The 9th edition of the festival features film screenings, audiovisual installations and performances, workshops, discussions, and other events Syros International Film Festival (SIFF) which will take place from July 22 to 26 in Ermoupoli and other locations on the island.
With a new logo—designed by the award-winning creative agency MNP—that represents a dynamic image of uniqueness and constant transformation, SIFF 2021 returns to the island of Syros for a distinctive festival experience, featuring new and unexpected venues to be announced soon that will breathe new life into the festival’s diverse program of the Festival.
From the stately Pallas Summer Cinema and the cosmopolitan Miaouli Square, to the uniquely beautiful Tarsanas Shipyard and the famous «improvised» drive-in cinema on Delagrazia Street, which has become a classic institution, the Festival takes place—as is customary—across traditional and reimagined venues, highlighting the character of the place and its cultural heritage through experimentation with different tools and viewing conditions.
The selected theme, «Off Season,» offers an alternative perspective on this time of crisis, and the films in the program focus on different conceptions of time, the different «paces» at which humanity operates, forced movement and stillness, and the management of personal and «free» time as a fundamental human right.
At the same time, the program of the 9th SIFF explores what «out of season» means for the ecosystem as well, extending the definition to include non-human beings and examining what is happening on a planetary scale and in the realm of ecology. Thus, the 9th SIFF seeks to broaden its scope with a program that, in step with the times, simultaneously reexamines our established notions of place, by examining artistic works both up close and from a distance, in a context defined both by the specific, distinctive landscape of Syros and by collaborations that transcend geographical boundaries, bringing together individuals and groups located in different parts of the world.
The program includes:
Movies
The Festival’s main screening program includes approximately thirty short, medium-length, and feature-length films, as part of an exploration of the theme «Off Season/ Off Season,» as well as tributes to acclaimed directors and artists. SIFF’s programming spans cinematic genres without the constraints of the market or the audiovisual industry, allowing for the screening of a wide range of films: independent, commercial, art house, experimental, documentary, and fiction films, in an effort to reflect the diversity of geographical and social perspectives.
Audiovisual performances
SIFF 2021 will present a range of audiovisual performances, including screenings of silent films accompanied by live music, musical performances, and expanded cinema (a term used to describe a cinematic, video, or multimedia performance that broadens the definition of cinematic viewing by devising new ways of presentation).
Workshops
The workshops are an integral part of the Festival and will take place even beyond the dates of the main event. More specifically:
«Alternative Paths»
An artist working in the field of moving images is invited to organize, centered around a selected location on Syros, a series of on-site activities such as hikes, discussions, and documentation, to highlight the unique character of that specific place. Under the artist’s guidance, participants are encouraged to reflect on Syros’s past and present in a more complex, experiential way, while also documenting their experiences through digital media.
«First Frames»
Educational film workshops for young people and teenagers, based on a pedagogical approach that combines theory with practical exercises. By broadening children’s understanding of the medium of film, the workshops focus on teaching the basic principles of cinema and on having the participants themselves create audiovisual works.
«Peripheral Vision»
The workshop «Peripheral Vision: Reusing the Archive» began in September 2020 as an online workshop, with the aim of expanding access to archives and encouraging research, their use, and their adaptation to create new audiovisual works. Led by Tamer El Said, co-founder of the Cimatheque in Cairo, this workshop brings together nine moving-image art collectives, from Greece and abroad, who are invited to create works using archival material from the Syros Historical Archive (G.A.K.), Syros Sound Meetings, and the Cimatheque. The resulting works will premiere at SIFF 2021. The workshop is held with the support of the Goethe-Institut Athen.
All Festival events will take place outdoors in compliance with the public health protocols in effect at that time. More information and program details will be announced soon. Visit the website https://syrosfilmfestival.org/ For more information.
Highlights from SIFF 2020 at syrosfilmfestival.org/2020/12/18/siff-2020-video
SIFF is organized with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
