The 20th anniversary edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival presents approximately 180 feature and 48 short documentary films by directors from all over the world, as well as a parallel events program.
The film screenings will take place at the Olympion complex (Olympion and Pavlos Zannas theatres, Aristotelous Sq., Thessaloniki), as well as at the Tonia Marketaki, Frida Liappa, Stavros Tornes and John Cassavetes theatres located at the city’s Port. This year, TDF will host screenings in two additional venues situated in two Thessaloniki Municipalities: Pavlos Melas (“Christos Tsakiris” Cultural Center) and Kalamaria (Municipal Theatre of Kalamaria “Melina Merkouri”).
FILM PREMIERES
The 20th TDF presents 8 world, 4 international and 8 European premieres.
World Premieres:
A VISIT TO JUNE LEAF'S STUDIO - MY FIRST FILM, Brigid KENNISON
ACROSS HER BODY, Zacharias MAVROIDIS
PEOPLE OF THE WASTELAND, Heba KHALED
SILICONE SOUL, Melody GILBERT
SOUNDS OF KIBERA/KIBERA SAUTI, Luis LANCHARES
THE ARTIST & THE PERVERT, Beatrice BEHN, Rene GEBHARDT
THE SOWER/EL SEMBRADOR, Melissa ELIZONDO
THESE ARE MY HOURS, Scott KIRSCHENBAUM
International Premieres:
A FINE LINE, Ioanna JAMES
COMPOSITE, Toby LEE
LITTLE FIRE, Nicky MAAS
MY HAPPY COMPLICATED FAMILY, Tessa Louise POPE
European Premieres:
LIVING IN THE FUTURE'S PAST, Susan KUCERA
ROOM FOR A MAN, Antony CHIDIAC
STEALING RODIN/ROBAR A RODIN, Cristobal VALENZUELA
THE OSLO DIARIES, Mor LOUSHY & Daniel SIVAN
THE SENSITIVES, Drew XANTHOPOULOS
THE TIME OF THE BEES/IL TEMPO DELLE API, Rossella ANITORI & Darel DI GREGORIO
THIS COLD LIFE, Darren MANN
WORKING IN PROTEST, Michael GALINSKY & Suki HAWLEY
INTERNATIONAL JURY
The International Competition section of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival presents 10 films of over 50’ that compete for the Golden Alexander and the Special Jury Award. The Golden Alexander award is accompanied by a €8,000 cash prize and the Special Jury Award is accompanied by a €2.000 cash prize.
The five-member International Jury called to judge the films of the International Competition section is composed of:
Annika Gustafsson, film critic, journalist (Sweden)
Caroline Libresco, festival programmer (USA)
David Borenstein, film director (USA, Denmark)
Jan Rofekamp, sales agent, producer (The Netherlands)
Lefteris Charitos, film director (Greece)
VR COMPETITION JURY
The jury of the festival’s new VR/Virtual Reality documentaries Competition section will bestow one award to a film participating in the section. The award is accompanied by a €3.000 prize, sponsored by the Greek Film Centre.
The three-member VR Jury is composed of:
Kirsten Kieninger, film critic, film editor (Germany)
Argyris Theos, director of photography (Greece)
George Drivas, visual artist, film director (Greece)
FIPRESCI JURY
An international FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) jury will hand out one award to a film of the International Competition section and one award to a Greek film participating in the International Program segments of the 20th TDF:
The three-member FIPRESCI Jury is composed of:
Yael Shuv, Israel
Tonči Valentić,Croatia
Joseph Proimakis, Greece
OPENING FILM
Faces Places / Visage Villages by Agnès Varda & JR (2017)
Friday 2/3, 20:00, Olympion theatre (invitation only)
Agnès Varda and JR embark on an unpredictable, feel good journey in the French countryside, sharing on camera their friendship and the engaging stories of the people who meet on the way.
CLOSING FILM
À propos de Nice by Jean Vigo (1930)
Sunday 11/3, 20:00, Olympion theatre (invitation only)
Jean Vigo’s iconic silent documentary will be screened with live original score composed by Lefteris Tsavdaridis exclusively for the event and performed by the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. The closing ceremony screening is a collaboration between the TDF and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra.
SIDEBAR EVENTS
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, 1 to 20
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of TDF, we revisit two films that were screened during its inaugural event 20 years ago. How did the lives of these films’ heroes and of the directors who documented them evolved, after 20 years? They will give the answer themselves, participating in the Q&A sessions that will follow each screening. The films are: In my Father’s House by Fatima Jebli Ouazzani (1997) about the status of women in Morocco’s society (Thursday 8/3, 20:00, Pavlos Zannas theatre) and Nightflowers by Nikos Grammatikos (1998) about the education of visually impaired children (Friday, 9/3 17:00, Pavlos Zannas theatre) .
20 Years Greatest Hits: All-night Music Documentaries Marathon
Friday 9/3, 23:59, Olympion
One of the best memories from the 1st Thessaloniki Documentary Festival was the night in which the city stayed up all night at the Olympion theatre, watching music documentaries. Twenty years later we’ll do exactly the same thing, watching documentaries on bands and musicians that defined the 90s, the decade which gave birth to our Festival. Get ready for Kurt Cobain, George Michael, Pulp, Stephin Merrit and the Magnetic Fields, as well as the influential Greek musician Yiannis Angelakas.
Ex Libris Crossing
Saturday 10/3, 18:45, Warehouse C, Thessaloniki Port
Following the screening of Frederick Wiseman’s Ex Libris: The New York Public Library in the 20th TDF, the audience will participate in an interactive book crossing event, by exchanging and discussing their favorite books. Ioannis Trohopoulos, the coordinator of the organization “Athens 2018 World Book Capital” under the umbrella of the Municipality of Athens and UNESCO’s distinction will be the festival’s special guest. We invite the audiences to bring and exchange a book they love.
De(re)constructing Legends - Open Discussion
Saturday 3/3, 17:00, Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki, Warehouse B1, Port
On the occasion of the screening of Sara Driver’s new film Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the director and Dennis Lim, Journalist and Program Director at the Film Society of the Lincoln Center in New York, talk about the art of Jean Michel Basquiat, the creative process and its documentation as well as on the artistic movements of that era in NYC.
Α Look into the Bizarre: A Discussion with Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor
Friday 9/3, 12:30, Warehouse C, Port
The works of Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor are presented at the 20th TDF for the first time. On the occasion of this tribute, we invite the audience to join us and participate in an engaging conversation with the artists, moderated by Greek film director Athina Rachel Tsangari (Attenberg, Chevalier).
Social Media and Human Rights – Discussion
Monday 5/3, 12:00, Warehouse C, Port
Prompted by the screening of the documentary The Cleaners in the 20th TDF, the festival hosts a discussion about censorship and human rights in the age of digital society. Hans Block, one of the film’s co-directors will discuss with Yannis Ioannidis, Vice President of the Hellenic League for Human Rights, Michail Bletsas, Director of Computing at the MIT Media Lab and Aris Dimokidis, editor in chief of LIFO.gr.
Talking about space and beyond
Saturday, 3 March, 20:00, Olympion
The 20th TDF hosts a special screening of Emer Reynold’s documentary The Farthest about the captivating tales of the people and events behind one of humanity’s greatest achievements in exploration: NASA’s Voyager mission. A conversation with the acclaimed Greek space scientist and NASA collaborator Dr. Stamatis Krimizis, will follow the screening, introducing us to a fascinating journey through space (moderation by Greek journalist Makis Provatas).
90th Academy Awards
Sunday, 4 March, 23:00, Olympion
For one more year the Thessaloniki Film Festival in cooperation with COSMOTE TV invite you to the Academy Awards Ceremony that will be broadcasted live at the Olympion theatre. Join us from 23:00 with our own red carpet, a DJ set and many surprises. Afterwards we will enter the theatre for the traditional pre-show and red carpet live. The Academy Awards Ceremony will start at 03:00 (Athens time), in the early hours of Monday 5/3.
Look Who’s Talking: Agora Doc Market Happy Hour
4–10/3, 18:00–19:00, Warehouse C, Port
The Agora Doc Market and the Festival Program guests have the opportunity to meet, get to know each other and discuss in a friendly and casual environment every afternoon from 18:00 to 19:00 in Warehouse C.
Agora Doc Market Awards
Wednesday 7/3 19.00-20.00, Warehouse C, Port
The Agora Doc Market’s Docs in Progress Jury will announce the three prestigious awards to projects participating in the DIP, thus introducing us the filmmakers of tomorrow.
Special Honorary Ceremony for Madeleine Avramoussis
Monday 5/3, 20:00, Pavlos Zannas Theatre
The Festival organizes a one-off screening of Dolphin Man by Lefteris Charitos in honor of Ms. Madeleine Avramoussis, Commissioning Editor for Arte France, for her lasting contribution in the art of documentary filmmaking and her valuable support to the institution of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
Greek Chronicle Project: Footage Archive – A presentation
Friday 9/3, 18:30, Warehouse C, Port
The Greek Chronicle Project is an interactive web-documentary that chronicles the Greek crisis and the refugee crisis in Greece, filmed between 2011–2016 by Zafeiris Haitidis. The archive/website is available online and will eventually expand into a multimedia-platform. The presentation will be made in English by the archive creator Mr. Haitidis, framed by an exhibition of photo material in Warehouse C.
