Producing, Artworking & Promoting Hellas Filmbox Berlin

Hellas Filmbox Berlin
Hellas Filmbox poster 2016 with Annabell Johannes, photo by DomQuichotte

Statement on producing & artworking Hellas Filmbox Berlin

For me, Hellas Filmbox has been a conceptual art project right from the start. My aim was not to create just another „normal film festival,“ but rather an „undogmatic communication model“ that transcended conventional boundaries. I envisioned an institution steeped in creativity and freedom – a vision that initially existed only in my mind but gradually took shape with each successive festival, culminating in the third one held at the Urban Spree location (Berlin-Friedrichshain) in January 2018.

Now, as we – referring to Sandra von Ruffin, Ina, and myself – entrust the festival to the capable hands of Sofia Stavrianidou and Elisa Deftos, I have encapsulated and visualized the artistic and political essence of the four festivals (2016-2019) during my tenure as the creative director. The artwork we developed and the accompanying marketing materials exude the energy we aimed to convey.

Collaborating with Sandra, Ina, Achilleas Gatsopoulos, Dom Quichotte, and many other talented individuals, along with the invaluable support from peppermint and Gero Angreß, we cultivated a distinct, „berlinesque“ identity – artistic and unconventional, yet profoundly unique.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved for their fantastic cooperation. Together, we have created something extraordinary, unforeseen, and truly beautiful.

Asteris Kutulas, Co-Founder & Creative Director Hellas Filmbox Berlin (2016-19)

Hellas Filmbox Berlin by Asteris Kutulas
Festival Poster 2016 with Sandra von Ruffin, fotografiert von DomQuichotte

Hard Facts 2016-19

  • 300 screenings with approx. 230 films
  • 65 of which translated into German
  • road shows with 30 films in 15 German cities
  • more than 150 Greek directors present at the festival
  • over 15.000 spectators
  • more than 200 German and international filmmakers, artists and professionals present at the festival

Hellas Filmbox Berlin directed by Asteris Kutulas
Festival Poster 2018 by Achilleas Gatsopoulos

Press Quotes

  • „The small Greek Berlinale “ (Zeit online)
  • „…contemporary, daring and creative cinema, as rarely seen before…“ (Goethe Institut)
  • „Look towards Greece! A group of artists are trying to save the image of a nation through art-house cinema.“ (Stern)
  • „Contemporary Greek cinema and its insights into the situation of this land.“ (Tagesspiegel)
  • „The most heartfelt film festival in Berlin!“ (Jüdische Zeitung)
Hellas Filmbox Berlin, Creative Director: Asteris Kutulas
Vorbericht in der BILD über das zweite Filmfestival im Januar 2017 (mit Sandra von Ruffin, fotografiert von DomQuichotte)

Press & Media Impact 2016-19

  • over 800 articles in the press from Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, France, US, Australia etc.
  • more than 26 million media contacts
  • reviews in the most influential media in Germany: ZEIT, STERN, BILD, BUNTE, BZ, TAZ, GALA, FAZ, Deutsche Welle, RBB Berlin, Sat1 etc. as well as in the leading media in Greece
  • the website of Hellas Filmbox had 2.500 visitors per day in the month of January 2018
  • the Facebook page of Hellas Filmbox had 332.600 visits, 79.200 interactions, 46.400 video views in the month of January 2018
 
Hellas Filmbox Berlin, Creative Director: Asteris Kutulas
Box Talk with Oscar winner Volker Schlöndorff & Yannis Sakaridis

 

Hellas Filmbox Berlin, Creative Director: Asteris Kutulas
Festival poster 2017 (with Stathis Papadopoulos, photo © by DomQuichotte)

 

Hellas Filmbox Berlin, directed by Asteris Kutulas
Poster for the side event „Pop-up exhibition HELLAS ARTBOX BERLIN“

 

Hellas Filmbox Cyprus, creative director: Asteris Kutulas
Retrospective – Greek Cypriot Cinema CYPRUS IN A BOX (poster by Achilleas Gatsopoulos)

 

Retrospective – GREEK FEMALE FILMMAKER (poster with Sandra von Ruffin, photo © by DomQuichotte, art work by Achilleas Gatsopoulos)

Hellas Filmbox Berlin

  • was established in 2016 to highlight the current, highly artistic Greek film scene and present it to the German audience
  • to gives an insight into Greece’s current situation, its people, inner conflicts and secrets
  • to takes the German audience on a unique journey into the human soul through the eyes of Greek filmmakers
  • believes in films as an alternate way of thinking and seeing Greece
  • creates a constructive artistic dialogue between Greece and Germany by highlighting the current emotional and political cracks between the two
Hellas Filmbox Die Griechen kommen!
Hellas Filmbox poster by Achilleas Gatsopoulos with the Message of 2015/16: „The Greeks come!“

 

More than 350 directors & artists participated at the Hellas Filmbox festival between 2016 and 2019

Guests & Contributors

More than 350 filmmakers, artists and professionals from Greece, Germany, Turkey, the United States, France, etc. participating in …

  • Screenings
  • Panels
  • Exhibitions
  • Workshops
  • Theater productions
  • Concerts
  • Open Discussions etc.
GREEK EROTICA 2018 Hellas Filmbox festival
GREEK EROTICA 2018 Hellas Filmbox festival poster by Achilleas Gatsopoulos

The Festivals from 2016 to 2019

The first festival – the SOUTH: loud, radiant, hot, with nude art, overcrowded, like the firstholidays in Greece.

The second festival – the WEST: structured, progressive, international, masculine & feminine, with Oscar winnerCosta-Gavras, with Ulrich Tukur, Rolf Hochhut, Dani Levi and manyothers.

The third festival – the EAST: horny, dirty, honest, with a lot ofheart, with a different focus andlocation, in the Urban Spree – a street art gallery on the „naughty“ neighbourhood of Friedrichshain.

The fourth festival – the NORTH: more reserved, calm, thoughtful, influenced by the numerousexperiences of the previousfestivals. Different again! No walls! More geil! 30 years after the fall of the Berlin wall.

„No walls! More geil“ – Festival poster series 2019 with Sandra von Ruffin by Achilleas Gatsopoulos & Asteris Kutulas
"No walls! More geil" with Sandra von Ruffin by Achilleas Gatsopoulos & Asteris Kutulas
„No walls! More geil“ – Festival poster series 2019 with Sandra von Ruffin by Achilleas Gatsopoulos & Asteris Kutulas

 

Poster „Hellas Filmbox: A Greek-German Affair“ with Sandra von Ruffin & Friedrich Lichtenstein, photo by DomQuichotte, art work by Achilleas Gatsopoulos

The Artworkers

Creative Director: Asteris Kutulas // Art Director: Achilleas Gatsopoulos // Photography: DomQuichotte & Achilleas Gatsopoulos // Creative: Ina Kutulas, Sandra von Ruffin, DomQuichotte // Body Painting: Johny Dar // Costumes: Heike Hartmann, Annabell Johannes, Ina Kutulas // Models/Actors: Sandra von Ruffin, Annabell Johannes, Friedrich Liechtenstein, Ioanna Kryona, Dimitris Argyriou

Hellas Filmbox poster 2018 with Annabell Johannes & Friedrich Lichtenstein, photo by DomQuichotte, art work by Achilleas Gatsopoulos
Hellas Filmbox poster 2018 with Sandra von Ruffin & Friedrich Lichtenstein, photo by DomQuichotte
Hellas Filmbox poster 2016 with Sandra von Ruffin & Annabell Johannes, photo by DomQuichotte
Statement

Für mich war Hellas Filmbox von Anfang an ein Konzeptkunst-Projekt. Ich wollte kein „normales Filmfestival“ kreieren, sondern ein über sich hinaus weisendes „undogmatisches Kommunikationsmodell“. Eine Institution, die nach Kreativität und Freiheit riecht. Das ist sicherlich etwas, das nur in meinem Kopf existierte, aber ich habe versucht – vor allem mit dem dritten Festival (2018) in der Urban Spree Galerie –, mich dem sehr anzunähern.
Jetzt, da wir – damit meine ich Sandra von Ruffin, Ina und mich – das Festival in die Hände von Sofia Stavrianidou und Elisa Deftos legen, habe ich das künstlerisch-politische Konzept der ersten vier Festivals (2016-2019), bei denen ich auch Creative Director war, zusammengefasst. Dieses von uns entwickelte Artwork und das dazugehörige Marketing offenbaren die Energie, auf die es uns ankam. Zusammen mit den Artworkern Sandra, Ina, Achilleas Gatsopoulos, DomQuichotte und zusammen mit vielen anderen sowie der wunderbaren Unterstützung von peppermint und Gero Angreß haben wir ein sehr eigenes, „berlinerisches“ und gleichzeitig sehr künstlerisches und ungewöhnliches Erscheinungsbild von Hellas Filmbox kreiert.  
Ich danke Euch allen für die phantastische Zusammenarbeit! Wir haben gemeinsam etwas Verrücktes, Überraschendes und sehr Schönes erschaffen.

Asteris Kutulas
Co-Founder & Creative Director Hellas Filmbox Berlin

Hellas Filmbox poster 2018 with Sandra von Ruffin & Annabell Johannes, photo by DomQuichotte