Our summer will be cinema! This is the programme of the 9th Athens Open Air Film Festival

Special parts of the city, archaeological sites, parks, squares, beaches and some of the most beautiful museums of Athens transform into open air cinemas with free entry to the public. The  highly anticipated cinema celebration in and around Athens is an alternative and disarmingly beautiful way to watch films while simultaneously experiencing the city in a way you never imagined. A summer night’s outing lit up by the magic of cinema.

This year, especially, the screenings of the 9th Athens Open Air Film Festival aim to revive the grand experience of re-watching classics and other cherished films on the big screen, in extraordinary settings. For this reason this year’s programme is comprised of masterpieces of world cinema by directors such as Federico Fellini, David Lynch, Michelangelo Antonioni, Luis Buñuel, Akira Kurosawa, Jean-Pierre Melville, Mike Leigh, Stephen Frears, Alfred Hitchcock and more. 

Finally, following last year’s momentous and popular first screening in an ancient theatre (having screened “Electra” by M. Cacoyannis at the Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre) the Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre will open its doors for a second film screening, this time for the showing of “Vertigo”, the best film of all time as stated by Sight & Sound and CINEMA magazine.

The poster for the 9th Athens Open Air Film Festival was created by the award-winning visual communication designer, Vasilis Mexis.

A graduate with a first class honours degree in Graphic Design from the AKTO school of Art and Design, he has long-standing work experience in advertising. He has worked on award-winning campaigns and has designed book and magazine covers in international circulation. Since 2016 he has been creating the posters for the Athens Open Air Film Festival and the Athens International Film Festival.

In his own words:
“Cinema is a process of metamorphosis. Ordinary objects are magically transformed. This year’s festival poster reflects this very idea. The shape of a seashell  is the result of the most paradoxical elements. From a spiraling reference to “Vertigo” and the lights of a highway glaring under the light of day. Along those lines summer will cast its cinematic net on the city. Through the magical lights of the 9th Athens Open Air Film Festival."

 

PROGRAMME

- (New) indicates new Festival locations where screenings will take place for the first time this year.
- Where “In collaboration with the British Council” is mentioned, please note that AOAFF chose films by some of  the greatest British directors to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the opening of the British Council in Greece (#British80).

JUNE 2019

Wednesday 05/06/2019 | Roman Agora (New) PREMIERE (Admission with Entry Pass only)
AMARCORD by Federico Fellini

Starring: Bruno Zanin, Josiane Tanzilli, Maria Antonietta Beluzzi, Ciccio Ingrassia, Magali Noël, Alvaro Vitali | Start Time: 21:30

“SOTTO LE STELLE” TRIBUTE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ITALIAN EMBASSY AND THE ITALIAN CULTURE INSTITUTE ATHENS

Friday 07/06/2019 |  Abyssinia Square
ΝΑΚΕD by Mike Leigh

Cast: David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, Katrin Cartlidge, Greg Cruttwell | Duration: 132' | Start Time: 21:30

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL

Tuesday 18/06/2019 | Pireos 260
THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER by Peter Greenaway

Cast: Helen Mirren, Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Tim Roth, Alan Howard | Duration: 124’ | Start Time: 21:30

Commemorative Screening for the 30th anniversary since its release.
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL AND THE ATHENS & EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL

Wednesday 19/06/2019 | Plato’s Academy
THE RED SHOES by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Cast: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O'Connor, John Vernon | Duration: 134’ | Start Time: 21:30

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL​

Saturday  22/06/2019 | Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre
VERTIGO by Alfred Hitchcock

Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones | Duration: 128’ | Start Time: 21:30

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL AND THE ATHENS & EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL

Tuesday 25/06/2019 | Theatro Vrachon ‘Anna Sinodinou’ (New)
PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK by Peter Weir

Cast: Rachel Roberts, Helen Morse, Anne-Louise Lambert, Karen Robson, Jacki Weaver | Duration: 115’ | Start Time: 21:30

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY AND THE “STI SKIA TON VRACHON” FESTIVAL​

Thursday 27/06/2019 | French School at Athens
THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE by Luis Buñuel​

Cast: Fernando Rey, Stéphane Audran, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Michel Piccoli, Julien Bertheau, Delphine Seyrig | Duration: 102’ | Start Time: 21:30

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PLEIN-AIR FESTIVAL OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE

Saturday 29/06/2019 | Tower of the Duchess of Plaisance (New)
DANGEROUS LIAISONS by Stephen Frears

Cast: Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Keanu Reeves, Uma Thurman | Duration: 119’ | Start Time: 21:30

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL

JULY 2019

Tuesday 02/07/2019 | Avdi Square
POINT BLANK by John Boorman

Cast: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O'Connor, John Vernon | Duration: 92’ | Start Time: 21:30

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL

Friday 05/07/2019 | Lycabettus Hill
LOST HIGHWAY by David Lynch

Starring: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Blake, Robert Loggia | Duration: 134’ | Start Time: 21:30

Monday  08/07/2019 | Cinema Riviera
STRAY DOG by Akira Kurosawa

Cast: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji, Yasushi Nagata, Reizaburô Yamamoto | Duration: 122’ | Start Time: 21:30

Commemorative screening on the 70th anniversary of the film’s first release.

Wednesday 10/07/2019 | Former Fertilizer Factory Park - Drapetsona  (New)
ENTER THE DRAGON by Robert Clouse

Cast: Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly, John Saxon, Kien Shih, Chuck Norris | Duration: 99' | Start time: 21:30

Friday 12/07/2019 | Byzantine and Christian Museum
ARMY OF SHADOWS by Jean-Pierre Melville

Cast: Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Paul Crauchet | Duration: 145’ | Start time: 21:30

Commemorative screening on the 50th anniversary of the film’s release. 
SCREENING ON THE OCCASION OF BASTILLE DAY

Monday 15/07/2019 | Municipal Theater Rematia Evripidio
SUNRISE by  F.W. Murnau

Cast: Janet Gaynor, George O'Brien, Margaret Livingston | Duration: 94’ | Start Time: 21:30

With the accompaniment  of live music by Sancho003 (Fotis Siotas, Kostas Pantelis)
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GOETHE INSTITUTE

Wednesday 17/07/2019 | Dionysiou Aeropagitou Street (opposite the Acropolis Museum)
IMITATION OF LIFE by Douglas Sirk

Cast: Lana Turner,  Juanita Moore, Susan Kohner, Sandra Dee, John Gavin | Duration: 125’ | Start time: 21:30

Commemorative screening on the 60th anniversary of the film’s release.
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GOETHE INSTITUTE

Wednesday 24/07/2019 | Technopolis
BLOW - UP by Michelangelo Antonioni

Cast: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Jane Birkin | Duration: 111’ | Start Time: 21:30

“SOTTO LE STELLE” TRIBUTE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ITALIAN EMBASSY AND THE ITALIAN CULTURE INSTITUTE ATHENS

Friday 26/07/2019 | Alson Petralonon (inside the basketball court, Petralona)
POLTERGEIST by Tobe Hooper

Cast: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke, Zelda Rubinstein | Duration: 114’ | Start Time: 21:30

AUGUST 2019

Friday 23/08/2019 | Numismatic Museum of Athens (Admission with Entry Pass only) 
IL SORPASSO by Dino Risi

Cast: Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Catherine Spaak, Claudio Gora | Duration: 105' | Start Time: 21:00

“SOTTO LE STELLE” TRIBUTE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ITALIAN EMBASSY AND THE ITALIAN CULTURE INSTITUTE ATHENS

Wednesday 28/08/2019 | Dourgouti Theater (Fanosthenous and Sfiggos St., Neos Kosmos) 
BRAZIL by Terry Gilliam

Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Ian Holm,  Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Michael Palin, Bob Hoskins | Duration: 132' | Start Time: 21:00

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL