2013
February 27.
First meeting at EXILE.
"Declaration of Principles" to make creative documentaries by creative filmmakers for creative audiences.
May 20, 2013.
Its Statute is organized and signed by the founding members.
The Non-Profit Association is established under the name"GREEK DOCUMENTARY ASSOCIATION" and distinctive title "HELLAS DOC"
June 11, 2013 ERT closes!
The GDA with ESPEK join forces to fight for producers, directors and audiovisual workers fees. Letters, out-of-court protests, meetings with liquidators.
July 13 the draft law was passed for NERIT SA.
2014
February 25, 2014.
A Press Conference is held on the financial impasse of Greek creators created after the closure of ERT.
March 2014.
Meeting of the GDA in the context of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
We also inform our colleagues in Northern Greece.
November 15, 2014.
Organization of a Conference at the Film Archive entitled: "Possibilities of financing and distribution of documentary films" in collaboration with the Greek Office of the Creative Europe Media Program.
2015
January
In collaboration with Exile Room we organize a series of screenings of modern Greek documentaries.
April 22-24.
WITH EYES OPEN
1st Tribute to the Greek Documentary in Technopolis, Athens.
A documentary workshop entitled:"From Idea to Screen".
Supervised by Maria Leonida, Markos Gastin, Katerina Patroni, Anneta Papathanasiou
2016
April 21-24, 2016.
WITH EYES OPEN
2nd Tribute to the Greek Documentary in Technopolis, Athens.
Short tribute to Syrian Documentary with guest Syrian documentarians.
As part of the Tribute, a documentary workshop entitled: "EXODUS"
with the co-operation of Creative Europe Media Desk Greece.
Syrian director Talal Derki and also Syrian director and journalist Amer Matar are invited.
Greek presenters: Chronis Theocharis, Dionysia Kopanas, Yiannis Misouridis, Anneta Papathanasiou, Katerina Patroni, Angelos Kovotsos.
Laboratory Design: Marco Gastin.
5 short films were created.
The production of the short films was supported by the Hellenic Film Center
Produced by Kyriakos Chatzimichailidis (T-short).
The movies:
Open Borders, directed by Manos Kontoleon
Ali & Soraya, directed by Anna Antonopoulou
Return, directed by Giorgos Detsis
The Words of Niaz, directed by Fani Bitou
Temporarily, directed by Maria Papageorgiou
2017
May 4-7, 2017
WITH EYES OPEN
3rd tribute to the Greek Documentary in the Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens with Hungary as the honored country.
Masterclass with Hungarian guests Gabor Ferenczy and Gül Togay, director and producer respectively of the film OVERDOSE on:"WALLS or BRIDGES - To close ourselves off or to open up to the world", central dilemma of modern societies.
The masterclass functioned as an introduction to a creative documentary workshop.
Seminar on the subject: DOCUMENTARY & TV
"The new TV reality and creative documentary production in it"
Key Speakers: Paul Pauwels - President of EDN and Angelos Kovotsos - director and former president of the GDA, Representatives from the Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Information, the National Radio and Television Council, ERT, GFC, the Parliament Channel, COSMOTE TV, and NOVA.
2018
March
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
As part of the Agora program, we organized a masterclass with Madeleine Avramoussis, Commissioning Editor of ARTE, on the topic of international co-productions.
March 29 – April 1
WITH EYES OPEN
4th Tribute to the Greek Documentary at Technopolis
Masterclass with Danish award-winning editor Niels Pagh Andersen.
June 25 – 28
One of the founding and basic goals of our Union is the extroversion and promotion of Greek documentary at international festivals and international markets.
We decide to join SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC at La Rochelle,
- one of the most important documentary markets in Europe, meeting place for many TV channels, distributors and sales agents from all over the world. In cooperation and with the support of the Thessaloniki Festival and the GFC, we represent 29 Greek documentaries.
In a specially designed booth for EENAnneta Papathanasiou and Ilia Papaspyrou presented the Greek documentaries.
2019
March
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - We organized a round table on the subject
"The future of Documentary in our region" with invited sister organizations in the Balkans and France with the aim of creating transnational relations and collaborations, in order to facilitate co-productions and to promote the Greek documentary internationally through festivals and markets.
Panelists include: Ana Ortasevic /Doc Serbia, Каtarzyna Wilk/ Polish Docs, Neda Milanova/ Balkan Doc Center of Bulgaria, Patrizia Mancini/ Sunny Side, Rea Apostolidis/ EEN.
April 18-21
WITH EYES OPEN
5th Tribute to Greek Documentary at the Film Library.
18 short and feature-length documentaries are shown with the presence and participation of contributors. As part of the tribute, a masterclass is given by the director of the film
"Sugar Town - for a handful of votes", Kimonas Tsakiris, about the experience of shooting the film and about the relationship between citizens and politicians.
April 20
Information session:"EKOME and its role in the development of the Greek documentary."
Screening of Talal Dekri's film "Of Fathers and Sons" nominated for OSCAR for Best Documentary 2019 and a round table on: RECORDING THE TRUE FACE OF WAR.
Participants: Giorgos Moutafis, photojournalist, Tasos Teloglou, journalist.
Moderator is Nikos Mengrelis.
We introduce to the GDA specific proposals for revising the current funding regulation for the documentary. The primary issue is the inclusion of the documentary in the Script Development and Production Plan-Development Program, as in the other programs, on an equal footing with fiction.
June 24-27
Second year participating in SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC.
The GDA represents 38 Greek documentaries. Fotini Economopoulou and Anneta Papathanasiou collaborate and present the documentaries at the stand. The success is great and several documentaries received a proposal to sign a contract, while the Franco-German channel ARTE secures a work in progress contract for Giorgos Arvanitis' documentary film "Askavlos".
Members of GDA's Board of Directors hold a meeting with the General Secretary of Modern Culture Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nikolas Giatromanolaki for issues concerning Greek cinema and especially the documentary: increase in funding for documentary films from EKKand its 1.5% Program from ERT, change of its Financial RegulationEKK etc.
2020
22 - 25 June 2020.
For the third year in SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC.
Conducted online due to the pandemic (covid19).
We represent 22 Greek documentaries.
Presenting them at GDA's online kiosk are Maroula Gedekou,
Fotini Oikonomopoulou and Anneta Papathanasiou
December 2, 2020.
Regarding the role of the Co-Production Department in ERT, a meeting is held with its delegation. Our constant request being the upgrade of its Co-Production Department and the strengthening of co-productions.
17 – 21 December.
WITH EYES OPEN
6th Tribute to the Greek Documentary.
The Pandemic Tribute is being held online.
14 recent and older Greek documentaries are shown.
In the context of this, the 4th Documentary Workshop on the subject
"Athens: A City Transforming" is held with suggestions and the production of five five-minute documentary films.
The movies :
"Rooms with a view" Nicoletta Parashi and Nikos Papadimitriou
"The talking walls" Vasiliki Mylona
"In Omonia" Olga Bakopoulou
"What the rain washed away" Ioanna Tsililis
"Dreams on Wheels" Maria Leni
Workshop planning and coordination: Angelos Kovotsos
Speakers: Chronis Theocharis, Angelos Kovotsos, Dionysia Kopanas, Antonis Tolakis, Yiannis Skopeteas.
Members of our Board of Directors hold meetings with the Minister of Digital Governance Kyriakos Pierrakakis and the Director of the Office of Konstantinos Hambidis, with the aim of informing about the actions of the GDA, and the financial problems facing documentary filmmaking in Greece.
Key request to amend Law 4487/2017 in order to provide a new starting point for documentary film projects (€60,000), intended to be subject to the cash rebate program of EKOME.
2021
A seminar on documentary creation organized with the aim of training teachers and topic:
"Documentary - education - creation"
As part of the workshop, 5 short films are produced.
The seminar was addressed to teachers of all levels and students of Pedagogical Schools.
Workshop planning and coordination:
Angelos Kovotsos / Dionysia Kopana / Xenophon Angelopoulos
Speakers: Dafni Kalafati, Dimitra Kouzi, Antonis Tolakis, Yiannis Skopeteas, Nikos Stamboulopoulos
The movies:
"On the Hill" Georgia Rizou
"Dress Code" Susan Chrysovitsinou
"D' Lykeiou" Emilia Vakoufari
"Indecent of a Rule" Lazaros Asmis
"It's not about bikes" Vasilis Lolis
- The GDA becomes a member of DAE (Documentary Association of Europe).
June 21-24
For the fourth year participating in SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC.
It is once again held online.
21 Greek documentaries are presented in select meetings with buyers from all over the world
by Maroula Gendekou and Dimitra Kouzi.
June 24 – July 4
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
Presentation of GDA and DAE in an event within the framework of the Festival.
2022
February 13 2022
ELECTION OF A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
On Sunday, February 13, 2022, the annual General Assembly of the Hellenic Documentary Association took place online, with the elections for the new Board of Directors taking place.
Based on the voting results, but also after the internal voting, the following were voted:
President: Anneta Papathanasiou
Vice President: Meletis Moiras
Secretary: Ilia Papapyrou
Treasurer: Andreas Siadimas
Members:
Dionysia Kopana
Maria Leonida
Giannis Misouridis
March 5 2022
LETTER & ACT OF SOLIDARITY TO UKRAINE FROM THE EU
We decide to financially support two organizations that provide assistance to our fellow Ukrainian documentarians, after studying relevant websites and the recommendations of the DAE (European Documentary Association, of which we are a member):
1.Support filmmakers at war: https://www.facebook.com/donate/5100602859970668/4370671723033131/
This page brings together and represents our colleagues who are using the money, either for equipment or necessary production costs to make documentaries that will illuminate aspects of today's war.
2. https://docudays.ua/eng/2022/news/kino/docuhelp-raising-money-to-support-the-filmmaking-community-in-ukraine/
The Union deposited the amount of 500 euros and suggested to its members and all the friends of documentary film to help their colleagues in Ukraine.
20 – 23 June
For the fifth year we are participating in SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC.
The Greek Documentary Association, with the support of the Hellenic Film Center and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, once again had a strong presence among 1,900 participants. channels and distributors. The list of films was sent to all participants and we personally emailed over 300 people seeking appointments at our booth.
The mission team at Sunny Side consists of Anneta Papathanasiou (President of GDA) and Fotini Economopoulou (Producer) with the active participation and support of GDA secretary Xenophon Angelopoulos, GDA Treasurer Andreas Siadimas and graphic designer Loukas Melas.
June 28, 2022
Podcast about Roviros Manthoulis
We present the first podcast of GDA, dedicated to the memory of the pioneering director and documentary filmmaker Roviros Manthoulis. Nikos Theodosiou, Stavros Psillakis and Angelos Kovotsos, three close friends, collaborators and students (as they call themselves) of Roviros, look back on his work that influenced them, but also on memories and moments they shared with him.
Recording by Meletis Moiras.
You can listen to it on our official YTchannel, at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISgOjhcM1S4
October 13 – 16
WITH EYES OPEN 2022
7th tribute to Greek documentary at the Greek Film Archive
As part of the festival, more than 20 short and feature films were screened at the Cinematheque of Greece from October 13-16. The screenings of the films were followed by discussions with the directors and the audience, who responded and actively participated in these discussions.
This year's Tribute to a Ukrainian director, invited by GDA, was a great success. Alisa Kovalenko, whO after screening her film Home Games, delivered a masterclass to a packed room about a creator's dilemmas in wartime.
In the Honorary Tribute to the recently deceased Roviros Manthoulis, 2 of his important films were shown, which mark the way in which this great director dealt with the subjects and characters of his films.
5th Documentary Workshop on "Production Folder Enhancement Workshop"
As part of the "With Eyes Open" Tribute, a Production Portfolio Enhancement Workshop was also organized in collaboration with the "Lykourgos Stavrakos" Film and Television School and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, with speakers experienced directors and producers of the documentary field in Greece.
The project proposal entitled "Nova Opera - the Art of War"of Vera Iona Papadopoulou was chosen by the presenters to be awarded with an honorary distinction and to participate in the Agora Pitching Forum of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in March 2023.
SPEAKERS
- Antonis Tolakis, director / producer / director of studies at the Stavrakou school of film (treatment / synopsis / directorial approach)
- Christos Karakepelis, director / teacher at the Stavrakos School of film (treatment / synopsis / directorial approach)
- Fotini Economopoulou, producer (Budget, Financial plan)
- Jan Rofekamp – Films Transit international (Distribution)
- Giorgos Angelopoulos - Director of Production and Development at YKK
- Stavros Psyllakis, director (screenplay analysis of works by Roviros Manthoulis)
- Nikos Theodosiou, director partner of Roviros Manthoulis (screenplay analysis of works by Roviros Manthoulis)
The responsibility for the planning and organization of the Workshop was taken on the part of GDA by Angelos Kovotsos director, Dionysia Kopana director and Maria Leonida director, head of educational organization "Karpos".
Angelos Kovotsos coordinated.
2023
JANUARY
Letter from the Hellenic Documentary Association to the Deputy Minister of Contemporary Culture, regarding the draft bill for the consolidation of the GFC/EKOME/OPI.
MARCH
1) In the framework of the 25th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (2-12 March 2023),
the Hellenic Documentary Association organized a Masterclass on :
"How to make documentaries more visible".
Speaker was be the German Paul Rieth, designer of strategies to attract audiences.
2) Letter of support to the NEC, SOPOE, ESPEK for the support of the preserved cinemas Ideal - Astor and Irida.
MARCH - MAY
Three Doc Club screenings with the directors of each film as guests:
The Horse I Am, by Menios Karagiannis
George of the Cedar, by Yannis Kolozis.
Where are you, Singhal, by Angelos Rallis
JUNE
GDA is present for the 6th consecutive time at the international documentary market Sunny Side of the Doc 2023 in La Rochelle, France, with representation of the Greek documentary by Fotini Economopoulou and Aneta Papathanasiou.
JULY
Two-day seminar "Introduction to editing using DaVinci Resolve'', at the Lycourgos Stavrakos School of Film and Television, with Mr. Alexandros Spathis, member of the Workshop and Blackmagic Certified Trainer for DaVinci Resolve, who offered it as a gift to all members of the Greek Documentary Association.
AUGUST
Letter of support to the Association of Greek Archaeologists.
OCTOBER
1) With Eyes Wide Open, 8th tribute to Greek documentary,
12-15 OCTOBER AT THE FILM LIBRARY OF GREECE
This year 20 feature and short films were screened at the Greek Film Archive.
Among them:
TRIBUTE TO LAKIS PAPASTATHIS.
Special honorary screening of the award-winning film from North Macedonia HONEYLAND and Masterclass by the film's co-director Ljubomir Stefanov.
2) 7th WORKSHOP for young directors and producers on the topic:
"From initial idea to Trailer and Teaser. Strategic planning to attract the audience",
21-22 and 28-29 October, Stavrakos Film School,
with Angelos Kovotsos as moderator and speakers:
Chronis Theocharis, Antonis Tolakis, Christos Karakepelis, Dimitra Kuzi and Maria Leonida.
The project of Louisa Vradi "Anna" was awarded, accompanied by the participation of the filmmaker as an observer in the Agora Pitching Forum of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2024.
Dimitra Petmeza received an honorable mention for her project ''Babuschka Doll''.
3) Masterclass by Tue Steen Muller at Stavrakos School 21/10 as part of the workshop and 22/10 at the Greek Film Archive open to the public. The great Danish documentary critic came to Athens as an official guest of the Greek Documentary Association.
4) Screening of the film by Nikos Ziogas ''Enthimion'' at the Garden of Greek Archaeologists, in support of their struggle to preserve the building where they are housed.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER
Letters, consultations and meetings with other unions, trade unions and political officials for intervention and information on the unification of GFC, EKOME, OPI.
