Directors say pirates take a cut
As Greek films are becoming increasingly popular with local audiences, the problem of DVD piracy is posing an ever-growing threat to producers, directors warned yesterday. Directors Pantelis Voulgaris, Tassos Boulmetis, Michalis Reppas and Stamatis Tsarouchas told a press conference that pirates appear to be acquiring access to new Greek films through copies provided to state bodies such as the Greek Film Center, the Thessaloniki Film Festival or even the Ministry of Culture – all which receive tapes during the first stage of new films’ distribution. «We are not accusing anyone in particular but we want to make the point that the government should take very strict protection measures,» said Voulgaris, whose «Brides» has topped box office sales this year, winning 10 awards at the annual Thessaloniki Film Festival last month. Voulgaris said his film is already on sale as a pirated DVD, while still on show at cinemas. He claimed the DVD has been copied from a specific video that was sent to a state organization – which he refrained from naming.
