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| A Chinese proverb says that when the wind changes direction, some people build walls, and others, windmills. We are one of those who build windmills, but not to give Don Quijote the occasion to work … although, sometimes, only the loyal Rosinanta is missing, to feel exactly like the knight with cardboard arms.
We try to change attitudes, correct mentalities, open hearts and minds through culture, out of love for nature.We have a lot of environmental issues. Massive deforestation, destruction of natural resources, pollution of land and water are themes of the films presented at ECO FEST, both Romanian and foreign productions, during eight-years long editions. Despite having an extraordinary asset, Romania seems to have wrongly chosen the way and strives to “escape” its most valuable charisma: virgin nature. The ECO FEST mission is to fire alarm signals. Instead of support, we encounter obstacles. Instead of raising windmills, and with their help to provide energy to sustain environmental policies, we hit the walls raised by those who do not want to hear the frustrating truth that we are saying. There are many who love silence, but there are also many who love the truth spoken out on the screens of the International Festival of Ecology Films. To the latter I want to thank them in particular, because they understand that being an ecologist means to be one step ahead of everyone. |
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| The signals that our Planet sends us lately are increasingly explicit and alarming. It looks like Mother Nature is getting tired to allow the aggressive and self-destructive unconsciousness of the human species.The factors responsible for our destiny are still acting hesitating, unconcerned,most often being limited to a regional or local level.In this context, the declared objective of our manifestation is to bring awareness, especially among young people, of the importance of safeguarding the environment, the need to find the balance of cohabitation in and with nature. The fact that, from all of those called to get involved in this approach, school and teachers responded like every time with interest and without hesitation, leads us to hope that our effort will not end up without results in the consciousness and attitude of the young generations towards the environment and implicitly to the quality of everyone’s life. Vladimir Marin – Artistic Director ECO FEST and selector ECO FEST |
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SPONSORS and PARTNERS
INTERNATIONAL JURY
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Lazar ManojlovskiPresident of Pal 20 (Film Distribution) |
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| Founder and President of Pal 20 Company since 1990.
As President of Pal 20 managed the production and distribution for more than 1000 movies for cinema, video, DVD and TV copy rights. In present Pal 20 operates in distribution TV cinema and festival rights specialized in European festival films and TV series for the territories of Macedonia and Bulgaria. Since 1993 member and participant of all world film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Milano, member of AMF -American Film Market etc. Member of jury at “Love is Folly” film festival in Varna, Bulgaria. |
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Ileana Perneș DănălacheRomania – Film critic |
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| Theater and film critic. She graduated from The National University of Drama and Cinematography “I.L. Caragiale”, section – Filmology-Theatrology. She has 37 years in the field of cinematographic art. Works as an audiovisual expert in Brussels for a year. Between 1992 and 2000 is National Coordinator of the European intergovernmental Audiovisual Program “Eureka Audiovisual”.Member of the Filmmakers Union of Romania.Vice President and founding member of the Romanian Film Association “Document.Art.”Member of several juries of film (“Contemporania”, International Film Festival” Document.Art, “Dreamfest” Slatina, “Ecofest “ Oradea, “Ecofest “ Braila, etc).Receives The National Award for interviews and essays of the National Council of Journalists (1987).Plaque of honor for lifetime achievement offered by newspaper “Zaman” Romania. Author of “18 interviews” dedicated to Romanian filmmakers (2015). Member of Romanian Association of Public Relations (ARRP); member of the Honorable Jury since 2014. | ||
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Mihai OrăşanuProducător, Inginer de sunet, Profesor Universitar |
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| In his long career in the field of Romanian cinematography, he produced more than 20 full and short length features and, as sound engineer ,he managed and supervised the soundtrack production of more than 70 full length features. He is also Professor Doctor at the Film Faculty of the National University of Theater and Film (UNATC) in Bucharest. Member in the juries of many national and international film festivals (documentaries, features and student works). Manager of the national project called /The Caravan of the Romanian Films/. He has also been a member of =The Producer/s Network = at several editions of the Cannes Film Festival. |
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Alexander GrozevBulgaria – Film Critic, Festival President |
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| He is a very well-known film critic from Bulgaria. PhD in the Theory of Cinema, Professor of Film History at the South-West University, lecturer for film critic at the National Academy of Film. Jury member at many international film festivals. Member of the Bulgarian Filmmakers’ Association and member in the publishing board of Kino magazine, as well. Founder and Director of LOVE IS FOLLY – Film Festival in Varna, counting for 23 editions. Alexander Grozev was Manager of the National Film Center of Bulgaria, representing member of Bulgaria in the European Association for Media Programs. He published 16 books dedicated to film theory and history and wrote many reviews in publications from U.K., Germany, Russia. | ||
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Zoltan ”Zoli” TóthRomania – musician, entrepreneur and environmental activist |
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| In 2000 he founded the music band SISTEM, which won in 2005 the first prize for Romania at Eurovision with the song Let me try -vocalist Luminita Anghel.The first “green” cause Zoli has been supporting was the ban on mining with cyanide in Romania, alongside with the Cyanide-free Romania Coalition in 2007, including also Greenpeace Romania.
He continued to support the cause of environmental protection with WWF Romania, as Ambassador of Earth Hour, MaiMultVerde (More Green) Association, Let’s Do It, Romania! and the Recolamp Association. In 2010, he was appointed Ambassador for Let’s Do It, Romania! Zoli presented two seasons of the Green Report on TVR1 in 2008-2009, and he is currently organizing and moderating the EcoFrequency broadcast at National FM. |
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SPECIAL GUESTS
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Ioana GrigoreFilm director, documentarist, photographer |
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| Graduate of the National University of Theater and Cinematographic Art I.L.Caragiale – Film Direction section and she is currently preparing her master in documentary film directing.She was the coordinating photographer at CineMaiubit Festival in Bucharest, 2013 – 2016 editions. As a director and screenwriter, was the author of several documentary films: “A Balkan Cry”, Artist Portraits, “10:34 to Belgrade”, and Fiction Shorts – “Check-In” (2016) and ” I’ll Call You “(2014). He was a member of the jury of the International Student Film Festival CineMaiubit (2017).The documentary “10:34 to Belgrade” won the European Journalist Award at the SimFest International Film Festival, Târgu Mureş (2017) and the Best Editing Award at Docu Art Documentary Film Festival -Bucharest (2016).The short film “Always on the Run, but Not Today” won the Best Documentary Film Award at the GreenTech Film Festival – Bucharest (2017). |
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Emilija ManojlovskaVice president of Pal 20 (Film Distribution) |
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| As Vice president of Pal 20 managed the production and distribution for more than 1000 movies for cinema, video, DVD and TV copy rights.Marketing and PR Manager of “Pal 20”. Manages and represents Pal 20 Distribution at many international film markets. Manager of 2 Video Stores that provides sales, rent, distribution of video materials.Participant and member of AMF – American Film Market, as well as film markets in Berlin, Cannes, Budapest etc. |
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Vessela ZarevaBulgaria – Director, Filmmaker |
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| Vessela Zareva is a well known Bulgarian film maker. She graduated from PSWFiT (Lodz, Poland) and from VGIK (Moscow, Russia) specializing in Film directing. Her filmography consists of more than 50 documentary films, some of which have been selected in numerous International and National Film Festivals, winning a number of prizes. Vessela Zareva is a member of the Bulgarian Union of Film Makers. | ||
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