In a subdued statement, Deputy Minister of Culture Iasonas Fotilas announced that The Slayer, directed by Eva Nathena, would be Greece’s submission for the Oscars. However, this choice was made under exceptional circumstances: all other films had been withdrawn in protest, leaving The Slayer as the sole contender.

The selection process has been plagued by a series of missteps and internal conflicts within the Ministry of Culture. After several back-and-forth decisions regarding the composition of the selection committee, most filmmakers withdrew their films from consideration, leading to widespread dissatisfaction within Greece’s film industry. The Hellenic Film Academy (EAK) even called for the country to cancel its participation in the Oscars altogether, citing the Ministry’s mishandling of the process.

The Deputy Minister’s announcement confirmed that six committee members met on September 10 to deliberate, and with a quorum established, they selected The Slayer as the official submission. However, just one day later, two committee members, An. Mihou and N. Platyrachou, resigned.

The Ministry’s statement thanking the resigning members for their participation failed to address the deeper issues that led to the resignations. In an interview with Documento, Platyrachos explained his decision: “When I agreed to join the committee, I didn’t fully grasp the extent of what had transpired. With the film community so deeply divided, I couldn’t remain on a committee that had become part of the controversy, no matter who was right or wrong. I would have stayed only if all the withdrawn films had been reinstated.”

The controversy stems from the Ministry’s mismanagement of the selection committee, which led to significant discord within the Greek film industry. On August 23, the Hellenic Film Academy issued a scathing letter condemning the process and calling for its cancellation. In the letter, the Academy criticised the Ministry for failing to adhere to regulations set by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which stipulate that committee members cannot be replaced after August 15.

“We believe that this process has reached a dead end due to the Ministry’s leadership. We represent the entire film industry in Greece, and the only remaining solution is to cancel the submission process and not present a Greek proposal for this year’s International Feature Film Oscar,” the Academy wrote.

This failure has significant repercussions for Greek cinema, particularly for filmmakers who had already withdrawn their work. The Academy’s letter highlighted the broader issues, accusing the state of treating the film industry with “arrogance” and drawing parallels with the controversial State Quality Awards of the past.

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