Awards 1st International Health Film Festival

1st International Health Film Festival ‘Ippokratis’ AWARDS

see you in Kos at the 2nd International Health Film Festival September 1st to 6th ,2010

call for film entries is now available on line http://www.healthfilmfestival.gr/index.php?position=center&module=static_pages&CategoryId=137

The Cinema Club of Kos, coordinated the audience awards

1ST AUDIENCE AWARD: ‘THE ENGLISH SURGEON’ directed by Geoffrey Smith
. Mr Smith declared in his acceptance message: ”Thank you Kos! Bloody amazing !”
The protagonist of the film Dr Henry Marsh said about the award:
“It was a great honour to be invited to the 1st Int. Health Film Festival, and an even greater honour to win the Audience Award. The International success of the film is very important in helping both my heroic colleague Igor Kurilets with his many difficulties and also the cause of progress reform in Ukrain as whole. Thank you very much indeed for inviting me to your festival. I am sorry I had to rush away back to London and very much hope the rest of it proved as successful as the start appeared ( at least to me) to be. It was so well organized! - and the cafe discussion the day after the screening was a brilliant idea - Geoffrey tells me that it is a unique innovation. I thoroughly enjoyed myself I have always liked talking!) and the hospitality was perfect. , Kos is a beautiful place. To fall asleep with the gentle sound of the Aegean sea in my ears was wonderful. I hope the festival goes from strength to strengt . Now off on my bicycle to the huge hospital-factory where I work to do an out-patient clinic.”
go to the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZdgwI0rx3Y
or double clck the you tube window to see the 16 9 version

2ND AUDIENCE AWARD was awarded to two films: ex aeqo
“FORGETTING DAD” directed by Rick Minnich who said during his acceptance speech:” Thank you very much, I am honoured. I have never received an audience award. I had a great week here in Kos and I would like to thank the organizers of the festival namely the artistic director Lucia Rikaki. When I was making this film about my own family, I was wondering whether anybody else would be interested in my family affair. I am really touched by the fact that so many people who have watched this film in various countries, are really moved by it. I hope that this film contributes in some way, to the healing of trauma caused by dysfunctional families. Thank you for a wonderful festival and I wish that every year you will be inviting more filmmakers”.




“YOUNG FREUD IN GAZA” directed by the Swedish directors Pea Holmquist and Suzanne Khardalian.
Ms Kardalian said about the award:” Greek audience, thank you very much, I am very honoured. I would like to remind everyone that when you deal with conflict you cannot ignore it. The importance is that we are dealing with people, with human beings.”
THE KOS CINEMA CLUB SPECIAL AWARD was granted to the film: “SUICIDE TOURIST” directed by John Zaritsky from Canada.






BEST GREEK FILMS AWARDS
The Jury of the Greek Film category consisting of
Dr Dimitis Kassimos and the President of the Cinema Club of Kos Mr Sakis Kountouratzis gave the

FIRST AWARD FOR BEST GREEK FILM was awarded to the film:
“SMALL PLEASURES” directed by Konstantinos Pilavios who thanked the festival as this is the very first award he received in his career! and wished the best for the next international health film festival.

SECOND AWARD GREEK FILMS to the film: “PLEASE LISTEN TO ME” directed by Marianna Oikonomou who said that she hopes that her film will make people more aware of the issues and problems of children with special needs through education.

BEST SHORT FILMS
The Jury of the Short film category consisting of American film director Joseph Spaid and doctors Dr Nikos Baibas and Dr Dimitris Kassimos awarded the

FIRST AWARD SHORT LENGTH FILM to the film:
“99 to 1 OVARIAN CANCER AND ME” directed by American Director Phoebe Brown who said in her acceptance speech:
”I am very excited and speechless which is rare for me! Here in Kos , I met wonderful people and made many new friends .This award is an omen for me. It gives me strength to continue making my next film. The week I spent in Kos made me definitely healthier!”
SECOND AWARD SHORT LENGTH FILM was awarded to the film:
“BIG FELLOW” directed by Michai Ionescu from Romania who said: “This is my first film and this is my first prize. Thank you very much!”

SPECIAL MENTION to the short film:
“LOVE, POSITIVELY” directed by Peter Murrini from Kenya and David Gough from England. The directors said about their award: "IRIN Films is delighted to hear that our film Love, Positively has won the special mention in the short film category at the International Health Film Festival Ippokratis. This short film was produced to try and shed some light on the tens of thousands of children around the world who are infected with HIV at birth. This award shows that we have achieved at least some success in this regard and we would like to thank the organisers of the festival for selecting our film and for introducing it to their audience.
We would especially like to thank all the people in Uganda who helped us to make the film and who generously and bravely shared intimate details of their lives with us. To them, and to all children who have been perinatally infected with HIV, we would like to dedicate this award."
BEST MEDIUM FILMS
The Jury of the Medium Film Category consistIng of Dr Theofilos Rosenberg, German director Katarina Peters and the Dutch director Hans Bosscher awarded the
FIRST AWARD MEDIUM LENGTH FILM to the film:
“HERE’S JOHNNY” directed by Adam Lavis who dedicated the award to the protagonist of the film Johhny Hicklenton who wasn’t able to come to the festival due to health matters. Adam Lavis said:” I am speechless! I am very honoured and I am so sorry that Johnny could not be here with me, as we had originally planned. He is not well enough to travel and I dedicate this award to him. I had very difficult problems during the process of making this film. In the 6 years of creating it, there were many times when we had to give up. I truly hope that Johnny’s pain will turn into an optimistic message for other people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis. The festival was an amazing experience, I watched wonderful films and truly this award is overwhelming!”
SECOND AWARD MEDIUM LENGTH to the film: “DON’T GET ME WRONG” directed by Adina Pintile who said: “Many thanks for the great news!
You’ve really made us a great day as we’re having quite hard times struggling for our next project! This award in such hard moments it s like a good sign, a real encouragement that we should keep going in spite of anything. I guess this would be something we would also like to have said if we were there and also we would like to say again and again how grateful we are for this film to our amazing characters: Ignat, Abel, Ocsy and Alexander . Only they, their astonishing inner beauty made this "love story" (how we call "Don t Get Me Wrong") possible.”
SPECIAL MENTIONS were awarded to 2 films:
“HEALTH FOR SALE” directed by Michele Mellara and Alesandro Rossi both from Italy. They said about their award:” We are very glad for this mention and we are so sorry not be there with you all. We want to thank the jury, the festival staff and, of course the audience.
We would like to dedicate this prize to the memory of Bharati and to all the women in the world that keep on fighting to get a better life for themselves and their families.
Thank you again and enjoy your beautiful Greek night.”



“WAR’S FOOLS. MADNESS IN THE TRENCHES” directed by Enrico Verra from Italy.who said Many hanks for the appreciation of me work!


Best feature length films
The Jury of the Feature Length Film category consisting of director Andreas Thomopoulos, Dr Ilias Theodoropoulos and Canadian director b.h. Yael awarded the following films:

FIRST AWARD FEATURE LENGTH FILM to the film:
“MAPPING STEM CELLS: TERRA INCOGNITA” directed by Maria Finitzo from USA. Ms Finitzo declared:” On behalf of all my colleagues at Kartemquin Films, let me first say how much Justine and I appreciated the warm hospitality we received from everyone involved with the festival. Your fabulous news today that Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita had won the first prize in the feature film category is an honor for everyone who worked on the film. Your festival has brought much needed attention to health issues we all face worldwide and the work the festival has done to bring these issues to a wide audience is so very important. We were thrilled to have been included in your efforts .Thank you very much and I know all of us at Kartemquin look forward to returning in the future.”





SECOND AWARD FEATURE LENGTH FILM to the film:
“UNDER OUR SKIN” directed by Andy Abrahms Wilson from USA who thanked the festival saying that:” My film creates controversy among audiences and it was not a surprise that we had a very long discussion with doctors that were here in Kos at the screening. Thank you Lucia Rikaki for a great festival, thank you American Embassy of Athens for funding this exsquisite festival.”



SPECIAL MENTIONS were given to 2 films:
“TRIAGE: DR JAMES ORBINSKI’S HUMANITARIAN DILEMMA” directed by Patrick Reed from Canada. The producer of the film Sir Peter Raymont declared: ”It is a great honour for our film, "Triage", to receive this special recognition at the world's first film festival devoted to international health.As Dr. James Orbinski asked me to say on his behalf at the opening night screening:'Recognizing dignity is at the heart of humanitarianism. Seeing the dignity of the other depends on seeing "the sameness of self in the other". This applies in war and in peace and is central to independent, neutral and impartial humanitarian actions."



”I’LL BE BETTER TOMORROW” directed by Vincent Detours and Dominique Henry.