As Time Goes By in Thessaloniki
The cobblestones on the pier are getting harder to negotiate, the seats in the theatres warmer and the press room full of smoke. Yes, the festival is at its mid-way point. Torn between the desire to see new talent and catch-up on directors like Bela Tarr (whose popularity in Greece rose 500% on November 8), festival-goers are advised to have power naps, take midnight walks on the blue-green pier walkway and indulge in feta-sauce chips and Terkenlis' pastries.

Quiet! Journalists on the Set
How's this for a scene from a movie: A big tourist bus pulls up to an isolated Thessaloniki dock and people shuffle out. As the camera moves closer we see that they are journalists inspecting a film set. This is the scene that took place yesterday morning, as Theo Angelopoulos received a mob of media. Speaking about his new trilogy within the set village's cafe, Angelopoulos fielded journalist's questions. Outside, sun streamed down and mud oozed around dozens of make-believe houses, many on stilts. Cannes 2003 is the date by which he plans on have prepared Film #1, "The Weeping Meadow". 10 weeks of shooting remain. Tracing the story of a Greek woman from age 3 to 90, the story's roots are in the Black Sea and its ending in contemporary New York. It is a story of love enduring, through the tumult of the 20th and early 21st century, noted Angelopoulos. The Thebian Cycle is worked into the entire trilogy, but each film will have a distinctly different style and structure. Michelle Pfeiffer and Elias Koteas may be in the second - and most expensive - film, which begins in Uzbekestan. He's not in a rush, a luxury that low-budget filmmaking allows, noted Angelopoulos. As for the last film, he says it will be "fantastic" in style.

Man of the Hour
Another fine director of Angelopoulos' generation, Pantelis Voulgaris, is being honoured this evening at 8pm. His "Happy Day" follows the resilience of a political prisoner held in an isolated island prison. Though it is assumed he has committed suicide, the man surprises everyone on a feast day. Voulgaris' press conference will be at noon. Come and hear what a man who, in his film "It's a Long Road", includes a tremendous shot of a tacky rural nightclub burning to the ground.

Sleepless Novembers
Another Pantelis, Pantelis Pagoulatos is unveiling his "Sweet Dreams" at 5pm. That film's about a couple which receives a long-lost friend. Meanwhile Takis Papayannidis is presenting "The Secret of November" (10.30pm) for the first time. With a name resembling the recently-busted terrorist familia November 17, this film's about a corrupt businessman who makes a deal with a judge regarding a murderous group.

President Bellocchio
Jury head Marco Bellocchio is speaking today at 1pm. He will be looking back at 40 years of filmmaking. Throughout his career, Bellocchio has been known for challenging social conventions. Self-destruction, sexual desire and death all fold into his stories. There are screenings today of new film "My Mother's Smile" (5.30pm). That film's cast includes the ever-charming Sergio Castellitto. In that film, Ernest faces the Catholic Church (as his murdered mother may become a saint), while teaching his son about love and being constant. Bellocchio is offering a Masterclass at 8pm at Thessaloniki's Italian Cultural Institute (1 Flemming St, tel 2310-886000).

Vahid Mousaian	Marca Dorrer	J.H.Hermosillo

Big Fat Palestinian Wedding and Tears
Bellocchio's jury continues to watch International Competition entries. Two new competition films include Palestinian "Rana's Wedding" (Hany Abu-Assad's story of a woman from East Jerusalem who sneaks out to find her lover, 7.30pm) and "Let's Not Cry" (Korean Min Byoung-Hun's story of a violinist who returns home after losing everything at a Moscow casino, 2pm).

Hermosillo Speaks
Juan Humberto Hermosillo grew up in a small Mexican town, he told the festival yesterday, where the only affordable entertainment was cinema. Next came film school in Mexico City at age 21, his first 16mm camera and making movies with friends. Not much has changed 40 years later. He still has a passion for cinema and makes films with friends -only now his friends are professionals and trusted actors. Yes, he explained, he had trouble with powers-that-be when it came to films with homosexual themes. However, even in projects where there weren't gay characters, people didn't like his efforts to strip hypocrisy naked. "Exxxorcism" cost just $10,000 to make. No one was paid and it was made in a record 16 days. Catch his "Dona Herlinda and Her Son" at 2.3pm (with English subtitles), "Homework" at 5pm and "Bathroom Intimacies" (4.30pm). Due to popular demand, "Exxxorcism" will be screened at 10am today at the Pavlos Zannas Theater.

In Greek Film We Trust
Greek Film Center (EKK) president Diagoras Chronopoulou, the new head of Greece's Culture Ministry cinema arm, sends EKK productions to over 150 embassies worldwide. He considers 2002 a good year for Greek cinema, pointing with pride to 19 Thessaloniki Film Festival productions and festival successes. Meanwhile on Monday evening, Yiannis Dalianides was dubbed a "national film hero". At the event, it was agreed that no one can make Greek musicals like he can. Festival president Angelopoulos remembered Dalianides' support the night before a shoot, long ago. Dalianides wished young filmmakers luck in "once again filling the dark movie theatres."

Visions of Asia
ASEF- aka the Asia-Europe Foundation - has brought Thessaloniki films like today's "Seafood" and "Unknown Pleasures" (8pm). Since 1997, the organisation has been encouraging cultural exchanges between the two continents. They fund films and help Asian artists travel to film festivals. Find out more about their efforts at their 2.30pm press conference, with representatives Ms Chulamanee and Ms Chartsuwan and director Byoung-Hun to name a few. Meanwhile, from the same part of the world, New Horizons' Hong Sang-Soo Retrospective continues. Yesterday "The Power of Kangwon Province" played. In the background of two initially separate, but ultimately united stories, a mystery floats concerning a woman who plunged to her death. The fixed camera, tranquil mood and quirky details offer one of the most realistic stories of the festival. Try Korean Sang-Soo's mix of nonjudgmental, enigmatic storytelling in "Virgin Stripped Bare by her Bachelors" (2pm).

Music Notes
The late mathematical music composer Iannis Xenakis is being honoured by The Greek Directors' Guild with a 7.30pm (*NOT 5pm) screening of a 1978 documentary capturing Xenakis' concert at Mycinae. CDs of new Greek film music are available from the Greek Directors' Guild in Warehouse B. Tonight there will be an evening of music, beginning with composer Mimis Plessas on piano. It will be held at the Fix Live club (26 Oktovriou St). See Alexis Grivas by noon today to reserve spots.

Cinem@net Workshop
Devote 12am-3pm today and tomorrow to catching up on the future of web and Internet meta-media. Station Arts Electronics' Celine Hartlet, digital cinema pioneer Jason Wishnow, internet curator Wielfried Agricola de Cologne, artist Gerhard Mantz, MIT's Joe Davis, Rosen Petkov, social-political artist Wesley Meyer, Gina Czarnecki, professor Yiorgos Papanikolaou and professor Mihalis Meimaris will share their knowledge. It's happening at the Mylos complex.

Alert for Balkan Writers
Tomorrow at 2pm the Festival will be going into more details about its brand-new Script Development program, the Balkan Fund.

Quote/unquote:
"Making films is like dreaming. In film you have the freedom to imagine whatever you want."-Director Juan Humberto Hermosillo

First shot, #118, 13/11/2002

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