Ένα καλλιτεχνικό φεστιβάλ στην Ιταλία

Kinejo festival: alternative art, laughter, knowledge, acquaintances. If I could summarize my experience at the festival, I would do so with these four words. Alternative art as I saw many different ways of expression through art, mainly with music and cinema, a youthful and modern perspective that differed greatly from my previous stimuli. Laughter as both the unexpected and the interaction in the program, offered us unforgettable moments of fun and laughter! Knowledge because I certainly gained a lot during the festival both about the music and cinema world and about Italy in general and the way of life there. And finally, acquaintances as I met many special people who left their mark on me through their humor, knowledge, sociability and kindness! The Kinejo festival was a unique experience for me, far beyond the ordinary, which surprisingly brought me closer to one of my biggest dreams: playing music as a DJ! Playing dynamic beats and melodies at 1 in the afternoon in a village in Italy was something I would have never expected to happen! The excitement I had when I first saw the console and heard the songs is definitely something I will never forget! The "dolce far niente" and the slow living of Italy too!

Konstantina

The "Kinejo Festival" program was not an ordinary Erasmus project. It was not focused on dating games, like most, but its purpose was to bring us into contact with the world of art and cinema, through our participation in the Kinejo festival and creative workshops. I will definitely remember the original films we watched, the beautiful landscapes of Velletri, the Italian cuisine in the local restaurants that we ate together and of course I will have in my heart all the wonderful people I met on this trip. All the creative people I met and the special films that were presented to us at the festival definitely inspired me to become more creative and daring in my own projects. I am very grateful to have participated in such a beautiful program and I would do it again if given the chance.

Maria

Hello, my name is Natalia, and this trip was my first Erasmus experience outside of Greece.  I loved Velletri, Kinejo Festival, the masterclasses and all the people and places I got to see and meet. Since it was my first ever trip alone outside of Greece, I was seriously anxious about it, but everyone in Velletri and the program made me feel calm, safe and almost at home. This whole experience gave me a lot both as a person and as an artist. Velletri was a beautiful place, and I’d love to go there again, especially now that I have friends there and know my way around. Walking around in Velletri was (ironically enough) like being in a movie for me. That was because, everywhere I looked, from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep, I could see a lot of beautiful trees or amazing views.  Other than Velletri the other place I got to visit while in the program were the Cinecittà Studios and I LOVED IT. This destination combined two of my favorite things, museums and cinema. When I realized we’re going to the Cinecittà Studios I seriously felt a light go off in my chest from how excited I got. (I’m not even joking it was one of my favorite moments) Since I am a film student in Thessaloniki I have my fair share of festival experiences, but to be honest they can’t beat this experience and frankly I wasn’t expecting that. I am truly grateful I got this opportunity now, because I believe my mind has finally matured enough when it comes to watching a movie and all its aspects, so this opportunity didn’t go to waste. Walking out of the church of San Francesco every night (which was an amazing and really aesthetically pleasing venue for a festival), after watching the short f ilms (competing and non-competing)  and being able to talk about them in depth with people that don’t even speak the same language as I am and still finding ways to communicate and agree or disagree about both philosophical and technical stuff was more than thrilling for me. Also, I can’t begin to describe how it felt when I found out that the movies that were my favorite were the ones that won both the prizes. Not because I was right or part of me won with them, that’s not the case here. I just finally felt like I belong to a large group of other artists for once and that really meant a lot to me.  Last, but not least, I want to talk about the masterclasses we had while there and how important they were. The first masterclass was held by us, the visitors. It was a masterclass about the cinema history of participating countries. Sadly, the Italians didn’t give us a presentation because there wasn’t enough time, but we discussed about all things in common between Italian, Hungarian and Greek cinema. I loved talking to other people about the history of Greek cinema and getting to make a whole presentation about it. These presentations were not just about the cinema history of each country, but how we all experience it and of course I loved talking about it. The next masterclass was about sound design. What’s very important about this masterclass is the fact that we actually got to make music for a trailer using consoles and didn’t only talk about the theory behind it. Not many people get to attend this kind of masterclasses in big festivals due to the large number of participants, so I am very grateful we had this opportunity. Even though my first day was filled with anxiety and tiredness due to my early morning f light and lack of sleep, once we got to Velletri I got to have some conversations with , both people from the mobility team and some of the locals that were part of the Kinejo Festival team. After that I was sure that I’d have a great time and get to know some very interesting and talented people on this trip, and I was right. Getting to talk about the art of cinema, film studies and art in general with people from outside of Greece, gave me a lot of info about other countries’ situations and made me also appreciate some things a bit more.

Natalia

The "Kinejo Festival" youth exchange was a most unique and memorable experience. It was unlike other Erasmus+ programs, in that it wasn't constrained to the program participants and members, but it gave the participants a chance to interact with the wonderful community of artists that surrounded the festival. In the three short days of the festival's duration, I got to meet so many wonderful people, that it feels like a spent a month in Velletri. In that time, I fell in love with the town, the bits of Italian culture that was revealed to me and the unique flavor of Italian, as well as Hungarian, cinema. I was inspired and creatively spurred, and after witnessing what good an incentive such as this can do for a community, I feel a certain optimism and wish to be a part of the continuation of such efforts. I will carry these positive feelings with me, along with the friendships I made along the way :). 

Andreani