Cineuropa interviewed Elise Jalladeau, the general director of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, to delve into the intricacies of the second edition of the Evia Film Project. The event, dedicated to promoting green cinema initiatives and sustainability, took place from 20-24 June in various locations on the island of Evia (see the news).

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Cineuropa: How was the second edition of the Evia Film Project for you? What were the major changes compared to the inaugural edition?
Elise Jalladeau: Τhe second edition of the Evia Film Project was a gamble that paid off for all of us, as it consolidated the project as an institution that not only offers support to a stricken area of Greece, but also paves the way for a greener take on cinema, where sustainability becomes a crucial part of the film industry. The experience we gained from last year served as a bedrock to level up the 2023 Evia Film Project with a more thorough and fully rounded programme of events, initiatives and talks, and an array of distinguished guests.

The Evia Film Project boasted a series of master classes and other events. What feedback did you receive from these initiatives, and how did the audience respond to them?
The feedback was extremely encouraging, as it demonstrated that we are working towards accomplishing a series of targeted goals. The comments were positive and kind, as these events spurred a wave of networking, an exchange of ideas and discussions on future collaborations. Green cinema can be envisaged and implemented only through a process of openness and extroversion. We already have some ideas for the next edition, in terms of how to develop the project further towards a more sustainable model, and not just in terms of the environment. This project accompanies the reflection we've been conducting on the future of Europe's audiovisual markets as part of three dedicated think tanks that began in February in Berlin at the EFM and concluded in May in Cannes at the Marché du Film.

Putting Evia in the spotlight as a location for film shooting has been a significant focus this year. How challenging do you think this task is, and what are the next steps you will take after the Evia Film Project?
Bringing forth Evia as an ideal location for international film productions was among our top priorities, as we wished to capitalise on the Best European Film Location Award bestowed upon Chiliadou beach last year, on account of Triangle of Sadness [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Ruben Östlund
entrevista: Ruben Östlund
ficha de la película]. Evia boasts an impressive gamut of locations, fit for a multitude of film settings. Therefore, we took the initiative of hosting a series of actions aimed at location managers, allowing Evia to reveal all of its wonders. As you know, the Thessaloniki Film Festival has focused on the less well-highlighted professional branches of the film industry, and it was location scouting’s turn to take centre stage.

What are Evia's long-term plans, and will this project continue next year as well?
Our plans have been to further expand our horizons and place more of an emphasis on the pillars we have already established. The Evia Film Project is a highly demanding event that is carried out thanks to the support of many institutions. Our intention is to establish consistency and a sense of continuity, and hopefully we’ll be able to attain this goal.

Will the Thessaloniki Film Festival also embrace more green initiatives during its two regular dates?
The Thessaloniki Film Festival has set up a series of green actions that eye the goal of sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint, and they are implemented not only during our two festivals, TIFF in November and TiDF in March, but also throughout our yearly activities in Thessaloniki. Our approach is part of an overall agenda that can be regarded as a step-by-step process aiming at a greener future for the art of cinema. The process is complex because the festival is an institution that manages cinemas and museums in addition to events such as the Evia Film Project, our two festivals and our two international markets. As a result, our strategy has to take into account a wide range of initiatives, from reducing energy consumption in our buildings to changing the requirements for all of our tenders and, of course, reducing waste and offsetting our carbon footprint. Not to mention the food offering in our cinemas, which has been redesigned to be local and healthy.