A Curated Weekend of Art & Film
HYDRA ISLAND GREECE
Explore our FULL PROGRAM of events for 2024 or simply jump to the section you’re interested in
ArtCinema’s inaugural three-day programme, held from 4-6 October 2024, brought together film, visual art, music, industry exchange and community events across Hydra, establishing the foundations of a new cultural initiative rooted in the island’s creative history.
The weekend opened at the Gardenia Open-Air Cinema with the Greek premiere of La Cocina, presented by lead actor Raúl Briones, alongside a celebration of the Hydra Cinema Club’s 40th anniversary.
Across the following days, audiences encountered international feature films and short-form cinema, artist exhibitions and studio visits, works in progress, industry presentations, and a live performance by acclaimed Polish pianist Marcin Masecki at the Old Carpet Factory.
The programme concluded at Kamini Port with Cinema & Souvlaki, transforming the waterfront into a community open-air cinema featuring award-winning shorts from the Drama International Short Film Festival and a special presentation of So Long, Marianne, filmed partly on Hydra.
Across its inaugural weekend, ArtCinema connected visiting artists, filmmakers and cultural figures with Hydra’s local creative community, laying the groundwork for future residencies, workshops, cultural programming and international collaboration.
OPENING NIGHT SCREENING
Greek premiere screening of the internationally acclaimed feature film La Cocina
On the evening of Friday, 4 October, ahead of our public programme launching the following day, ArtCinema invited guests and patrons for a special Surprise Opening Film.
The evening revealed an exclusive Greek premiere of La Cocina, the internationally acclaimed feature film directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios. Dark, emotional, dramatic, philosophical and deeply politically aware, the film stars Raúl Briones, who joined ArtCinema in Hydra for the opening night and took part in a live Q&A following the screening.
The evening also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Hydra Cinema Club, recognising its enduring contribution to the island’s cultural life and honouring its long-serving president and passionate cinephile, Lakis Christidis.
WEEKEND PUBLIC PROGRAMME
Across the weekend, audiences experienced a diverse programme of art and music alongside two further international features: Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and The Warhol Effect, introduced by British producer-director duo Paul Toogood and Lloyd Stanton.
During the day, ArtCinema invited guests to engage more closely with Hydra’s established artistic community. Local artist Dimitris Fousekis presented a work-in-progress exhibition inspired by filmmaker Tim Burton and American artist George Condo, while also leading intimate studio visits that offered a rare glimpse into the working spaces of artists living and creating on the island.
The programme extended beyond film and visual art with a live music event at the renowned Old Carpet Factory, featuring a memorable performance by acclaimed Polish pianist Marcin Masecki.
CLOSING NIGHT AT KAMINI PORT
Our celebrated Closing Night transformed the scenic Kamini Port into an open-air cinema for Cinema & Souvlaki, a community-focused event that welcomed audiences of all ages to share in the experience.
The programme opened with an introduction from ArtCinema founder Amanda Palmer and special guest Leonidas Christopoulos, newly appointed CEO of Creative Greece, Greece’s national audiovisual industry body under the Ministry of Culture. Christopoulos publicly endorsed ArtCinema’s vision, describing it as “a passion for the new” and expressing his support for the initiative’s future development.
Greek filmmaker and screenwriter Yannis Sakaridis, Artistic Director of the Drama International Short Film Festival (DISFF), presented a selection of award-winning short films from the festival which were celebrated and cherished by local and invited audiences alike.
The evening continued with a special presentation of two episodes from So Long, Marianne, the international series inspired by the relationship between Canadian singer-poet Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen. Filmed partly on Hydra, the series carried particular significance for the island and its community. Producer Richard Tulk-Hart of Buccaneer, together with Nancy Kokalaki and Dionyssis Samiotis of Tanweer Productions, joined the event and thanked the Hydra community for its support during production.
One of the night’s most memorable moments came unexpectedly, when 93-year-old Kamini resident Stamatis Vlachodimitris — an accordion player, boatman and friend of Leonard Cohen — addressed the audience. His personal recollections of Cohen brought the evening back to Hydra itself, connecting the contemporary screen story with the island’s living cultural memory.
PUBLIC PROGRAMME
Our full Public Programme of events for invited guests, tourists and the local community during ArtCinema Hydra 2024
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ArtCinema guests and friends were invited to join curated guided tours of Hydra’s local artist studios, where participating artists opened their private working spaces for intimate exhibitions, conversations, and insights into their creative practice.
Guests were also encouraged to arrange private studio visits independently throughout their stay.
Discover more about the participating artists HERE
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Preceding our feature screening of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, ArtCinema presented a series of special preview screenings of upcoming projects from Greek co-productions and independent filmmakers.
Featuring a 10-minute excerpt from Oliver Bruck’s feature-length documentary on legendary African-born Italian photographer Mirella Ricciardi, whose landmark 1971 book Vanishing Africa documented the beauty, dignity, and diversity of African life. As one of ArtCinema’s first alumni, Oliver received mentorship and support as he prepared the film for distribution.
The programme also showcased film-inspired works in progress developed through ArtCinema’s youth art workshops led by Hydra based artist Dimitris Fousekis. Offering audiences a glimpse into creative projects emerging from Hydra’s vibrant artistic community.
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ArtCinema presented a special screening of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which opened the 81st Venice International Film Festival in 2024.
The film reunited Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara in their roles from the original 1988 film, alongside Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe. Set more than three decades after the original story, the film returned to the world of the Deetz family as Lydia, now a mother, confronted a new family crisis and the unexpected return of Betelgeuse.
ArtCinema gratefully acknowledged Yannis Kalfakakos, General Manager of Tanweer Alliance, whose support made the Hydra screening possible.
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ArtCinema welcomed producers and directors Paul Toogood and Lloyd Stanton to Hydra for the presentation of their documentary The Warhol Effect, an exploration of Andy Warhol’s later life, work, and enduring influence on contemporary culture.
Focusing particularly on the 1970s and 1980s, the film examined a period of Warhol’s career that has often received less attention, tracing his return to painting, his evolution as an artist, and the cultural legacy that continued long after his death.
Through original interviews with artists, collaborators, collectors, and cultural figures, The Warhol Effect built a contemporary portrait of Warhol through the perspectives of those influenced by, connected to, or shaped by his work.
Featured contributors included Urs Fischer, Mickalene Thomas, Damien Hirst, KAWS, Jeff Koons, Marilyn Minter, Tom Sachs, Julian Schnabel, Sarah Sze, Josué Thomas and Jordan Wolfson, alongside Bruno Bischofberger, Peter Brant, Paige Powell, Bob Colacello, Jeffrey Deitch, Vincent Fremont, Larry Gagosian, Tama Janowitz, Kim Kardashian, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein.
Public screening of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Premiere screening of The Warhol Effect
‘Beetlejuice Project’ Youth Art Worskshops
Previw screening of Oliver Bruck’s Mirella
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ArtCinema guests and friends were invited to join curated guided tours of Hydra’s local artist studios, where participating artists opened their private working spaces for intimate exhibitions, conversations, and insights into their creative practice.
Guests were also encouraged to arrange private studio visits independently throughout their stay.
Discover more about the participating artists HERE
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Our acclaimed Closing Night transformed the scenic Kamini Port into an open-air cinema for Cinema & Souvlaki, a community-focused event that welcomed audiences of all ages to share in the experience.
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Yannis Sakaridis, Artistic Director of the Drama International Short Film Festival (DISFF) and an acclaimed filmmaker and screenwriter, presented a curated selection of DISFF Travel short films as part of ArtCinema’s Closing Night programme.
Based in the northern Greek city of Drama, DISFF is Greece’s leading short film festival and an Oscar-qualifying festival for both its national and international competitions. Selected filmmakers may also qualify for consideration at the European Film Awards.
Alongside its competition programme, DISFF showcases emerging filmmaking from Greece and around the world through an extensive programme of industry and cultural events, including pitching labs, a film market, masterclasses, panels, interviews, concerts, book presentations, and networking opportunities for filmmakers and industry professionals.
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ArtCinema presented a special community screening of two episodes from the international series So Long, Marianne, recognising Hydra’s important role in supporting the production during filming on the island.
A co-production between Norway, Canada and Greece, So Long, Marianne takes its title from Leonard Cohen’s celebrated song and explores his relationship with Marianne Ihlen, whom he met on Hydra in the 1960s.
The screening was attended by British producer Richard Tulk-Hart of Buccaneer Media, together with representatives from Greek production partner Tanweer Productions and Greek broadcaster Cosmote TV.
Set partly on Hydra during the late 1960s, the series follows Cohen and Ihlen during a formative period in both their lives, before Cohen’s emergence as an internationally celebrated singer-songwriter. Portrayed by Alex Wolff and Thea Sofie Loch Næss, their relationship unfolds within Hydra’s community of artists, writers and creatives who were drawn to the island during that era.
Public screening of So Long, Marianne
Cinema & Souvlaki at Kamini Port
Drama International Short Films Showcase
Artistic Director of DISFF Yannis Sakaridis
Explore our FULL PROGRAM of events for 2024 or simply jump to the section you’re interested in