29/11/2016 - The board of the Greek Film Centre has dismissed Eurimages representative Grivas and has appointed Koulmasis to fill his position

It has been only four months since the Greek Film Centre’s (GFC's) press conference where it was confirmed that Alexis Grivas’ position as the national representative at the Eurimages European film fund was guaranteed and that Greek directors felt more secure with his presence in the European co-production market. The news of his replacement came suddenly, although it was something that had been rumoured for a while.

Grivas has been representing Greece at Eurimages since 2012, and during that period, he was appointed president of the GFC from February 2015 until January (read the news), when he had to step down during the turmoil of the dismantling of the institution (read the news). It could be assumed that this is a political decision, as his replacement comes just after the government’s last reshuffle and the dismissal of Deputy Culture Minister Aristides Baltas, although the board of the GFC has reasserted its independence with regard to the decision. Despite the political aspect, Grivas’ work has been unanimously acknowledged both by the centre’s current board and by the film community as a whole, as he has succeeded in receiving funds even for films that did not get the GFC’s financial support.

Timon Koulmasis, born in 1961, is a director, scriptwriter and producer based in Paris. His films have taken part in major film festivals (Cannes, Berlin and Locarno), and since 2016, he has also been a member of the GFC board. His expertise in the European market has been noted, and according to the official press release, he will help to dynamically renew Greece’s presence in this key position of Eurimages.

Grivas agreed to remain in his position until the end of the year, and he will offer his consulting services to Koulmasis during this transitional period. He will also accompany and introduce the new representative to his counterparts during the Eurimages assembly in Krakow, which takes place in December.