66,000 attended the screenings and events of the 28th TiDF

The 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival concluded with 66,000 attendees across in-theatre and online screenings, as well as events. From 5 to 15 March, the Festival hosted premieres, engaging discussions, masterclasses, exhibitions and parties, unfolding a rich and multifaceted programme.

The Festival welcomed leading figures of international cinema, including acclaimed actress Juliette Binoche and American music producer and composer Desmond Child. Honorary Golden Alexanders were awarded, in recognition of their contribution to culture, to pioneering filmmaker Vouvoula Skoura, emblematic producer Yorgos Papalios and American multimedia artist Bill Morrison.

Over the course of 11 days, the following took place:

• eight masterclasses, talks and presentations took place, all with free admission for the public.
• More than 2,500 listens were recorded within the Festival’s Podcast section.
• Immersive: All Around Cinema section featured over 700 XR screenings.
• 559 meetings brought together 552 film professionals from Greece and abroad, setting in motion new collaborations across the international documentary landscape. These exchanges are expected to soon take shape as new projects, scripts and films.
• A total of 197 films were made available to professionals and journalists through the Agora Doc Market via Cinando.
• This year, 57 Greek films were screened, nine of which competed in the official sections: three in the International Competition, three in the Newcomers Competition and three in Film Forward.

Films supported by the Festival’s Agora in previous years, while still in development, went on to win major awards, including two Golden and one Silver Alexander. These include Closure (International Competition), presented at the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum in 2025; Dear Future (Film Forward), presented at Agora Docs in Progress in 2025; and Level, also presented at Docs in Progress last year. The remaining films are: EXILE(S) Tales from an Island / EXILE(S) Stories of an Island, Bugboy, Stories of a Lie, Where Shadows Rest and A Song Without Home.

The filmmakers and crew members behind the Greek productions also travelled to Thessaloniki to present their work, engage with the audience, take part in the Agora’s activities, and meet leading audiovisual professionals from around the world.

The Festival is shaped by its moments. What follows is a glimpse of the people and the moments that defined the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival:

The Festival becomes a film. During the 11 days of the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Golden Alexander-winning director Georgis Grigorakis and his crew moved through the Festival, capturing on camera its hidden moments. These moments will unfold in a hybrid documentary, created in collaboration with the Festival’s Grand Sponsor, COSMOTE TELEKOM, produced by Christina Stavropoulou and Nikolas Alavanos (Filmiki Etairia), and starring Christos Passalis and Konstantina Messini.

One day before the opening of the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, paediatric surgeon Orestis Pavlidis spoke to the Festival’s volunteers about the value of volunteering. He noted that, as a medical student at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, he had taken part several times, both at the Festival in November and at the Festival in March, adding that through this experience he came to understand art more broadly, as well as the importance of collaboration.

Thursday. March 5:

• At the Opening Ceremony, director Ivy Meeropol, presenting the Festival’s opening film Ask E. Jean, shared a deeply personal and resonant reflection: “We arrived in this beautiful, vibrant city, where cinema and truth are celebrated. And yet we are living through a difficult time in the world, especially for those who care about truth, justice, and the right to live freely, without fear of violence, displacement, or retaliation.”

Friday, March 6:

• David Wilkinson’s documentary The Marbles, exploring the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, was screened at the Olympion on March 6, marking the anniversary of the passing of the unforgettable Melina Mercouri. Presenting his work, he said he was very proud that the film held its international premiere in Thessaloniki and added that he feels ashamed that Greece’s just request has still not been fulfilled.

• The installation HeartBeat: Son cœur a trouvé sa cadence dans le silence des rencontres by French visual artist Fanny Fortage, also known as Bonnie Lisbon, attracted significant interest, which was sold out during the whole Festival.
• During the screening of In Cod We Trust by Guro Saniola Berg, which takes us to a Norwegian village, a special moment unfolded: the village’s former mayor, Ronald, together with a friend, a music teacher, performed a Norwegian song live, offering the audience a glimpse into the traditions of their country.
• Festival guest Elisabeth Klinck, producer, researcher and archival licensing expert on hundreds of international documentaries, held an engaging workshop for students of the Film School at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where she guided them on how to source archival material, either free of charge or at very low cost, and how to navigate the world of archives.
• At the 28th TiDF, two documentaries on Berlin’s club scene were screened: KitKatClub-Kinks of Berlin and B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin. The two films served as inspiration for the Berlin to Thessaloniki party.

Saturday, March 7:

• The Rewind screenings got underway, a series of documents and archival materials in dialogue with Greek history, the present and the future. Archival footage from the ERT Archives and British Pathé was presented, including images from the first modern-era performance of ancient tragedy at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus on 11 September 1938, footage from the first aerial film shot over Athens in 1918, scenes from the Thessaloniki waterfront in the early 20th century; and moments from tourism in Athens, Corfu, Crete and Thassos in the 1960s.
• Rare material from the General State Archives of Greece was given new life through the short film The Unknowing of Things, a commissioned work by the Festival directed by Aristotelis Maragkos, an artistic gesture that sets in motion the seemingly static world of archives.
• The film iteration of the project Third Person (Plural) by Aikaterini Gegisian was presented at the Takis Kanellopoulos theatre. With this installation, the Festival participated in the exhibition “Wait… How Did We Get Here?” at MOMus - Experimental Center for the Arts. The Festival also collaborates with MOMus in every edition through exhibitions, installations and related activities.
• For the first time in Greece, an accessible screening for neurodiverse audiences was held through the use of film pictograms (FilmpiX). The Festival hosted a deeply moving screening of Dimitris Koutsiabasakos’ beloved documentary Heracles, Acheloos and My Granny, presented with enhanced accessibility features and the support of Alpha Bank, the Festival’s accessibility sponsor.

• “People with diabetes go through situations that most others cannot fully understand. It is a whole community with almost no representation. The same struggle I fought for the visibility of the lesbian movement, I now fight for people with diabetes. Even today, there are people who still hide that they live with the condition,” noted director Maria Katsikadakou (Cyber), during the discussion that preceded the screening of the documentary We Live Among You.
• Paul Sng’s documentary Reality Is Not Enough, a portrait of writer Irvine Welsh, was screened at the Olympion in the presence of the director. Addressing the audience, Sng said: “In a world where we see war every day, speaking about the difficulties of making a documentary may seem like a luxury. I believe it is not, as films change us and move us forward.”
• A journey across different parts of Greece, guided by Grammy Award-winning author of Lament from Epirus Christopher King, was presented at the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. The screening featured the episode Why Are the Mountains Black: Rituals, a co-production of COSMOTE TV and Onassis Culture. The documentary traces musical ritual, customs and lived experience, drawing connections to the traditions of the life cycle and highlighting their significance for each community. Referring to the series, Christopher King noted: “The series is a documentary, but at the same time it is also a mockumentary, as it includes elements of fiction. There is an underlying question: what is a cowboy doing in the mountains, and why does he have the right to wonder about music and identity?” The screening was followed by a traditional celebration, with music by lyra player Thanasis Stylidis and dancing.

Sunday, March 8:

• Members of the team behind Cookie Queens by Alysa Nahmias, which follows four determined girls competing for the title of “Cookie Queen,” shared the famous Girl Scout cookies with the audience.
• The directors of the documentary The Magic City - Birmingham According to Sun Ra gave a unique acoustic gig at the Stereodisc record store in Aristotelous Square. They also entered the theatre singing ahead of their film’s screening.
• The Agora Talk “Doc Together: Think Tank report presentation” focused on the initiative supporting filmmakers at risk. “The question that kept coming back was: what are we actually doing to support filmmakers working under conditions of risk, and what more can we all do together?” noted Angeliki Vergou, Head of AGORA, during the discussion, which brought together 60 professionals from a wide range of sectors across the audiovisual industry.

Monday, March 9:

• As part of the tribute to archives, a compelling discussion titled “Genealogy of the Future: Archive and Cinema” took place. Amalia Pappa, Deputy General Director of the General State Archives of Greece, noted: “Very often, especially in Greece, the concept of the archive is not clearly understood. The associations it evokes are limited to images such as basements, dust, and eccentric employees. The archive is a means of communication and a way of accessing the experience of the Other. It is not only the information it carries that matters. The need to know one’s history and to be able to place oneself within it is of utmost importance, particularly in our time. Preserving both individual and collective memory is a non-negotiable priority.” The panel also featured Elisabeth Klinck (producer, researcher and archival licensing expert on hundreds of international documentaries), Erik Cambre (Licensing Executive at British Pathé), and Takis Zontiros, also known as Greek Visions (Instagrammer and curator of Greek cultural memory). The discussion was moderated by journalist and filmmaker Marianna Kakaounaki.
• Jon Larsen the protagonist of the documentary We Are Stardust by Elisabeth Rasmussen climbed to the rooftop of the Olympion building and collected dust, which he will analyse in an attempt to identify micrometeorites.
• “The cinema is not something we touch. We use it to create the illusion of a space we hope to enter,” said American artist Bill Morrison, the honouree of the 28th edition, who received an Honorary Golden Alexander for his overall contribution to culture.
• International cinema star Juliette Binoche arrived in Greece and celebrated her birthday in Thessaloniki.

Tuesday, March 10:

• The day begins with the sad news of the passing of the great filmmaker Yorgos Panousopoulos. His cinema was marked by under-the-surface desires and emotional outbursts that speak directly to the audience’s heart. No one filmed the human body the way he did, with an ardent, pulsating sensuality that mirrored the cinematic experiences he offered us. The images, the love stories, the Greek light, the atmosphere and the landscapes of his films will stay with us forever.
• During the masterclass titled “Uncovering the Hidden Frame”, Bill Morrison presented a selection of his short films, sharing, during the screenings, insights into their making, in a particularly atmospheric experience. “I believe I use this footage in an artistic way, trying to bring to the surface a broader, perhaps even metaphysical, notion of lost souls, of things that exist in the cracks,” noted Bill Morrison.

• Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni attended the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, where she followed screenings dedicated to filmmaker Vouvoula Skoura. The following day, she met with acclaimed actress Juliette Binoche, President of the European Film Academy, to discuss the upcoming awards ceremony to be held in Athens in January 2027, and to exchange views on culture. As part of the Festival programme, which included two documentaries on the Parthenon Sculptures, Lina Mendoni also briefed Juliette Binoche on Greece’s request for their return and permanent reunification at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
• Juliette Binoche presented in Thessaloniki her directorial debut In-I In Motion, centred on her collaboration with British dancer Akram Khan. Taking the stage at the Olympion, she said that Thessaloniki “is becoming my second home” and added: “I hope that this film will speak to your hearts and minds.”

• At the open discussion-presentation “Culture and Health,” Margarita Alexomanolaki, Head of the Directorate of Performing Arts and Cinema at the Ministry of Culture, said: “Through art-based therapy, we create the conditions for the development of culture, but above all for a meaningful intervention in our mental, physical and spiritual health. We are building a different kind of society, combating stigma, strengthening social inclusion and improving quality of life.”

Wednesday, March 11:

• An open discussion titled “In Front of and Behind the Camera: My Directorial Debut in Documentary” took place with Juliette Binoche. In response to a question from the audience regarding recent remarks by actor Timothée Chalamet about ballet and opera, she commented with humour: “Really? I thought cinema was a dying art. Let’s not make too much of such statements. What matters is that whatever we do nourishes our soul and our heart. You can watch many films that feel empty and leave you with a sense of something missing. What counts is what gives life to our soul and our being.”

• The Festival held a special screening of Stergios Paschos’ documentary Say, Where Does Desire Grow? in memory of Yorgos Panousopoulos. Lefteris Charitos, President of the Hellenic Film Academy and a longtime collaborator of the filmmaker, spoke about his work: “He was a truly unique person and a director who was never shaped by the trends of his time; for Yorgos, it was as if they did not exist. His films, even the last one, spoke to everyone while preserving something profoundly personal. They were filled with a deep joy for life, just like him.”

• A Think Tank of leading European documentary professionals took place in Thessaloniki within the framework of the Agora, aiming to shape the future of documentary representation. The closed-door meeting brought together diverse voices from across the European documentary landscape, with the goal of shaping the vision and priorities of the European Film Academy’s Documentary Chapter, which is expected to launch in 2027.
• The screening of Broken English by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, dedicated to Marianne Faithfull, who recently passed away, was deeply moving.
• On Wednesday evening, the Agora Awards were presented in a celebration dedicated to films and projects. The ceremony took place in a warm atmosphere at Warehouse C.

Thursday, March 12:

• “Advocating for the truth is not solely the concern of historians. It concerns the relationship between democracy and truth itself, whether we’re referring to the present or the collective memory of the past.” Dimitris Sotiropoulos, historian and President of the General State Archives of Greece, was the keynote speaker at the open discussion “Photographs of the Kaisariani Execution and the Importance of Documenting Historical Truth,” held as part of the Festival’s tribute to archives, on the occasion of the discovery of photographs depicting the execution of 200 resistance fighters on 1 May 1944.

• Eight films are presented as part of the Festival’s collaboration with MOMus-Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki. The selection was compiled by Nadja Argyropoulou, curator of the 9th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art 2026, titled “everything must change. RIS9.”
• Michael Greenberg, activist, stand-up comedian and protagonist of JustLook Up by Emma Wall and Betsy Hershey, delivered an unexpected five-minute stand-up performance during the film’s screening at the Stavros Tornes theatre.
• The audience warmly embraced Bugboy by Lucas Paleocrassas. Yorgos, the young protagonist, a shy teenager with strabismus who forms a bond with a beetle, was present and won over the audience both at the film’s premiere at the Olympion and at the screenings for schools. Students, enthusiastic about the film, took part in a Q&A session that lasted for more than an hour and were photographed with him.

• The documentary Kim Novak: Vertigo, about Kim Novak, was screened at the Olympion in the presence of director Alexandre O. Philippe. Speaking from Thessaloniki, Philippe noted: “Having worked with William Friedkin, William Shatner and Kim Novak, I have to say that these people are extraordinary, they have lived full lives and had remarkable careers. Their wisdom lies in acknowledging ‘I know nothing.’ In contrast to today, when the prevailing attitude is ‘I have all the answers.’”

Friday, March 13:

• The audience had the opportunity for a first introduction to the platform filmography.gr, a database dedicated to Greek cinema and its creators, which will become available after Easter 2026, through a discussion held at the Pavlos Zannas theatre in the presence of the project’s contributors, as well as through the Festival’s magazine First Shot, dedicated to Filmography. Filmography is a new bilingual platform that transforms data from Greek cinema into a tool for knowledge and interpretation, linking films, people and historical context, and will be presented at a special event to be held in Athens. The project is implemented by the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Hellenic Film Academy and the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center - Creative Greece, with resources from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0”, and contractors the consortium “OTE & Uni Systems”.

• The autobiography of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Walter Lassally, titled Itinerant Cameraman, was presented at the Green Room.
• The distinctive filmmaker Vouvoula Skoura was honoured with the Honorary Golden Alexander for her overall contribution to culture. “With this award, another cycle comes to a close. But since I am an optimist, I say let’s begin a third cycle, and perhaps even a fourth,” she noted.

• Legendary musician Desmond Child was in Thessaloniki, at the Olympion, for the screening of the documentary Desmond Child Rocks the Parthenon, centred on the concert supporting the international campaign for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece. The film held its world premiere in the presence of director Heather Winters, as well as producer and renowned composer and songwriter Phoebus. Musician Kip Winger and actress Mimi Denisi were also in attendance. Speaking to the audience, Desmond Child underlined that their reunification is a matter of historical and cultural justice. “The world is small. It is not difficult to get on a plane and come to Athens to see them all together,” he said. He further emphasised that the Sculptures are part of a single monument: “They carry more than 2,000 years of history, and they have only been missing from here for the past 200. It is just a brief moment in time.”

Σάββατο 14 Μαρτίου:

• A special workshop was held by Cool Crips, focusing on the relationship between disability, storytelling and power in cinema, and particularly in documentary filmmaking.
• Yorgos Papalios was awarded an Honorary Golden Alexander for his overall contribution to cinema, while the legendary Greek producer also served as a member of the International Competition jury. The documentary Running on Waves by Yannis Karapiperidis, which centres on Yorgos Papalios, was screened following the award ceremony. Receiving the Honorary Golden Alexander, Yorgos Papalios thanked the Festival, saying: “I would like to thank all the directors, those who are no longer with us and those who are still here. I would also like to thank the actors, the crews behind the camera, and everyone who supported us during those difficult years. Together we made films and played our small part in what would later come to be known as the New Greek Cinema.”

• Yannis Karlopoulos presented his book Saloniki at the Festival, featuring a rich archive of postcards depicting the city from the early 20th century through to the 1980s and 1990s.

• The documentary Tell Me by Nikos Megrelis was screened, in the presence of Lola Angel, one of the last survivors of the Holocaust.
• Following the premiere of The Way Elsewhere by Eirini Vourloumis, Yorgos Georgiou, one of the film’s three protagonists, gave a live performance of love songs, transforming the venue into a small night club, with everyone present, the film’s team, the taxi driver protagonists with their families, and members of the Festival team, joining in and dancing.
• A night of DJ and live sets titled “Club Night: Club Metanoia” was held at MOMus-Experimental Center for the Arts as part of the programme “Wait… How Did We Get Here?”.
• A high-energy live performance followed the screening of THRAX PUNKS KUZIN by Giorgos Spiridis, performed by Thrax Punks. The audience danced among the cinema seats and aisles, while the Festival’s Board President Akis Sakellariou also joined them on stage.

Κυριακή 15 Μαρτίου:

• In a ceremony marked by warmth and quiet intensity, the awards of the 28th TiDF were presented. A total of 36 awards and special mentions were bestowed, with 14 going to Greek productions, including two Golden Alexanders in the Newcomers and Film Forward sections, underscoring the strength of Greek documentary cinema. Michał Marczak’s Closure, which received the Golden Alexander in the International Competition, is automatically shortlisted for the next Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, as the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival is an Academy Awards-eligible festival.

• The 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival closed with the glow of the Academy Awards. During the Closing Ceremony, a message was screened from David Borenstein, director of Mr. Nobody Against Putin: “Thessaloniki is such a special place, and the Festival holds a very special place in my heart. Unfortunately, we cannot be there, as we are currently in Los Angeles, completing a long journey of promoting the documentary ahead of the Academy Awards.” Just a few hours later, during the Academy Awards ceremony, Borenstein would receive the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, delivering a deeply political message and noting that the film is about how one loses their country, emphasising that this happens through small, everyday acts of complicity and silence. “Propaganda does not begin on the battlefield; it begins in classrooms. And when children grow up within it, war becomes part of normality. Even one person is stronger than they think.”

• The Olympion was packed for the live broadcast of the 98th Academy Awards, presented in collaboration with the Festival’s Grand Sponsor, COSMOTE TELEKOM. Crowds flooded the steps, corridors and exterior of the Olympion for the OSCARS-themed party that followed the closing film. A DJ set inspired by film soundtracks, photo props, a themed cocktail, beer by Fischer and Jameson Black Barrel set the tone for the night.

• From Thessaloniki to…. the Academy Awards: two guests of the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival travelled straight to Los Angeles for the ceremony, where they went on to receive the coveted golden statuette for their films. James Costa, producer of the short documentary All the Empty Rooms, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film, and Atilla Salih Yücer, co-producer of Sentimental Value, which received the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Watch some of the highlights we experienced at the 28th TiDF:

#TiDF28 EXPERIENCE VIDEO

The 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival is held with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the ESPA Operational Programme “Central Macedonia 2021-2027”, and the MEDIA programme. Valuable support is provided by the Ministry of Tourism, ERT (Official Broadcaster), COSMOTE TELEKOM (Festival's Grand Sponsor), Alpha Bank (Accessibility Sponsor), Fischer (Audience Awards Sponsor), Aegean (Official Air Carrier), and Jameson.

The activities of the Thessaloniki Film Festival are implemented with funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0”, funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.

We extend our gratitude to Mediterranean Palace for hosting Juliette Binoche, and to TOR Hotel Group for hosting Desmond Child at ON Residence.