The 4th Open Air Festival kicks off tonight with writer/director Hossein Amini’s thriller “The Two Faces of January” at the historic open-aired Cine Thisseion at the foot of the acropolis. The invitation-only premiere features Amini’s interpretation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel that is exquisitely adapted for the big screen with breathtaking locations featuring the Parthenon, the winding streets of Plaka as well as the archaeological site of Knossos on the island of Crete.

Central to the melodrama, set in 1962, the film explores the evolving relationship between a charismatic con artist (Viggo Mortensen), his alluring wife (Kirsten Dunst) and a stranger (Oscar Isaac) who flee to Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.

The 4th Athens Open Air Festival is scheduled to host some exciting screenings and music events at breathtaking locations around the city from June to September. Venues include the Dionysiou Areopagitou pedestrian area, Petralona Park, Plato’s Academy Park, Avdi Square, Mesolongiou Square, the Numismatic Museum, the Byzantine and Christian Museum, as well as little-known spots in the wider Athens area, such as the Rematias Theatre in Chalandri and Nea Smyrni Park.

Naturally, the summer festival includes some of the finest Athenian open-aired venues, such as Cine Thisseion, Cine Psyrri, Cine Ellinis, Dexameni and Lais of the Greek Film Archive. All up there will be 20 masterpieces featured under a starry sky.

Entrance to all screenings is free of charge.

The festival is supported by the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO).

FULL PROGRAM

June
• Cine Thissio – June 16
“The Two Faces of January” by Hossein Amini (2014) (Invitation only)

• Cine Psirri – June 23
“Groundhog Day” by Harold Ramis (1993)

• Numismatic Museum – June 24
“Parvas” by Gerasimos Rigas (2008)

• Messolongiou Square (Pagrati) – June 26
“Zarafa” by Bezancon & Lie (2012)

• June 30 – Place to be announced
Felizol (Live Performance) – “Lucifer Rising” & “Scorpio Rising”
by Kenneth Anger

July

• Village Park, Redi
“Fading Gigolo” by John Turturro (2013)

• Avdi Square – July 4
“Do the Right Thing” by Spike Lee (1989)

• Byzantine Museum – July 9
“Chinatown” by Roman Polanski (1974)

• Dionisiou Areopagitou Pedestrian Precinct – July 11
“Sorcerer” by William Friedkin (1977)

Cine Dexameni – July 14
“On Connait la Chanson” by Alain Resnais (1997)

• Evripidio Theatre of Rematia (Chalandri) – July 15
“Acropol” by Pantelis Voulgaris (1995)

• Plato’s Academy Park – July 18
“Let the Women Wait” by Stavros Tsiolis (1994)

• National Archaeological Museum – July 22
“Suddenly Last Summer” by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1959)

• Petralona Park – July 24
“The Warriors” by Walter Hill (1977)

• Cine Ellinis – July 29
“All That Jazz” by Bob Fosse (1979)

August – September

• Dourgouti – August 26
“Magic City” by Nikos Koundouros (1954)

• Nea Smyrni Park – August 28
“Being There” by Hal Ashby (1979)

• Dionisiou Areopagitou Pedestrian Precinct – September 5
“Back Door” by Giorgos Tsemberopoulos’ (1984)