AOAFF#15! Poster and opening film announcement for the 15th Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by DEI
Τhe Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by DEI celebrates 15 unforgettable years and, co-organized by the Culture, Sports, and Youth Organization of the City of Athens (OPANDA), comes again this year to offer free and high quality cinema in some of the most beautiful locations in town, from June to August.
The beloved summer film festival begins on Monday, June 16th at the impressive courtyard of Zappeion with a grand opening: The anniversary screening of Francis Ford Coppola's legendary THE CONVERSATION, which won the Palme d'Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, is considered one of the masterpieces of American cinema of the 70s and recently celebrated 50 years since its first release.
The film will be shown in the excellent, digitally restored print made on the occasion of its 50th birthday.
The Athens Open Air Film Festival dedicates its opening to Gene Hackman, one of our favorite actors, who recently passed away and for whose role in this film remains to this day not only one of his top performances but also one of the most profound human portraits of loneliness and moral confrontation in the history of cinema.
Francis Ford Coppola, with one of the finest and most acclaimed creations of his filmography, launches this year the open-air cinema nights of Athens with a whisper that resonates louder than ever. The choice of THE CONVERSATION as the opening film is an apt and almost prophetic choice, as its themes of personal responsibility, social monitoring and moral dilemmas prove to be shockingly timeless and ever more relevant.
THE CONVERSATION (1974)
Director / Screenwriter: Francis Ford Coppola Φορντ
Starring: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Harrison Ford
Runtime: 113’
This is an opening screening that perfectly sums up the mission of the Athens Open Air Film Festival: To reintroduce to the audience diamonds of world cinema in uniquely beautifull locations, to give the public the opportunity to watch (and re-watch) these films in excellent audiovisual conditions, to introduce iconic corners of our town to its many visitors through the experience of open-air cinema, and to prove that cinema, even half a century later, still talks deeply to our concerns and silences.
Dei continues for a second year its collaboration with the Athens Open Air Film Festival. Through this partnership DEI supports cultural creation, offering the public unique film experiences, with the most iconic locations of Athens as a backdrop, turning summer nights into moments of art, imagination and light.
THE POSTER
We are delighted to present the poster of the 15th Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by DEI, from the visual communication designer, Vassilis Mexis.
The poster, in the words of its creator:
«Guided by a figure walking towards the sea, the warmest summer tones spread across the sky as the sun sets on the aqueous horizon, leaving behind a promise of freedom and joy.
For its 15th anniversary, the Athens Open Air Film Festival invites us to escape the heat of the city and find coolness in the light of cinema, in a journey of the eye towards something dreamy.
The sun becomes the first act, the sky a vibrating orange screen and Athens a big open-air cinema. Reality takes on film magic again for a moment - like a memory of a vast summer sunset in the quiet glow of the waves».
Vassilis Mexis, excelled with a Bachelor degree in Graphic Design, is the designer behind the Athens Open Air Film Festival and the Athens International Film Festival from 2016 to date. Additionally, since 2013 he has been working in the advertising field as Art Director, including in his CV
participations in distinguished campaigns, while he has also undertaken the editing of book covers and magazines of large circulation. Hiw work has been hosted in printed and digital Press, having received praise and awards in national and international competitions.
INFORMATION
Monday, June 16th 2025
Zappeion Megaron Courtyard, Athens
Arrival time: 20h30
Starting time: 21h30
Free Entrance
For continuous updates, new announcements, and more information, stay tuned to the websites cinemagazine.gr, aiff.gr and aoaff.gr as well as the social media pages: Facebook AIFF, Instagram Cinemagazine, Instagram AIFF, Twitter.
