-fi drama “Arcadia”, passionately spoke out during the closing ceremony on Friday. In his speech, he drew a parallel between Greece’s Oscar scandal and recent events like the fatal train crash that took 57 lives last year. He criticized government officials for evading accountability, instead laying blame on lower-level employees in such situations.

“I can sometimes understand their ignorance, but their arrogance towards the working people is unacceptable,” Zois said. “The government should be the servants of the people and not the rulers. As long as they are violent, disrespectful and arrogant to us, we will continue to resist, united on all fronts.”

2024-08-28 17:47

Greek Oscar Chaos Deepens as Government, Industry Look for Way Forward After ‘Unacceptable and Distressing’ Selection Fiasco

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