Happening Now – BYZANFEST 2022 – International Orthodox Film Festival
https://www.byzanfest.com/
Byanfest – 13/12/2022
Global: Despite the many streaming services available nowadays much of its content is woke-inspired pulp, however, that’s where Byzanfest is different. Byzanfest is an international Orthodox Christian-inspired film festival that tells unique stories. After a very successful screening season in Melbourne, Australia, Byzanfest is now streaming this year’s catalog of winning and nominated films to a global audience.
Some of this year’s highlights include the feature-length PARALLEL LOVE, which won Best Documentary, and the short film THE TOUCH TO PAIN, from Serbian director Hadzi-Aleksandar Djurovic whose film A CROSS IN THE DESERT won multiple awards at Byzanfest. Another short film worth mentioning is BLESSING AND VOWS set in a Greek village.
Byzanfest was also honored to have Yelena Popovic (director of MAN OF GOD), Yiannis Stravolaimos and Manos Triantafillakis on the international judging panel.
All films will be made available for a limited time. The streaming period will run from 9th – 18th December 2022, Australia-EST. Audiences can pre-purchase rentals in order to watch as soon as the streaming period begins.
Most features are a 24-hour digital rental whilst all short-films (and some features) stream for free. They’re easily accessible via Vimeo and YouTube platforms, which can be found on the Festival website, byzanfest.com
Short-film playlist: https://bit.ly/3FmmKUI
Movie Features: www.byzanfest.com/streaming
YOUTUBE TRAILER: https://youtu.be/1-pK_Krg33E
Short-Films with direct links
Alexander Nevsky
Short animated film about Saint Alexander Nevsky and the battle of the Neva River.
Winner of BEST ANIMATION @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Animation
Country: Serbia
Director: Jakov Popov
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/MH2RA1Wrf1A
THE TOUCH TO PAIN
As a woman’s mind begins to fade, a doting husband does what he can to keep her whole.
Nominated for BEST SHORT-FILM and BEST DIRECTOR @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Drama
Country: Serbia
Director: Hadzi-Aleksandar Djurovic
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/ZnIq7XfTMkI
ZEIBEKIKO IN BEIRUT
On 4th August 2020 an apocalyptic explosion ripped Beirut apart. This explosion had a catastrophic effect on the small Greek minority that stills lives around the area. The film compares the state of Beirut to the Greek Zeibekiko dance.
Nominated for BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Documentary
Country: Lebanon
Director: George Eid
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/kNY_yj5TsoI
BLESSINGS AND VOWS
An octogenarian villager, Mrs. Metaxia Anaplioti, kept her vow for 49 years, lighting a candle daily at the 11th century Byzantine church of Hagioi Theodoroi in Vamvaka, Mani, in Southern Greece.
Winner of BEST SHORT-FILM, BEST DIRECTOR and BEST SHORT-DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Documentary
Country: Greece
Director: Katerina Zacharia
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/xVUcUiloY3w
HIDDEN VOICE
A woman is walking by the sea. She wants to connect with the environment, feel the sun, breath the fresh air, when suddenly a strange sound disturbs her calm. The sound source is indefinite. The woman approaches the sea and the sound gets louder. The sound invites her.
Nominated for BEST SHORT-FILM and BEST DIRECTOR @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Experimental
Country: Greece
Director: Ifigenia Dimitriou
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/U3x1cBpTy68
BURNISHED
A poem inspired by the unusual and powerful fifth century story of Saint Mary of Egypt.
Nominated for BEST SHORT-FILM and BEST DIRECTOR @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Experimental
Country: Australia
Directors: Stephan and Andrew Robinson
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/uXC7c3RudgA
PANAGIA
About the Orthodox monastic centre, “Panagia”, in Lammi, Finland which aims to bring the Orthodox monastic tradition of Mount Athos to Finland.
Nominated for BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Documentary
Country: Finland
Directors: Jenni & Lauri Luhta
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/aC7awdSoXXg
MAGI
Three travellers journey across the galaxy, following a star to a tiny planet, for a small, hidden and yet cosmic event.
Nominated for BEST ANIMATION @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Animation/Sci-Fi
Country: Australia
Directors: Stephan and Andrew Robinson
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/gViXUkq14u0
FATHER GABRIEL’S CHAPEL
Follow Father Gabriel as he goes to his tree chapel to venerate the holy icons and to pray to Lord Jesus Christ.
Nominated for BEST ANIMATION @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Animation
Country: USA
Director: Nicholas Tamraz
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/VWB8IscfgTs
INTO THE MOVIE-VERSE
A cross-genre journey of a filmmaker’s favourite films of all time.
Nominated for BEST ANIMATION @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Animation
Country: USA
Director: Nicholas H. Shaheen
Watch Now: https://youtube.com/shorts/u9ASdunOaYo
A ROMANIAN CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE STAR IS RISING UP
Traditional Romanian Christmas carol comes to life from iconography.
Nominated for BEST ANIMATION @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Animation
Country: Romania
Director: Simona Adelina Vladuca
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/xDHiyaCd5MU
SEEKING FOR AGOUSA
Hippocrates is returning to the “Motherland”, seeking the “Sacred”, displaying the metamorphosis in daily encounters.
Nominated for BEST DIRECTOR and BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Documentary
Country: Greece
Director: Tony Oikonomou
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/cykOfvLynPY
LOUIE (KR.ONE) GASPARRO 5POINTZ
A short documentary featuring Louie (KR.ONE) Gasparro and when his love for graffiti was rekindled at the legendary 5Pointz graffiti mecca in Long Island City, New York. Louie reminisces about what 5Pointz means to him and to the wider graffiti art world.
Nominated for BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Eirini Alligiannis
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/SAYOZMl7chk
Feature-Films with direct links
BEYOND THE PEAK
Journey with David as he copes with the loss of his younger brother, Zachary. Following the funeral, David becomes consumed with ensuring his little brother’s soul has a safe passage into Heaven. The calling would bring him and his brother-and-law, Ranko, up Blanca Peak’s 14,000FT.
Nominated BEST FILM, BEST DIRECTOR and BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Aleksandar Jovic
Watch Now: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/beyondthepeak
Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury
A band from small-town Georgia, who, on the cusp of success, suffer a devastating touring wreck with long-term consequences. In the intervening years, they continue to make records and three members of the band become Eastern Orthodox priests.
Winner of BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Matt Hinton
Watch Now: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/parallellove
1000 YEARS: WITNESS OF THE LIGHT
Every thousand years a rare flower blossoms at the Bigorski Monastery, testifying of another kind of beauty – not of this world.
Nominated for BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY and BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Watch Now: https://vimeo.com/755829342
HAPPY STONES
When you lose a child, there’s one of two things you can do: fall into despair or build something. For one father, he chose to construct a chapel in memory of his son. Over the course of several years, a small group of dedicated volunteers face countless challenges to build on one of Bulgaria’s highest mountain ranges.
Nominated BEST DOCUMENTARY @ Byzanfest 2022
Watch Now: www.vimeo.com/ondemand/happystones
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
Following the tragic loss of his mother, young Oliver Graves has an encounter with a celestial power. Smitten by the spirit, he spends all of his resources and devotes all of his effort towards reuniting with her in the heavens above, even if he has to sacrifice the Great City and his friends below.
Nominated BEST FILM, BEST DIRECTOR and BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY @ Byzanfest 2022
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/Y_1fVFNUOfs
The Deluge
The first joint full-length feature film by Jenni and Lauri Luhta, this experimental film looks into the state of the contemporary world, our present age that was born from the shock of the 20th century and the World Wars.
Nominated for BEST DIRECTOR & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY @ Byzanfest 2022
Genre: Experimental
Country: Finland
Directors: Jenni & Lauri Luhta
Watch Now: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thedeluge
Source: Byanfest
