Outrage over ‘Macedonian’ film festival

[lavce pelagonski]

Outrage is building in the Greek community in anticipation of the 3rd Melbourne ‘Macedonian’ Film Festival, which is run by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) organisers in Australia.
The Australian Macedonian Advisory Council (AMAC) has issued a formal complaint to Hoyts, the cinema complex hosting the festival, objecting to both the naming of the festival and its use of the Vergina sun as an emblem.
The Vergina Sun is registered with the World Intellectual Property Association as a state emblem for Greece, with FYROM listed as objecting.
In a letter dated 16 October, AMAC wrote to Hoyts’ managing director requesting the emblem be removed from all promotional material.
“While AMAC welcomes artistic ventures and festivals promoting the cultural diversity of Australia, it disapproves of the unauthorised use of intellectual property and misappropriation of Greek heritage to promote any event,” the letter said.
“The use of this symbol on the Hoyts website is offensive to Melbourne’s Greek community, given it is part of its cultural heritage.”

The letter adds that if the emblem is not removed from the website and other promotional material, “legal proceedings will be initiated”.
AMAC spokesperson Ian Pelekanakis told Neos Kosmos that, as of Friday, he had not yet heard back from Hoyts management.
The spokesperson said this was the third such festival, although it’s the first time it’s being held at Hoyts.
“It’s offensive to members of AMAC and the Greek community in general,” Mr Pelekanakis said.
He added that AMAC also filed a formal complaint to Greater Union, where the festival was held last year.
“But the manager was of that [FYROM] background so she wasn’t interested,” he added.
The festival is scheduled to run at Hoyts cinemas in Melbourne Central and Northland from October 21 – 24.
(source: neos kosmos)
Code:

http://au.greekreporter.com/2010/10/22/outrage-over-macedonian-film-festival/

This is too funny what babies

[makedonche]

I thought it was the "Vergina Star" that they called this Macedonian symbol?
For their information it's the "Kutlesh Sonce", and they can whinge all they like, they can be as disgusted and outraged all they want - it won't change a thing.
Commencing legal action? yep let's go - just like their legal action for "Fetta cheese", they'll get the same response from the courts.
I'ts about time they woke up and realised they don't own everything just because they claim to or say so.
The biggest joke is their association - AMAC - what an absolute farce this bunch of cowboys are, pretending to be Macedonian and purporting to act on behalf of Macedonians!

[fyrOM]

Good on Hoyts and good on the organisers. This is grass roots action. Get in their face. Sometimes the truth is the truth but some truths are just lies repeated often enough and they can be beaten back by the light of the truth shining out. We are here and we are here to stay. Your lies will be talked down.

Besides these so called Macedonians should declare their ancestry. When did they become Macedonians… when their grandparents settled in Macedonia from turkey or elsewhere in the 1920s.

[lavce pelagonski]

The film festival was really good and I got to watch A name is a name for the first time, this doco to me is really about the Macedonians to wake up and see that the name Macedonia is everything without it you cannot call yourself Macedonian. a lot of people who wached it today I am sure will be convinced that we should not change our name we are the Republic of Macedonia.

[Frank]

What bastards it the truest sense of the Word

[Frank]

In Germany a group of Pontian Refugees in 1997 attempted to register a Macedonian Organisation the German Courts weighed in favour of the Macedonians and stopped them

Why haven't the Macedonian Community objected to this 2009 registered mob coming onto the block they cloud the waters by referring to themselves as a Macedonian organisation.

[lavce pelagonski]

Well I would like to be the one who could take things further but Im just one man plus uni take up time, when I finish I hope to get the Macedonians in a more agresive stance as just nodding and saying yes master doesnt work

[julie]

Rock on! The Grks and the grkomani are clutching at straws.
The Kutlesh Sonce is Macedonian. I have seen outrage over similar screenings, nothing eventuates. The world is getting tired of the tantrums of Grks, making demands and protests against what is rightfully ours.
Slowly, we are getting there, and I enjoy getting under the dushmani skin. They should look into their own backyard at the corruption in their so called democratic country and stop making demands and holding the world at ransom. From a country that cant manage its own finances, is in crippling debt and still retires hairdressers on full pay pensions at the age of 40.
Samo napred Makedontsti!!!

[Frank]

There is no hope no position of dialogue with these Animals expect aggressively taking them on

Trust me they have too many open skeletons in their closet not to be drawn wide open
they are truly insecure and victims themselves of artificial Hellenism

We Macedonians know them best and they certainly don't have any right to demand anything

[Soldier of Macedon]

Good on Hoyts and Greater Union.

Where were the "AMAC" in previous decades where the Macedonian community have used their Macedonian name for other events? Where were they to complain about news reporters speaking of Macedonians, of the Macedonians participating in the moomba, of the Preston Makedonia soccer club, etc?

"AMAC" are the handful of maggots descended from the 2-3 maggots that congregrate in that village shed at Clifton Hill, the only thing they will achieve is make Greeks look like even bigger racists than they already are.

[Prolet]

SOM, I was told they wanted to sue the committee because of the emblem and i think they had a problem with the name aswell.

This is the normal kind of thing you'd expect from these people, they got nothing better to do then to sabotage our events. They should worry about what they do not bring shame to the people of Victoria.

The spokesperson said this was the third festival, although it’s the first time it’s being held at Hoyts.
“It’s offensive to members of AMAC and the Greek community in general,” Pelekanakis said.
He added that AMAC also filed a formal complaint to Greater Union, where the festival was held last year.
“But the manager was of that [FYROM] background so she wasn’t interested,” he added.

The manager of Greater Union Cinemas was Macedonian? Funny that i never heard of her, if she was we'd all know about it somehow through our media. That service was payed for by the organizing committee its not like they gave it to them free of charge so we have every right as a Macedonian Community to host a film festival without being hassled and threatened by these people.

[Blagojce]

Another 10 or so years and they will all be dead. Most would have to be late in their retirement by now.

[Soldier of Macedon]

SOM, I was told they wanted to sue the committee because of the emblem and i think they had a problem with the name aswell.

Show me some examples where Greeks have protested (against) and threatened to sue the Macedonian community in Australia prior to the late 80's, for the reasons you cited above? Who told you this?

The manager of Greater Union Cinemas was Macedonian? Funny that i never heard of her.......

That's because you get all of your 'informatoration' from the one source.

[Stojacanec]

It really make me laugh when the Greek kick up a fuss like this.

Their arguments for their objection are flawed to begin with. Even worse for the poor deluded Greeks they can't explain why a significant proportion of Macedonians from Egej attend these events.

[Prolet]

SOM, I couldnt give you an example of any Greek calling themselves Macedonian in the 80s let alone anything else. But since we've gained independence they even caused problems at Book Promotions. This is old news and i heard about it months after the last Film Festival.

They threatened to sue, whatever happened after that i wouldnt know.