13o AOAFF: Announcement of the poster and two enchanting screenings in collaboration with the orchestras of El Sistema Greece

THE POSTER

We are delighted to present today the creative artwork for the 13th edition of the Athens Open Air Film Festival, created by the visual communication designer, Vasilis Mexis.

The poster, in the words of its creator:

"The Athens Open Air Film Festival is the freedom to 'discover' cinema wherever we want, in places we never imagined we could encounter it. It is the freedom of experiencing an outdoor screening. The freedom bestowed upon us by the summer night. The AOAFF is even the freedom of nature itself that surrounds its screenings. Every time the festival's projector lights up in the darkness, hundreds of eyes turn towards it and fly towards it like ethereal, microscopic creatures of the night. They absorb a bit of its light, and a magical scene is just created." 

MUSIC and CINEMA

The 13th Athens Open Air Film Festival, in collaboration with the El Sistema Greece social inclusion educational music program, kicks off its summer journey with two unique screenings that promise to unite music and cinema in the most unforgettable way:

On Thursday, June 15th, there will be a live music concert by the El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra (comprised of children and young people aged 9 to 17) performing their favorite pieces from around the world. They will present a diverse repertoire of classical and popular music, filled with joy, in the courtyard of Zappeion. The euphoric atmosphere will be perfectly complemented by the screening of the beloved Disney film, "The Lion King" directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. With this film, the Athens Open Air Film Festival participates in the worldwide celebration of 100 years of Disney.

On Friday, June 23rd, at the Kolonos Theater, we will enjoy a concert by the 50-member El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra (comprised of children and young people aged 11 to 26). The orchestra will perform live the pieces created as part of the project "B-ME: Blending Melodies: Bridging Cultural Identities." In this project, 15 composers collaborated with 15 musicians from a refugee or immigrant background to co-create original musical compositions with the aim of bridging different cultural identities. The impressive concert will be followed by the screening of the Oscar-winning and timeless film "Cinema Paradiso" (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso) directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.

Here is the detailed schedule of the screenings:

Thursday, June 15th | 20:30 | Zappeion Megaron Courtyard
SPECIAL SCREENING DEDICATED TO 100 YEARS OF DISNEY
20:00 - 21:00
Face painting by the Moutzoures team for both young and adult viewers, inspired by the movie.
20:45
Live music concert by the El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra (members aged 9 to 17), performing beloved pieces from around the world, presenting a diverse repertoire of classical and popular music. (Duration: 45 minutes)
21:30
THE LION KING, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
(The Lion King, 1994 | 88 minutes)
The film will be screened in English with Greek subtitles.

©Disney

FRIDAY, JUNE 23 | 20:30 | KOLONOS THEATER (Hippio Kolonou Hill) | OFFICIAL PREMIERE
20:30
The El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra (members aged 11 to 26) will perform live the pieces created within the framework of the project "B-ME: Blending Melodies: Bridging Cultural Identities." Fifteen composers collaborated with fifteen musicians from refugee or migrant backgrounds to co-create original musical compositions with the aim of bridging different cultural identities. (Duration: 50 minutes)
21:20
"CINEMA PARADISO" by Giuseppe Tornatore
(Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, 1988 | 123 minutes)
Kolonos Theater (Hippio Kolonou Hill, Ioanninon & Kapaniou str.) | Athens
In collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens.

The premiere will be accompanied by the delightful cinephile beer Fischer, continuing this year the refreshing collaboration with the Athens Open Air Film Festival.

A FEW WORDS about the El Sistema Greece educational program and the B-Me: Blending Melodies project

El Sistema Greece (ESG) provides access to free music education with the aim of social inclusion and development. Inspired by the methodology of El Sistema in Venezuela but adapted to the educational and social context of Greece, El Sistema Greece uses music as a tool for social inclusion and holistic education, working in different environments, including refugee structures in Attica and Corinth. Since 2016, more than 2,500 students from over 40 countries have benefited from the program.

The El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra was established in November 2017 with the goal of promoting the maximum social inclusion of all its members, enhancing safe and meaningful communication among young people from diverse social backgrounds, and providing high-level music education.

The B-Me: Blending Melodies project is implemented by Sistema Cyprus, El Sistema Greece, and Associação das Orquestras Sinfónicas Juveniles Sistema Portugal, co-funded by the European Union. B-Me brings together 15 composers with 15 musicians from a refugee or migrant background who co-create original musical compositions that bridge different cultural identities.

The B-Me project involves the following composers:
From Greece: Giorgos Dousis, Maria Gouvali, Roxani Chatzidimitriou, Ioanna Topsi-Moutessidou, Alexandros Gkonis.
From Cyprus: Giorgos Karvellas, Andis Skordis, Georgia Christophorou, Kyriaki Iakovides, Boris Sarri.
From Portugal: Ana Seara, Mário Laginha, Anne Victorino d'Almeida, Carlos Garcia, Marta Domingues

The Athens Open Air Film Festival is a beloved summer cinematic event that is an integral part of the cultural experience for residents and visitors of the capital city. It is organized by the Athens International Film Festival and the Organization of Culture, Sports, and Youth of the Municipality of Athens (OPANDA), with Nova as a major sponsor.

For continuous updates, new announcements, and more information, stay tuned to the websites cinemagazine.gr, aiff.gr and aoaff.gr, as well as their corresponding social media pages: Facebook AIFF, Instagram Cinemagazine,  Instagram AIFF, Twitter.