The awards of the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival

A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra by Jacqueline Lentzou, Dua by Blerta Basholli and I Plant My Hand in the Garden by Boris Hadžija and Hoda Taheri received the Golden Alexander awards of the three competition sections of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival: the Arrivals International Competition, the Meet the Neighbors+ International Competition and the >>Film Forward International Competition. The award ceremony of TIFF’s 67th edition took place in a warm ambiance at Warehouse C, on Sunday, November 15.

In total, seven Greek films won 22 awards and distinctions.

Vasilis Terzopoulos, Greek Programme collaborator, welcomed the audience and thanked the Ministry of Culture, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the sponsors. He also thanked the Festival’s large team: its management, staff and volunteers. “At a time when everything seems threatening and dangerous, we anxiously search for a ray of light and optimism. And one such ray is the knowledge that cinema, that art, can offer us a way out and bring us closer together,” he noted.

He then invited the Deputy Minister of Culture for Contemporary Culture, Iason Fotilas, to the stage for a brief address. He issued a statement on the protection of historic movie theaters, referring to the establishment of the Registry of Historic Movie Theaters through a joint ministerial decision, issued on November 11th, 2026.

“After eleven full days of rich and impressive content, the Festival approaches its awards ceremony. I’m delighted to be a part of this moment, representing the Ministry of Culture and the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni. Two brief remarks and one piece of news on my part. We’ve come a long way at every level and in every sector. I won’t focus on numbers and sums, after all, one of the most important signs of progress is transparency. In every aspect, every effort, every action. The information is available, the procedures known. What matters most is that a framework, a plan, and prospects exist. “Greece on screen” is a fact, and it ensures the landscape and the conditions through which filmmakers can develop and reach the audience. The second point I’d like to make is that our country participates in the shaping of developments at a pan-European level. We participate, we help shape, and decide collectively. This significant presence of ours comes to support creators and community. The European awards, our presence internationally, at Venice, Cannes, and elsewhere, are meaningful steps and opportunities for both the country and its filmmakers. And now, the piece of news I promised concerns historic movie theaters. Only a few days ago, on November 11th, the Ministerial Decision 459510 was issued by the Government Gazette, which marks the beginning of the Registry of Historic Movie Theaters. Each time a historic movie theater is tested, we hear the same old words, the nostalgia, the sorrow, the protesting, and then complete and utter silence. In order for something to change, you have to first document it. Define it, and protect it through a legal and institutional framework. And this is precisely what we proceeded to do, using safe and measurable criteria. Thirty years of operation, with no interruption exceeding 5 years - the seasonal closure of open air movie theaters doesn’t constitute an interruption, and neither does the closure during the pandemic - lawful operation at the time of application, the right to submit an application is not only extended to the owner, but to anyone with a legitimate interest, even the cultural association next door. The registered movie theaters will receive the financial incentives for monuments so that they can be preserved and developed. Continued use will be documented by the state. The registration constitutes an official certification, a badge that the movie theater can display with pride. I can’t promise miracles, as protection doesn’t stem from the Registry, or any registry. The Registry recognizes and facilitates it. It is, however, the first solid step. This is how reforms that endure are implemented. With responsibility, and respect for those who kept the lights on. Thank you for your attention, and I wish you every success in your dreams.”

ARRIVALS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AWARDS

The jury is composed of:

Achilleas Kyriakidis (writer, translator, film theorist, screenwriter and director)
Jack Tarling (producer)

Gaia Furrer (film curator and programmer)

The Best Feature Film Award “Golden Alexander - Theo Angelopoulos”, accompanied by a 10,000-euro cash prize, was bestowed to the film: A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra by Jacqueline Lentzou

The award was presented by Gaia Furrer, while director Jacqueline Lentzou took the stage to receive it. “Thank you. I don’t rehearse while I’m working, but as it appears, tears are coming, and if such a thing occurs, I’ll allow them to flow freely, like I did Evita; I gave her the space to freely show us who she is. Thessaloniki is my city, my mother’s city, and this award is dedicated to her. I met Theo Angelopoulos when I was young, I had come to Thessaloniki with my father for a trip, and now, at long last, I hold within my trembling hands, an award with my name on it. To make a long story short, the film encourages having our “feet on the ground, head in the sky,” as does David Byrne, as well as turning our attention to the here and now, yet our thoughts and gaze towards the great beyond, to the sky. Thank you.”

Reasoning: This audacious film moved us profoundly through the tenderness with which it portrays adolescence, its turmoil and its longing to be seen and loved. Jacqueline Lentzou weaves together the everyday and the cosmic with great freedom, creating a cinematic language that restores all the possibilities of a life cut short and gives form to the bonds that endure beyond death.

TELEKOM, the Festival Major Sponsor, supports the Best Director Award “Silver Alexander” with a cash prize of 5,000 euros. The award was bestowed to Pauline Julier & Nicolas Chapoulier for the filmLes Indes

The award was presented by Achilleas Kyriakidis.

Reasoning: For the power of its cinematic vision and painterly landscapes, which transform a journey into the past into a visceral experience, revealing through its images the violence of power and the inequalities of the present.

The Best Actor Award was jointly bestowed to: Caique Copque and Italo Martins for their performances in The Riverbank by Matheus Farias & Enock Carvalho

The award was presented by Gaia Furrer.

Reasoning: We are delighted to award Caique Copque and Italo Martins for the intensity and sensitivity of their performances and their extraordinary on-screen chemistry. Through their looks, gestures and physical presence, they make danger, desire, strength and vulnerability palpable.

The Best Actress Award was bestowed to: Arisa Sasaki for her performance in Titanic Ocean by Konstantina Kotzamani

The award was presented by Jack Tarling, while actress Arisa Sasaki took the stage to receive it. “Thank you so very much, I feel as if I’m dreaming. I’d like to thank the director, Konstantina Kotzamani, the cast and crew, and every single one of you who saw the film. The audience has been very warm and welcoming. I’m so happy to be here, I hope that I’ll return to this city and to this Festival,” Arisa Sasaki said upon receiving the award.

Reasoning: Between the weightlessness of water and the weight of growing up, Arisa Sasaki moved us with a performance of quiet intensity. She captures both the fragility and determination of a young woman finding her own voice in an environment that seems almost not of this world.

The Artistic Achievement Award was bestowed to the film: Titanic Ocean by Konstantina Kotzamani

The award was presented by Jack Tarling, while director Konstantina Kotzamani took the stage to receive it. “I thank you so very much. The term ‘achievement’ intrigues and moves me, precisely because this film began without me knowing how it would end, as if a wave swept me away while I had no idea where it would take me. This award also belongs to my collaborators, who dived along with me. I couldn’t have made this film without them. Arisa Sasaki thank you for being with me, and I’d also like to extend my thanks to my producer, Maria Dandrai, and the rest of the team,” Konstantina Kotzamani said upon accepting the award.

Reasoning: Through the exceptional use of production design, costume, cinematography, sound design and music, Konstantina Kotzamani transports us into a mesmerizing, dark fantasy world. A visually stunning exploration of a controversial real way of life, with transcendental elements that take us even further beyond the world of our daily lives.

A Special Mention was bestowed to: Evita Andriopoulou for her performance in A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra by Jacqueline Lentzou

The distinction was presented by Achilleas Kyriakidis, while actress Evita Andriopoulou took the stage to receive it. “I wish to thank all the jury members for seeing something in me. This distinction is of great importance for my first steps. I thank all those who worked on this film, and made me feel free to express all that I hold within my heart,” Evita Andriopoulou said upon receiving the award.

Reasoning: Evita Andriopoulou captivated us with an understated naturalism and an emotional depth to her performance which took us on the intimate and unexpected journey of Jo.

MEET THE NEIGHBORS+ AWARDS

The Meet the Neighbors+ competition section includes debut or sophomore films from the 36 countries of Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. This year, the Municipality of Thessaloniki once again supports the Meet the Neighbors+ competition section with the new Municipality of Thessaloniki Best Screenplay Award, accompanied by a 5,000-euro cash prize.

The jury is composed of:

Sofia Exarchou (screenwriter and director)
Anne Østerud (film editor)
Cristina Cassano (Head of Contemporary Italian Cinema Promotion at Cinecittà S.p.A.)

Jury members Sofia Exarchou, Anne Østerud and Cristina Cassano took the stage to present the awards.

The Best Feature Film Award “Golden Alexander - Michel Demopoulos”, accompanied by a 10,000-euro cash prize, was bestowed to the film: Dua, by Blerta Basholli

The award was presented by Cristina Cassano.

Reasoning: Dua stays with you long after the lights come up. Set in Pristina in the late 1990s, a thirteen-year-old girl searches for her place in a world that is changing too fast, in her own body and in the country around her, while the shadow of war grows closer. Blerta Basholli keeps the camera close to her young heroine and tells this coming-of-age story with restraint, honesty and deep humanity. This is a film about growing up while everything is breaking. For its emotional truth and its personal vision of a pivotal moment in Kosovo's history, the jury awards Best Film to Dua.

The Best Director Award “Silver Alexander”, accompanied by a 5,000-euro cash prize, was bestowed to Abdallah Al-Khatib for the filmChronicles from the Siege

Reasoning: With a raw and deeply human approach that makes room for humour and absurdity, Abdallah Al-Khatib creates a film that becomes a revelatory and profoundly painful experience. The film is inspired by true stories of Palestinians, stories that represent only a very small part of the immense human tragedy unfolding in Palestine. In a land where fear, danger, and the threat of complete annihilation are constantly present, the director chooses to turn his gaze towards the people. Those who continue to move among the ruins, accompanied by the sounds of bombardment that recur with terrifying regularity. Those who insist on maintaining their daily routines and personal relationships. Those who insist on existing. The Silver Alexander, Best Director Award goes to Chronicles from the Siege and its director, Abdallah Al-Khatib.

The award was presented by Sofia Exarchou, while Executive producer and Casting Director Lara Abul Failat took the stage to receive it. She thanked both the Festival and the jury, noting that cinema carries a special power, but even that isn’t enough to convey everything that needs to be said about politics. She underscored that cinema isn’t enough to convey the terror, evoked by all that’s happening in Palestine. She concluded by saying, “freedom to Palestine and keep believing in the cinema that showcases the truth.”

The Best Actor Award was jointly bestowed to: Alexis Manenti and Julian Świeżewski from the film Flesh and Fuel, by Pierre Le Gall

The award was presented by Anne Østerud.

Reasoning: Chasing a body, finding a human. From raw, pounding sex in stolen moments - sex we truly believe in - to the awkwardness, humour and unexpected tenderness of two men slowly letting down their guard. In Flesh and Fuel, Alexis Manenti and Julian Świeżewski walk straight into their roles, eyes wide open and with no vanity. Just naked, vulnerable bodies and warm, beating hearts. Manenti’s guarded stillness meets Świeżewski’s disarming openness. Together they create an electric chemistry that is as physical as it is deeply human. It is through their fearless, utterly exposed performances that this unexpected love story becomes so painfully real, leaving us just as vulnerable as the men on screen.

The Best Actress Award was bestowed to: Maria Petrova from the film Hold Onto Me, by Myrsini Aristidou

The award was presented by Sofia Exarchou, while actress Maria Petrova took the stage to receive it. “I’d like to thank the Festival for this exceptional edition and for honoring me with this award. I also wish to thank my director, Myrsini Aristidou, for giving me this chance, the production for making it a reality, the crew for giving their best selves, and Christos Passalis for the outstanding collaboration,” Maria Petrova noted.

Reasoning: In her first screen role, Maria Petrova gives a performance of rare truth as eleven-year-old Iris, who refuses to let her estranged father slip away again. Never leaning on sentiment, she builds the character through glances, silences, anger and tenderness. She reveals the inner world of a child suspended between innocence and the need to grow up. Director Myrsini Aristidou's camera stays close to her face, and Petrova holds that intimacy without a false note. Her chemistry with Christos Passalis anchors the film. For sincerity, emotional maturity and a magnetic screen presence, the jury awards Best Actress to Maria Petrova.

The Best Screenplay Award sponsored by the Municipality of Thessaloniki, accompanied by a 5,000-euro cash prize, was bestowed to the film: Flesh and Fuel, by Pierre Le Gall

Reasoning: “I see you. I see you.” Who would have thought that two truck drivers passing on a bridge, calling out while honking their horns, could make us cheer like that? Five seconds of happiness. Flesh and Fuel’s screenplay turns a gritty workplace drama into a moving love story. It takes us from the loneliness of the road and brief, anonymous encounters to the surprise of falling in love, where Étienne and Bartosz’s true obstacle isn't prejudice, but the harsh logistics of their industry. Told with brutality and humor, it is a wonderful story about finding connection in unlikely places”.

The Mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, took the stage to present the award and delivered a short address, while the winning film was announced by Anne Østerud. “For 67 years, you’ve been making November in our city even more magical, more beautiful. On behalf of the entire city, I’d like to thank the participants, but mainly the people involved in the Festival for making us richer in Art, with the oldest cultural institution Thessaloniki has. After all, you know better than us that great films don’t end when the credits appear, but they nestle deep within our souls. Such a film is Flesh and Fuel by Pierre Le Gall,” Stelios Angeloudis, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, stressed.

>>FILM FORWARD AWARDS

The >>Film Forward competition section presents the work of new, daring filmmakers who, through their debut or sophomore films, challenge our relationship with reality and aspire to renegotiate it beyond the conventions of film genres.

The jury is composed of:

Ana Vujanović (researcher, writer, dramaturge and lecturer)

Yorgos Zois (filmmaker)
Carlos Rodríguez Ríos (director of D’A – Barcelona Film Festival)

Jury member Carlos Rodríguez Ríos took the stage to present the awards.

The Best Feature Film Award “Golden Alexander”, accompanied by a 10,000-euro cash prize, was bestowed to the film: I Plant My Hand in the Garden by Boris Hadžija & Hoda Taheri

Reasoning: The award for Best Film goes to I Plant My Hand in the Garden for its humor, emotionality, playing with social norms, and celebration of the diversity and fluidity of life. Drawing on their own struggles to obtain residence permits in Germany, the filmmaker duo from Serbia and Iran offer a mirror of European society that invites us to critically see ourselves in it. Artistically, the film transforms real life into fiction, while revealing the fictionality of life itself, both on screen and beyond.

The Best Director Award “Silver Alexander”, accompanied by a 5,000-euro cash prize, was bestowed to Rob Rice for the filmPonderosa

Director Rob Rice took the stage to receive the award. “I had a wonderful time during my stay in this city. I hadn’t realized until I found myself here, but in a way, this is a Greek film. I realized it only once I saw it through this lens. The film has to do with the origins of the politics and the rationale behind them, and it required me being in Thessaloniki to comprehend this. So, thank you.”

Reasoning: The Best Director Award goes to Rob Rice for Ponderosa. The confidence and originality of his directorial vision are expressed through a distinctive visual style that stands out among more conventional directorial approaches. With its uncanny atmosphere, the awkwardness that permeates the performances and the unusual succession of scenes, the film creates a singular cinematic experience and approaches its characters with tenderness and love.

The Best Actor Award was bestowed to: Alexis Kalofolias for his performance in Under the Judas Tree by Christos Houliaras

Director Christos Houliaras took the stage to receive the award on behalf of Alexis Kalofolias. He said, among other things, that Alexis is a wonderful person, widely known as a musician and translator. “From the very first moment I read the book, I saw Alexis and decided to make him an offer. We met up and he told me: “Let me guess, you want me to compose a music score for your film.” I said: “No, I want you to play in it.” He thought about it for a while, and exclaimed: “First, I’m not an actor, and second, I do not have a lisp.” I replied: “I know, that’s exactly what I want!”

Reasoning: The award for Best Actor goes to Alexis Kalofolias for his sincere and thoughtful performance, which approaches the character without judgment, treating him instead with humanity, empathy and respect.

The Best Actress Award was bestowed to: Alexis Bledel for her performance in Ponderosa by Rob Rice

Director Rob Rice took the stage to receive the award on behalf of Alexis Bledel, saying, among other things, that the film had three actors at its heart, and that Alexis’s portrayal is the most subdued one, attracting the least attention, so, it’s an immense honor that it is being recognized.

Reasoning: The award for the best actress goes to Alexis Bledel for her delicate performance. With reduced but vibrant expressive means she depicts the depth of the character’s inner world, which makes her interactions with the people around her plausible and convincing. Through her gaze she invites us to see the world, with all its fragility, pain and beauty.

The Best Artistic Achievement Award was bestowed to the film: Particles of Dust by Argyris Germanidis

Director Argyris Germanidis took the stage to receive the award. “Once again, I’d like to thank my collaborators for trusting me and following this film with eyes shut. I appreciate the Film Forward section so much. Thank you very much for this award.”

Reasoning: The Best Artistic Achievement Award goes to Particles of Dust, by Argyris Germanidis, for its inventive use of various image-making techniques and visual languages to explore a limbo world between spaces and times. A cinematic journey that awakens our cinephilia and connects us with our ghosts of the past and present.

PODCAST COMPETITION AWARDS

Eight Greek-speaking and two English-speaking podcasts took part in the Podcast Competition section, competing for the Best Podcast Award, accompanied by a 2,000-euro cash prize.

The jury is composed of:

Lina Giannarou (journalist)

Giannis Th. Diamantis (journalist-podcaster, actor)

Orestis Milios (voice actor, voice-over artist)

Jury members Lina Giannarou, Giannis Th. Diamantis and Orestis Milios took the stage to present the awards.

Prior to the awards’ announcement, Giannis Th. Diamantis referred to the selection choice, and the quality of the podcast nominees.

“Let us just say that we had to choose among ten podcasts of great quality, so a big shoutout for the Podcast Section of the Festival. The selection was a tough one, and it was truly interesting that when we started deliberating, we agreed that each would name their favorite one. All three, we had different picks, and that’s something to take into account.”

The Best Podcast Award was bestowed to the podcast: Tetris – The Coming of Age by Thomas Sideris

Reasoning: Choosing from among ten outstanding podcasts, the jury presents the award to Tetris – The Coming of Age by Thomas Sideris, for the simple, clear and often raw way in which it recounts the abuse of a boy growing up in 1980s Greece. For the way it handles neurodiversity without resorting to easy clichés, at a time when autism is still treated as a taboo. And for its inventive use of the Tetris music, whose relentless repetition serves the purpose of the narrative.

The award was presented by Giannis Th. Diamantis.

Upon receiving his award, Thomas Sideris praised TIFF as his favorite festival, as he has screened several of his documentaries in its official selection, and dedicated his award to his colleagues killed in Gaza.

A Special Mention was bestowed to the podcast: Radio Utopia, Radio Kivotos: The Story of Self-Managed Radio in Thessaloniki by Zinovia Sapouna

Reasoning: For bringing to light a bold initiative which, despite its inglorious end, offers inspiration and valuable lessons for today's media landscape. It examines in depth both the appeal and the challenges of collective action, while not shying away from exposing its dead ends.

The mention was presented by Orestis Milios.

Zinovia Sapouna took the stage to receive her award, saying that she has been attending the Festival ever since she was a student, and the Festival took place in the Society for Macedonian Studies. “I am very moved that after all these years I am receiving an award in my hometown’s Festival, even though I no longer live in Thessaloniki,” she said, thanking the jury and her partners, making special mention of the sound engineer Smaragda Stamoulakatou and her son, Yannis Loukarellis, who made the visual art design.

IMMERSIVE: ALL AROUND CINEMA AWARD

The competition section “Immersive: All Around Cinema” embraces creations that make use of high-end technologies to present different views of extended reality.

The jury is composed of:

Chema González (programmer and curator)

Andrey Lunev (innovation leader)

Poly Lykourgou (film critic and journalist)

Jury members Andrey Lunev, who presented the award, and Poly Lykourgou, who presented the special mention, took the stage.

“Good afternoon on our part. We thank the Festival for the chance to immerse ourselves in this world. We fully understand that the big screen takes center stage in a festival, as so it should, but believe me, it is worth taking the time and get immersed in these worlds, magical as they are, that make you not only see, but to feel and grasp the vision of each director,” mentioned Poly Lykourgou.

“Hello, it is a great pleasure to announce an award that foregrounds innovation, creativity and imagination, especially when it comes to storytelling. It is with great joy, therefore, that I announce that the Golden Alexander of the Immersive: All around Cinema competition is bestowed to the film Sunset Motel by Gilles Jobin.

The Immersive: All Around Cinema “Golden Alexander”, accompanied by a 2,000-euro cash prize, was bestowed to the film: Sunset Motel by Gilles Jobin

Reasoning: For its masterful use of space and its creation of a truly immersive experience, allowing us to move freely through a mysterious, otherworldly and uncanny universe - that felt at once enigmatic, seductively dangerous and, unexpectedly liberating. Drawing on the world of Thomas Ott’s graphic novel and the fluid choreography of Gilles Jobin, the work brought together outcasts, misfits, “monsters” in a celebration that challenged the boundaries between the familiar and the misunderstood, the human and the other. In this strange and beautiful universe, the outsiders became our hosts and, somewhere along the way, we found ourselves feeling at home.

“It was a tough task for us too to opt for a special mention and the Golden Alexander, as we watched a series of wonderful films. I am about to announce a really touching award, as the film made us cry while still wearing our masks. The award goes to Yesterday Maybe by Matthieu Van Eeckhout

A Special Mention was bestowed to: Yesterday Maybe by Matthieu Van Eeckhout

Reasoning: For its imaginative creation of multiple, unexpected worlds through which it explores the deeply personal, yet universally shared, experience of mourning and grief. Through the power of immersion, the work does not simply invite us to observe these worlds from the outside - it draws us into them, making us inhabit the emotional landscapes and confront our own losses, memories, pain. Beautiful. Touching. Heartbreaking.

MERMAID AWARD

The Mermaid Award is a prize for the best LGBTQIA+-themed film from the official selection of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, accompanied by a cash prize of 3,000 euros.

The jury is composed of:

Mike Gilbert (screenwriter and director)

David Moragas (writer, screenwriter and film director)

Smaro Papaevangelou (film editor and documentary filmmaker)

Jury members Mike Gilbert, David Moragas and Smaro Papaevangelou took the stage.

The Mermaid Award was bestowed to the film: Elephants in the Fog by Abinash Bikram Shah

The award was announced by Smaro Papaevangelou.

Reasoning: Elephants in the Fog captivated us with its singular visual imagination and its ability to create a deeply immersive cinematic universe. Through its mystical atmosphere and evocative landscapes, the film finds a captivating balance between spirituality, communal life and identity. We were impressed by its ambition and its confidence in its cinematic language, which led to a final sequence that will stay with us for a long time.

A Special Mention was bestowed to the film: Flesh and Fuel by Pierre Le Gall

The mention was announced by David Moragas.

Reasoning: We award a special mention to Flesh and Fuel, for its thoughtful approach to an unexpected love story, and for the genuine sense of tenderness and intimacy the film accomplishes.

A Special Mention was bestowed to the film: Masc by Bertil Nilsson

The mention was announced by Mike Gilbert.

Reasoning: We award a special mention to Masc, for a very original exploration of a fascinating character, with refreshing and highly creative choices made in both performance and direction.

ALPHA BANK ACCESSIBILITY AWARD

The Alpha Bank Accessibility Award is accompanied by a cash prize of 3,000 euros and is awarded to either an individual or a film that highlights accessibility issues in the arts.

Rouli Christopoulou, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Alpha Bank, took the stage to bestow the award.

“Good afternoon, I am a white woman of medium height, with bushy and curly hair. I wear a cream silk shirt and grey trousers. I stand behind the podium, which is on the left of the stage, while on my right is the interpreter of the Greek sign language. Why am I telling you all this, since you see me? Let’s suppose that you didn’t. In Greece, 1,035,000 citizens are disabled people. Among them, 7,7% have never been in a movie theater. Our collaboration with the Thessaloniki International Film Festival since 2019 has tried to bridge the gap. Audio description for the blind people, interpretation to the Greek sign language, subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, programmes in Braille, accessible digital content, and accessible venues for disabled people. This award, the Accessibility Award, bears this worldview. And this year’s film comes to challenge our views on disability and the so-called “normality”. With audacity and humour, and avoiding all melodrama and heroism, it reminds us in the best possible way that the world should broaden up to make room for people instead of people making changes to fit into the world. Therefore, it is our great pleasure to bestow this year’s Alpha Bank Accessibility Award - where else? - to the film Stand Up by Mari Sanders.

The Alpha Bank Accessibility Award was bestowed to the film: Stand Up by Mari Sanders

Director Mari Sanders took the stage to receive the award.

“So, I hope there’s room in my luggage to take this award back to the Netherlands. I thank you so much for this award. It means a lot to me, and I believe it means a lot to all disabled people out there. Here we are just pioneers, but out there, there is an entire artistic goldmine that waits to be discovered, whenever we talk of disability. Even when a story is not about disability, it can make characters richer and the story much more meaningful. I would like to share some famous words my father taught me. He died ten years ago and always told me the famous quote by Archimedes: “Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the Earth.” In my case, I need to sit down. I would also like to add something: Give disabled people the room to create and express themselves, and they will raise the world higher. I thank you,” he said.

Co-producer Katerina Tzourou added: “On behalf of the production, we thank you all for this award. It means a lot to us, and all those who worked in the film. As Greek producers, maybe a little naive, we thought it would be really easy to find support to make the film accessible. So, we contacted a lot of companies, we had many meetings, and we received many promises of support, but things turned out very very differently. As we tried almost everything, we finally reached out to EKKOMED and, after the completion of the film, when we could not find support, they ended up supporting the film. It was a valuable lesson for us, which showed us how things really work regarding accessibility. Nevertheless, we are grateful for the award and the recognition of this effort’s gravity. Thank you.”

Reasoning: At Alpha Bank, we believe that equal access to culture is a fundamental prerequisite for an inclusive society. Since 2019, through our partnership with the Thessaloniki Film Festival and the "Cinema for All" programme, we have been helping to remove the barriers that limit the participation of people with disabilities in cultural life. With the Alpha Bank Accessibility Award, which we established in 2022, we highlight films that challenge stereotypes and promote the visibility and equal representation of people with disabilities in cinema. This year's award goes to Stand Up by Mari Sanders. Through the story of a young woman who must redefine her life after an amputation, the film boldly and humorously challenges the limits of so-called "normality." By steering clear of melodrama and casting actors who themselves live with disabilities in the roles of disabled characters, the director makes room for authentic voices and experiences, overturning conventional cinematic narratives about disability. It is a film that does not ask people with disabilities to adapt to a world built without them, but instead invites us to ask why that world still treats them as the exception.

FISCHER AUDIENCE AWARDS

Fischer, the official sponsor of the Festival’s Audience Awards for a number of years, gave five prizes to the films that gathered the most votes from the audience: four prizes were awarded to international productions premiering in Greece at the Festival (in the Arrivals International Competition, Meet the Neighbors+, Film Forward, and Official Selection sections), as well as the “Michael Cacoyannis” award to a Greek film premiering at the Festival.

The awards were announced and presented by Ioanna Tsatsari, Senior Brand Manager at Fischer: “Today is of particular significance for Fischer, as we’ve been standing beside the Festival for many years, which is a testament not only to our love for cinema, but also for all that surrounds it. The discussions taking place after the screenings, the people we encounter, and the moments that are meaningful to us, yet that we don’t realize they will go on to become memories. This is what we believe at Fischer. Each memory, each experience has its own story, as well as a flavour of its own. And our most beautiful moments are those that will always stay within us. At this point, I’d like to extend my thanks to the Festival for our longtime collaboration, for everything it has built, and all that we’ve lived. My thanks also go to the filmmakers who shared with us their own distinct stories, and to the audiences who enjoyed them in the theaters.”

Fischer Audience Award - Arrivals International Competition:

To the film The Incomer, by Louis Paxton.

Fischer Audience Award - Meet the Neighbors+:

To the film Recrucified, by Theo Papadoulakis.

The award was accepted by the producer’s film, Ioanna Davi.: “It’s incredibly touching to be here with a book deeply cherished by Greek people, translated in 35 countries, and embraced with immense warmth by the audiences in Argentina, where we presented it 10 days prior. I’m delighted to be here in Thessaloniki and to share it with the Greek audience in its European debut,” she remarked and went on to thank the film’s contributors, while extending special thanks to the director. “A big thank you to Theo, without whom the film wouldn’t have been what it is today. We hope that Kazantzakis will be able to engage with younger audiences as well, because it’s important for these works to reach the next generation.”

Fischer Audience Award - >>Film Forward:

To the film Under the Judas Tree, by Christos Houliaras.

The director took the stage to receive his award: “I thank everyone involved in making this film. A wonderful book, written by Michalis Makropoulos, evolved into my own vision.”

Fischer Audience Award - Official Selection:

To the film Learning to Breathe Under Water, by Rebekah Fortune.

The film’s producer, Jack Tarling, took the stage to receive the award: “Thank you to the Festival and to the film’s supporters, its director, its scriptwriter, and my co-producer. I’m particularly delighted for this award and for the audience’s response. Thank you.”

Fischer Audience Award “Michael Cacoyannis” - Greek Film Festival:

To the film Apart, by Stelana Kliris.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI) AWARDS

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), comprising distinguished film critics, presents two awards: one to the best film of the International Competition section and one to the best Greek film that has its premiere at the Festival.

The jury is composed of:

Basant Mohamed Hassan Abdelrehim (Egypt)

Dimosthenis Xifilinos (Greece)

Sebahattin Şen (Türkiye)

Jury members Basant Mohamed Hassan Abdelrehim and Dimosthenis Xifilinos took the stage to present the awards.

The FIPRESCI Award to the best International Competition film was bestowed to the film: The Riverbank by Matheus Farias & Enock Carvalho

The award was presented by Basant Mohamed Hassan Abdelrehim.

Reasoning: FIPRESCI award for best film in the Arrivals International Competition goes to The Riverbank (A Margem do Rio) by Matheus Farias and Enock Carvalho. The film turns the mangroves of Recife into a space of both desire and resistance, and shows how religious and political power seeps into the most intimate areas of life through a striking cinematography that relies on the power of the camera.

The FIPRESCI Award to the best Greek film that has its premiere at the Festival was bestowed to the film: Under the Judas Tree by Christos Houliaras

The award was presented by Dimosthenis Xifilinos, while director Christos Houliaras took the stage to receive it.

“Let me thank my DoP, Yannis Simos, who captured my view of Tzoumerka, and we managed to portray it on the big screen,” mentioned Christos Houliaras.

Reasoning: FIPRESCI award for best Greek film goes to Under the Judas Tree for the remarkable minimalist adaptation of a novel, the flawless presentation of the almost deserted Greek villages and the capacity to handle delicate themes like friendship and betrayal, success and failure, without losing at the same time its focus on politics and immigration.

SMART7 AWARD

Aiming to foster the transnational circulation of European titles, the Smart7 film festival cooperation network features a Competition Section, presenting a selection of seven films (one from each member country) competing for the Smart7 Award, accompanied by a prize of 5,000 euros. The network is composed of the following film festivals: Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Greece), New Horizons International Film Festival (Poland), IndieLisboa International Film Festival (Portugal), Transilvania International Film Festival (Romania), FILMADRID International Film Festival (Spain), Reykjavik International Film Festival (Iceland), and Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris (Lithuania).

The jury is composed of:

Ángel Alcocer Testón

Afonso Branco

Wiktoria Gornowicz

Alexandrina Rusu

Ioanna Tsigarou-Taxopoulou

Armanda Urpšaitė

Arína Vala Þórðardóttir

The Smart7 Award was bestowed to the film: The Visitor by Vytautas Katkus

All jury members took the stage, and Afonso Branco announced the award.

Reasoning: For the ode to the places and people that brought us up. The Visitor presents us with a masterful cinematography that transcends the topic of emigration. With remarkable subtlety, Vytautas Katkus captures the contradictory feelings of longing and alienation, a profound tension between belonging and estrangement. A wander, both light-hearted and wistful, through the once familiar streets of the Lithuanian seaside becomes a journey into the character’s past – and, ultimately, an introspective voyage for the spectators. The fantasy world existing only through memories comes to life, allowing the viewer to experience the boredom and awkwardness of being caught in between. The director's touch of magical realism conveys those sensations with precision. The Smart7 Jury recognizes this film for its universal message, narrative space preserved for the viewer, poetic approach to storytelling and visual tenderness.

THESSALONIKI STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TSSO) AWARD

TIFF continues its collaboration with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra through the TSSO Award. The award honors a Greek or international film composer whose work, premiering in one of the Festival’s competition sections, features original orchestral music. The recipient will have the opportunity to record the soundtrack of their next film with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra.

The jury is composed of:

Miltos Logiadis (conductor and Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the Ionian University)

Antonis Sousamoglou (concertmaster of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra and composer)

Lazaros Tsavdaridis (composer)

The Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra Award was bestowed to: Enrico Ascoli and Céleste Thouin for the score of The Golden Age by Bérenger Thouin

The award was presented by jury member Antonis Sousamoglou, concertmaster of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra and composer.

“It is a great joy for us to live the moment when the magic of music is coupled with the magic of the moving images,” mentioned Mr. Sousamoglou.

Reasoning: The film’s score weaves together the narrative thread of a life unfolding across the decades; through its development of thematic material and harmonic language — as well as its distinct sonic palette — it functions as a constant, timeless point of reference. The committee’s rationale is intrinsically linked to the nature of the award, which includes the opportunity for a recording with a symphony orchestra, and therefore takes into account not only the effectiveness and compositional style of the music within the context of the specific film, but also its inherent affinity for the symphonic idiom. The Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra offers composers the opportunity to record the music for their next film with a full symphony orchestra, while also covering the musicians' fees and the technical costs of the recording — an undertaking with a total value of 20,000 euros.

HELLENIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION (ERT) AWARDS

The First Prize of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), a cash prize of 3,000 euros, is given to the Greek film selected by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), the Second Prize, a cash prize of 2,000 euros, is given to the Greek project that wins a distinction at the AGORA Works in Progress, while a third prize, the ERT Original Music Award, accompanied by a cash prize of 2,000 euros, is also bestowed.

The jury of the ERT Original Music Award is composed of:

Leonidas Antonopoulos (deputy director of the radio station KOSMOS 93.6)

Margarita Mytilinaiou (Head of ERT’s music radio stations)

Tassos Rossopoulos (composer, General Director of Radio & Music Ensembles at Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation)

The ERT Original Music Award was bestowed to: Alex Weston for the score of Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou

The award was presented by Aris Panagiotidis, CEO of ERT and member of the Board of Directors of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, while actress Maria Petrova took the stage to receive it.

Aris Panagiotidis stated: “Music, the film’s soundtrack, is what frames the film. It’s the way to escalate or de-escalate the action, it’s what creates a sweet confusion, transporting and enchanting us.”

Actress Maria Petrova said: “Unfortunately, Alex Weston isn’t here with us today, but we wish to warmly thank the Festival on his behalf.”

Reasoning: Once again this year, Greek cinema confirms that it is a living organism: restless, bold in its experimentation, its gaze fixed on our times and in constant dialogue with them. Music in film weaves a parallel narrative where words fall silent; it reveals what the images only imply, giving rhythm to every shot and breathing room to the viewer's gaze. This year, among films with distinctive and contemporary approaches, we were encouraged to see an ongoing search for a sound with its own identity, one that claims a meaningful and distinct role of its own in the story. This momentum fills us with high hopes for the future of film music composition in Greece. Among the films that rose to this challenge, one work stood out for its clear cinematic vision, aesthetic consistency and originality. And so, the ERT Award for Original Music for a Greek film premiering at the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival goes to Hold Onto Me and to Alex Weston, for a score that engages in a genuine dialogue with the film without ever trying to overpower it.

The ERT Award given to the Greek film selected by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) was bestowed to the film: Under the Judas Tree by Christos Houliaras

The award was presented by Aris Panagiotidis, CEO of ERT and member of the Board of Directors of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, while director Christos Houliaras took the stage to receive it.

Aris Panagiotidis remarked: “Good evening. It’s always a great joy and honor to be at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, in my capacity as the CEO of ERT, as a member of the Festival’s Board of Directors, as a producer, and as a citizen of this city. I’m delighted to be among colleagues, among people I know, respect, appreciate, and love. Before bestowing the awards, I wish to congratulate every single one of you who contributed to making this Festival a reality: the staff, the members of the Board of Directors, the volunteers. It’s also heartening to see all of the institutions, the Parliament, the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, and the Festival collaborating in such a harmonious manner. I hope that this is strengthened even further in the next few years. ERT is incredibly proud and glad to be working with the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, to provide people with the opportunity to make their dreams a reality. I heard wonderful things today. I’d like to thank all of you who make your dreams a reality, and that, with an incredible, cinematic way, we have the chance to see them on the big screen, where the lights are dimmed and we transcend to another dimension.”

The director, Christos Houliaras, said: “In turn, I’d like to thank ERT for this award. I just know filmmaking, so I won’t add anything further.”

“HUMAN VALUES” AWARD OF THE HELLENIC PARLIAMENT

The Hellenic Parliament presents its established “Human Values” award to an International Competition section film.

The jury is composed of:

Aris Fatouros (director, Program Consultant)

Vasilis Douvlis (director, Head of the Program Department)

Anna Kotzia (Program Selection)

The “Human Values” Award of the Hellenic Parliament was bestowed to the film: Stand Up by Mari Sanders

The award was presented by Efstratios Simopoulos, Member of Parliament for Thessaloniki A, on behalf of the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, while director Mari Sanders took the stage to receive it.

Efstratios Simopoulos stated: “The Award of the Hellenic Parliament will be bestowed to a film, which has a lot to do with issues of social inclusion and exclusion. It’s a documentary-like film that essentially presents inclusion issues while steering clear of melodrama, but imbuing in it plenty of humor. The "Human Values" Award of the Hellenic Parliament goes to the film Stand Up by Mari Sanders, a co-production between Greece and the Netherlands. In fact, the director is a wheelchair user. Allow me to add that, as the President of the Parliament’s Special Permanent Committee on Research and Technology, I very well know that technology aids in inclusion. We have innovations that offer people who use a wheelchair the possibility to place orders remotely, according to their needs; we have wheelchairs with the necessary settings, whereas other innovations exist, enabling people living with quadriplegia to play music. So, I think that innovation fosters inclusion. We have a typical example before our very eyes,” he said before giving the floor to Mari Sanders.

The director remarked: “Thank you so very much for this award. I’d also like to extend my thanks to the Festival for the invitation. I’m deeply moved by this award. I believe that 15% of the population, including film industry professionals, have some kind of impairment to face. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go in terms of inclusion. It’s crucial to invest in a European education network on inclusion issues. There are resources available out here, and we must find a way for them to reach professionals who have some form of disability. Sincere thanks to my producers, as well. Take care.”

Reasoning: The Hellenic Parliament awards the "Human Values" prize to a film from the International Competition program that, steering clear of melodramatic stereotypes, explores issues of disability and social exclusion with sincerity and sharp, self-deprecating humor, adopting an authentic, almost documentary-style approach.

HELLENIC FILM AND AUDIOVISUAL CENTER (EKKOMED) AWARDS

Within the framework of the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center (EKKOMED) bestowed two awards, while also granting a third one at the Agora Works in Progress. More specifically: the New Vision Award by EKKOMED, accompanied by a 6,000-euro cash prize, to a debutant director in a Greek production having its premiere in the official selection (“First Run”); the Location Award by EKKOMED, accompanied by a 2,000-euro prize, to a location manager (or the director, if no location manager is credited) of a film by a debutant director in a Greek production premiering in the official selection; as well as the AGORA Works in Progress Award by EKKOMED, accompanied by a 3,000-euro cash prize, to a Greek project participating in the AGORA Works in Progress.

The New Vision Award jury members were:

Iliana Zakopoulou (Promotion & Visibility Portfolio Manager)

Zoe Kandyla (Head of Greek Film Projects & Co-productions)

Dimitris Bouras (Film & Audiovisual Heritage Portfolio Manager)

The New Vision Award by EKKOMED, accompanied by a 6,000-euro cash prize, to a debutant director in a Greek production having its premiere in the official selection (“First Run”), was bestowed to: Konstantina Kotzamani for the film Titanic Ocean

The award was presented by Athena Kartalou, General Director of Greek Cinema, while director Konstantina Kotzamani took the stage to receive it.

Athena Kartalou stated: “Good evening. This year, our award has received an upgrade, a new name. It’s titled New Vision. With great delight, we meet once more with companies with which, we at EKKOMED, have been strong relationships, whether through one of our programs, or through cash rebate. With great pleasure, we bestow this award to Konstantina Kotzamani for the film Titanic Ocean.”

Konstantina Kotzamani remarked: “Thank you for this award. I wish to dedicate it to all the creators who test, try, fight, and stay loyal to their voice.”

Reasoning: Konstantina Kotzamani’s direction approached a classic myth, tied to youthful anxieties and coming of age, with boldness and an outward-looking spirit. Her expressive freedom and creative imagination resulted in a contemporary work with a distinctive style, accessible to international film audiences.

The Location Award jury members were:

Neoklis Mantas (Head of the Hellenic Film Commission)

Iliana Zakopoulou (Promotion & Visibility Portfolio Manager)

Michalis Tsagkarakis (Head of the Investment Programmes Unit)

The Location Award by EKKOMED, accompanied by a 2,000-euro prize, to a location manager (or the director, if no location manager is credited) of a film by a debutant director in a Greek production premiering in the official selection, was bestowed to: Manolis Kandaloleon, Location Manager of the film Recrucified by Theo Papadoulakis

The award was presented by Iliana Zakopoulou, Promotion & Visibility Portfolio Manager, while director Theo Papadoulakis took the stage to receive it.

Ioanna Davi said: “Crete is a wonderful canvas. I’d like to express my gratitude to the Crete Region, the Municipality of Chania, and to the Ministry of Culture, because we had some shoots take place within archaeological sites, and they were incredibly helpful in navigating this. Manolis Kandanoleon is formidable, and we extend our sincere thanks to him. We also wish to thank the jury and each one of you.”

Reasoning: The historic harbour and multicultural architecture of the Old Town quarters of Chania, combined with the wild beauty of the rugged Cretan hinterland, were a clear artistic choice for building a future dystopian world rooted in a mythical past. The inventive handling of the locations, in full harmony with the film’s art direction, conjures a distinct artistic universe, permeated by the paradoxical coexistence of primordial myths, archetypal characters under neon lights and visions projected on LED screens.

J.F. COSTOPOULOS FOUNDATION AWARD

The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, instituted in 2019 the J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Award in the context of the Thessaloniki Film Festival. The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Award is given to the film that contributes to the development of Greek cinema, highlights contemporary concerns, and fuels dialogue through a fully realized creative vision. Eligible films are those of the Greek program that premiere at the Festival.

The jury is composed of:

Betty Kaklamanidou (Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

Harry Lagoussis (filmmaker)

Amerissa Basta (filmmaker)

The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Award was bestowed to the film: A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra by Jacqueline Lentzou

The award was presented by Betty Kaklamanidou, Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, while director Jacqueline Lentzou took the stage to receive it.

“I dearly thank the J.F. Costopoulos Foundation and the Festival for giving our film the chance to compete and get noticed by so many juries. I did not expect that at all, and I am so thrilled!” said Jacqueline Lentzou.

Reasoning: This year, the J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Award goes to A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra by Jacqueline Lentzou. Through the story of a coming of age that is violently interrupted, the film stood out for its bold and sensitive social perspective and for its inventive blend of realism and the metaphysical, which shapes a personal cinematic voice.

FINOS FILM AWARD

For the third consecutive year, Finos Film bestows an award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, distinguishing a Greek film that premieres at the Greek Film Festival section.

The jury is composed of:

Barbara Dukas (director, Head of DISFF Pitching Lab)

Spyros Iakovidis (director and screenwriter)

Haris Mazarakis (director and screenwriter)

The Finos Film Award was bestowed to the film: Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou

The award was announced and presented by Finos Film representative Stathis Kamvassinos, whereas the message of Myrsini Aristidou, who could not attend the awards’ ceremony, was read by Eleni Androutsopoulou, head of the Greek Film Festival.

“We thank you so much for this significant distinction. It is a great honour for us to be awarded by such a historic production company such as Finos Film. This award gives us a huge boost for making our next steps. Eleni Androutsopoulou went on to add: “We thank the jury and our co-producers EKKOMED and ERT for their trust. Without them, this important Greek participation wouldn’t have made it to the Festival. Who also thank from the bottom of our hearts producer Monika Nikolaidou and director Myrsini Aristidou, who gave their heart and soul for this film, and of course all of our partners. Way to go, girls!”

Reasoning: The jury presents the Finos Film Award to Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou, recognizing a cinematic work that stands out for its humanity, narrative restraint and directorial maturity. The characters do not function as narrative devices, but as complete, three-dimensional beings, with contradictions, sensitivities and a journey that concerns and moves us. The outstanding acting of the cast, the meaningful integration of a sense of place, which makes the location an integral part of the film’s world, and the spare storytelling, free of unnecessary interventions, combine into a result of particular truth and emotional power. Myrsini Aristidou’s direction has the rare mastery to trust the story and its people, following them with sensitivity and precision, without imposing itself on them.

YOUTH JURY AWARDS BY THE STUDENTS OF THE THESSALONIKI UNIVERSITIES

The Youth Jury, comprising students of the School of Film of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, presented the Best Film Award and the Special Jury Award. Eligible for these awards are Greek films premiering at the Greek Film Festival.

Youth Jury supervisor: Apostolos Karakasis (Associate Professor and Head of the School of Film, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

The jury is composed of:

Eleni Kotta

Evangelos Bismpas

Eleni Xenidou

Aikaterini Tzoiti

Rafailia Chouliara

The Best Film Award of the Youth Jury was bestowed to the film: Recrucified by Theo Papadoulakis

The award was presented by Rafailia Chouliara, while the film’s producer Ioanna Davi took the stage to receive it.

“I am even happier we got this award. Let me thank all the art crew of the film, DoP Nikos Welter, production designer Giorgos Georgiou for the excellent set design, Natassa Sari for the costumes, Minos Matsas for the extraordinary music, and I truly hope that all young people watch this film. I thank you so much!” mentioned Ms. Davi.

The Special Youth Jury Award was bestowed to the film: Titanic Ocean by Konstantina Kotzamani

The award was presented by Eleni Xenidou, while director Konstantina Kotzamani took the stage to receive it.

“I thank you so much for this award. We make films about the coming-of-age in our own way, so as to teach ourselves how to grow up.”

WIFT GR AWARD

The WIFT GR Award is presented by the Greek Chapter of WIFT (Women in Film & Television) to a film from the Arrivals International Competition, Meet the Neighbors+ or Film Forward Competition for the best woman’s contribution and presence in front of or behind the camera.

The jury is composed of:

Marianna Kaplatzi (film curator/film researcher and cultural project manager)

Zoe Manta (cinematographer)

Maria Douza (director/screenwriter and WIFT GR board member)

The WIFT GR Award was bestowed to the film: A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra by Jacqueline Lentzou

The award was presented by Maya Skopetea, WIFT GR coordinator, while director Jacqueline Lentzou took the stage to receive it. “Thank you so very much. It’s an honor for us. And we also had women in the production. It’s truly a great honor. The film will have its premiere in Athens at WIFT, so you’ll have the joyous opportunity to see it.”

Reasoning: The films watched by the jury demonstrated exceptional artistic merit and a diversity of compelling cinematic approaches, making the final selection an especially difficult task. Ultimately, choosing boldness and formal experimentation through a female perspective as our guiding criteria, we award the WIFT GR Award to A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra by Jacqueline Lentzou, in recognition of its originality and the tenderness with which it approaches a coming-of-age story, bringing everyday life into dialogue with the metaphysical. With unwavering artistic consistency and a clear sense of purpose, Lentzou crafts a poetic work that celebrates the vitality and drive of youth as a force for discovering both the world and the self.

GREEK ASSOCIATION OF FILM CRITICS (PEKK) AWARD

As every year, the Greek Association of Film Critics (PEKK) bestowed its award to the best film of the Greek Program at the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The award is presented following a decision of the special General Assembly of all PEKK members who have attended the Festival. The PEKK Award was given to a Greek film of the Greek Film Festival 2026.

The PEKK Award was bestowed to the film: Particles of Dust directed by Argyris Germanidis.

The award was presented by Yorgos Papadimitriou, Secretary General of PEKK, while director Argyris Germanidis took the stage to receive it. “Thank you so very much. I’d like to thank, first and foremost, my collaborators, who helped make this film, the jury, the audience, and the Festival for its trust.”

Reasoning: For its resourceful and genuine hybrid identity that interweaves archival footage and artificially crafted material, for the harmonious integration of targeted literary references into the filmic body, and the exemplary use of the expressive means, which foregrounds cinema's nature as a transcendental ark of dreams and memory, the Greek Association of Film Critics bestows its award to a film that embodies and proposes a bold and hand-made cinema, placing emphasis on the very form of cinema narrative, beyond and away from the dominant structures and conventions. The awarded film is none other than Particles of Dust directed by Argyris Germanidis.

CREW UNITED AWARD

The Crew United Award is given to a director of a Greek film participating in the Arrivals, Meet the Neighbors+ or >>Film Forward international competition sections. The winner receives a 5-year free Premium membership subscription at Crew United, the leading online networking platform connecting audiovisual professionals in Europe, which also operates in Greece.

The Crew United Award was bestowed to director: Christos Houliaras for the film Under the Judas Tree

Director Christos Houliaras took the stage to receive the award. “I’d like to thank, first and foremost, the production, Marni Films, Theodora, Mina, Iro. Without their complete support, I don’t think this film would have been made. Thanks to all the contributors, and primarily to actor, Alexis Kalofolias, for his trust in me.”

Reasoning: The Crew United Award goes to a film that creates a haunting atmosphere through its cinematography, subtle storytelling, and powerful performances. A film where the landscape becomes an essential part of the narrative, its striking beauty contrasting with the suffocating atmosphere of a small community. With a quiet sense of mystery, it explores loneliness, regret, and the emotional void left by the choices we make — or fail to make — throughout our lives.

THE AGORA AWARDS

Amidst a warm and festive ambiance, the Agora of the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival bestowed its awards at a special event held on Wednesday, November 11th, at Warehouse C. Orestis Andreadakis, the Festival’s Artistic Director, Thanos Stavropoulos, the new Head of the Agora, and Rafaella Karagianni, General Coordinator of the Agora, welcomed the audience and spoke about the six very creative days that had just passed and the projects that were presented, while also thanking the sponsors and partners of the Agora.

CROSSROADS CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDS

This year’s Crossroads Co-production Forum Jury was composed of Ioanna Bolomyti, Producer and Founder of Atalante Productions SA (Greece), Fred Burle, Producer at One Two Films (Germany), Linda Mutawi, Producer at Fikra (Sweden), as well as the ArteKino International Award juror, Remi Burah, CEO of Arte France Cinéma (France).

The FRENEL Post Lab Post-Production Award, which offers image post-production services, was bestowed by producer Alexis Anastasiadis and colorist Dimitris Manousiakis to the project:

They Bloom at Dawn Director: Angela Dimeska, Production: Ognen Antov - Dream Factory, North Macedonia (MIDPOINT Institute project)

Reasoning:

“Life is full of surprises. It's sad, it's traumatic, but it's also beautiful. Like the nature it portrays, these characters will also renew themselves and find ways to support each other even when they can't find the words for it. This is a project that has a strong visual potential and a story that will resonate across borders. In fact, it's a project that wants to break walls both in front of and behind the cameras, led by a director and a producer in sync, who moved us with their perfect pitch. The jury decided unanimously that the FRENEL Post-Production Award goes to They Bloom at Dawn by Angela Dimeska, produced by Ognen Antov”.

The CNC Award - Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, accompanied by a cash prize of €8,000 for script development, was bestowed by Céline Leclercq, Head of International Co-productions, to the project:

A Pair of Shoes in the Dark Corner of the Moon Director: Ayman El Amir, Production: Nada Riyadh - Felucca Films, Egypt

Reasoning:

“We are sold dreams every day: on our screens, in our headlines, in the promises of those in power. But what happens when the dream is all you are given? This is a story about the hunger to be truly seen, a story that made us laugh and then made us think about why we were laughing. With sharp satire and real tenderness, this story looks at a society that sells dreams in place of futures, and at a community that longs above all to be seen. A project with a bold, original voice and a world drawn from deep knowledge of the place and people it portrays. The jury decided that the CNC Award for script development goes to A Pair of Shoes in the Dark Corner of the Moon by Ayman El Amir, produced by Nada Riyadh”.

The ArteKino International Award, accompanied by a cash prize of €6,000, was bestowed by ArteKino International Award juror and CEO of Arte France Cinéma, Remi Burah, to the project:

In Those Darkest Nights Director: Gözde Kural, Production: Titus Kreyenberg - unafilm, Türkiye, Germany (Sofia Meetings project)

Reasoning:

“With biting humour and a rare sense of the absurd, the film turns a quarrel over a window and a flag into a portrait of a country where ideology seeps into the most intimate corners of everyday life. We were won over by the clarity of its premise, the boldness of its tone and the singular voice of its director, and we are happy to support it at this early stage of its journey”.

The Finos Film Award, accompanied by a cash prize of €3,000 to a Greek project, was bestowed by Stathis Kamvassinos, Head of Communication and representative of Finos Film, to the project:

Koukitsa Director: Christina Koutsospyrou, Aran Hughes, Production: Jacob Moe - Archipelago Network, Greece

Reasoning:

“Some stories refuse to be buried. They survive through whispers, legends and the fears of those who would rather forget. Rooted in Greek folklore, this project transforms a woman's tragic fate into a haunting exploration of oppression, grief and collective guilt. With its striking visual ambition and bold cinematic language, it promises an atmospheric journey into the darkness of the past. The jury has decided that the Finos Film Award goes to Koukitsa, directed by Christina Koutsospyrou and Aran Hughes, and produced by Jacob Moe”.

The Producers Network – Marché du Film Award, which offers a free accreditation for the next edition of the Marché du Film, was bestowed by Aleksandra Zakharchenko, Head of Industry Programs at the Marché du Film, to producer:

Sarra Ben Hassen, producer of the project A Touch of Paradise, Tunisia

Reasoning:

“Behind every bold cinematic vision stands a producer who believes in its potential and has the determination to bring it to life. We wanted to recognise a producer whose work reflects a commitment to distinctive voices, artistic ambition and stories that engage with the world around us. Someone who understands that producing is not only about making films happen, but also about building bridges between people, cultures and creative perspectives. The jury has decided that the Producers Network – Marché du Film Award goes to Sarra Ben Hassen, producer of A Touch of Paradise”.

The MIDPOINT Consulting Award, which offers an in-depth online script consultancy with one of the MIDPOINT Institute experts, was bestowed to the project:

The Arab of Your Dreams Director: Patrick Tass, Production: Annabella Nezri - Kwassa Films, Belgium (Mediterranean Film Institute project)

Reasoning:

“Who decides who we are allowed to be? On screen and off, Arab men have too often been stripped of complexity and agency, reduced to images projected onto them by others. Queer Arab men have been given even less space to claim their own identity outside of objectification. This project confronts those images head-on, exploring masculinity, desire and the gap between fantasy and self, with humour that comes from discomfort and honesty that comes from lived experience. It asks what it means to reclaim your own body and your own story, and it does so with courage and wit. A fearless, personal and timely voice, we believe in-depth script consultancy can help this bold debut find the precise balance its subject demands. The MIDPOINT Consulting Award goes to The Arab of Your Dreams, directed by Patrick Tass and produced by Annabella Nezri”.

Independent Awards:

The Greener Screen Consultancy Award, offering consultation on sustainability practices before and during the film shooting, was bestowed by Basam Alassad, Chief Content Officer, to the film:

This Is Not a Set Director: Yumna Marwan, Production: Rula Nasser - Imaginarium Films, Lebanon, Jordan

The Greener Screen Consultancy Award comes with a prize worth 7,000 euros, including a tailored green production plan for the winning project, virtual training for the project’s eco manager, ongoing support for the eco manager throughout production, as well as optional “Greener Script” consultancy sessions for the screenwriter, director and producer.

Reasoning:

“This Is Not a Set by Yumna Marwan stood out for the team’s genuine commitment to sustainable filmmaking despite the challenges of shooting in Lebanon. During our meeting, they shared questions about creative and practical ideas for greener production, not because it was required or would attract additional funding, but because they believed it was the right thing to do. For me, the connection between the film’s exploration of representation and its impact on communities, and the team’s sense of responsibility toward how it was made, reflects the spirit of the Greener Screen Award”.

The Sofia Meetings Award, which gives the chance to the winning project to take part in the upcoming edition of Sofia Meetings, held in March 2027, was bestowed by Mira Staleva, Head of Sofia Meetings, to the film:

This Is Not a Set Director: Yumna Marwan, Production: Rula Nasser - Imaginarium Films, Lebanon, Jordan

Reasoning: “Filmmaking is a team effort. We are especially happy about this award, which goes to a project that manages to strike a balance between an ambitious undertaking and a harsh reality.”

The Mediterranean Film Institute “George Kalogeropoulos” Award - Script 2 Film Workshop Scholarship was bestowed by Leda Dialyna, Coordinator of the MFI, to two projects of the Crossroads Co-production Forum:

Fuoristagione Director: Isabella Rinaldi, Production: Joana de Freitas Ginori - Ulalà Film & Co., Italy

And

In Those Darkest Nights Director: Gözde Kural, Production: Titus Kreyenberg - unafilm, Türkiye, Germany (Sofia Meetings project)

Reasoning:

“This year, we were impressed by the diversity and creative ambition of the projects presented at Crossroads. So, we have decided to give our award to two projects instead of one. The first project stood out for its sensitivity and distinctive perspective on adolescence, memory and loss. Through an intimate portrait of friendship, it offers a deeply personal and evocative exploration of identity, belonging and the fleeting nature of youth. We are delighted to present our first award to Fuoristagione, by Isabella Rinaldi, produced by Joana de Freitas Ginori. Our second choice reflects a different, yet equally compelling cinematic approach. We were particularly drawn to its bold use of absurdity and dark humour to explore political and social realities. The project approaches questions of freedom, identity and belonging in a way that feels both highly personal and strikingly contemporary. Our second award goes to In Those Darkest Nights, by Gözde Kural, produced by Titus Kreyenberg. We are very happy to welcome both projects to the MFI development program and look forward to accompanying them on their creative journey”.

The THESSALONIKI EAVE Marketing Workshop Scholarship 2027 was bestowed by EAVE Project Manager Sarah Van Den Hoogen to:

Nada Riyadh, producer of the project A Pair of Shoes in the Dark Corner of the Moon, Egypt

Reasoning: “We are very happy for AGORA to give the EAVE Marketing Workshop scholarship to Nada Riyadh this year! Nada shows very clear motivation to develop her marketing skills to implement in her current and future projects. This moment in her career as a producer, her drive and spirit are a great fit for this workshop and we are very excited to welcome an Egyptian producer to Luxembourg in 2027. Congratulations, Nada!”

AGORA WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARDS

This year’s AGORA Works in Progress Jury was composed of Maria Drandaki, Producer and Founder of Homemade Films (Greece), Wouter Jansen, Founder and Head of Sales & Acquisitions of Square Eyes (Austria) and Gabriela Trujillo, Programmer at Quinzaine des cinéastes / Directors’ Fortnight - Cannes FF (France).

This year’s awards are:

The Two Thirty-Five (2|35) Award, which offers post-production services to a project, was bestowed by the representative of Two Thirty-Five (2|35), Nikos Moutselos, to the film:

The Crossroad Director: Mari Gulbiani, Production: Kate Kalandarishvili - MIDIFILM, Georgia

Reasoning:

“For its ambition to craft a road movie across arid lands marked by hostility; for its documentary-inspired perspective on the resilience of those women left behind by men, war, and religion; and for its embrace of imagination as their most powerful weapon, the Two Thirty-Five (2|35) Award goes to The Crossroad by Mari Gulbiani”.

The 119 Marvila Studios Award, which offers sound mixing services to a project, was bestowed by sound editor Roland Vajs to the film:

The Law of the Flies Director: Tunahan Kurt, Production: Zeynep Ekmekci - FARO, Türkiye

Reasoning:

“For the originality of its setting, unfolding against the backdrop of an unfamiliar city; for its portrayal of young characters challenging the unwritten rules of a man's world; for the new horizons it opens up for them; and for its luminous evocation of teenage love, the 119 MARVILA STUDIOS award goes to The Law of the Flies by Tunahan Kurt”.

The AGORA Works in Progress Award by EKKOMED, accompanied by a €3,000 cash prize to a Greek project, was bestowed by the CEO of EKKOMED, Leonidas Christopoulos, to the film:

Mignon Director: Sofia Georgovassili, Production: Antigone Rota, Stelios Cotionis - Foss Productions, Vasilis Chrysanthopoulos - Plays2place, Co-production: Irina Malcea-Candea - Luna Film, Faye Tsitsipi - MagentaTV, Greece, Romania

Reasoning:

“For its lively portrait of youth in the 1990s, and its vibrant depiction, from a female perspective, of the passage from teenage trust to adulthood, from innocence to guilt and liberation, the AGORA WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARD BY EKKOMED goes to Mignon by Sofia Georgovassili”.

The ERT AGORA Works in Progress Award, accompanied by a €2,000 cash prize to a Greek project, was bestowed by Christos Kazantzidis, General Director of ERT3, to the project:

Avanos Director: Panagiotis Charamis, Production: Alexis Tsoukalas - Pan Entertainment, Greece

Reasoning:

“For its energetic reimagining of the Western genre, and for its willingness to confront the legacy of ancestral violence in a debut feature, the ERT AGORA Works in Progress Award goes to Avanos by Panagiotis Charamis”.

The Neaniko Plano Subtitling Award was bestowed by Katerina Zampeli of Neaniko Plano to the project:

Río Masacre Director: Sylvie Weber, Production: Anouk Shad - Ripe GmbH, Co-production: Lukas Rinner - Nabis Filmgroup, Austria

Reasoning:

“For its nuanced portrayal of a bicultural upbringing and the vibrant landscapes it invites us to discover and explore, the Neaniko Plano Subtitling Award goes to Río Masacre by Sylvie Weber”.

Independent Award:

ONASSIS FILM AWARD

The Onassis Film Award – with a cash prize of 10,000 euros – was granted this year to a Greek project participating in the Agora Works in Progress section.

The Onassis Film Award was bestowed by Curatorial Consultant, Vasso Vasilatou and Head of Productions, Vassilis Panagiotakopoulos to the film:

Mignon Director: Sofia Georgovassili, Production: Antigone Rota, Stelios Cotionis - Foss Productions, Vasilis Chrysanthopoulos - Plays2place, Co-production: Irina Malcea-Candea - Luna Film, Faye Tsitsipi - MagentaTV, Greece, Romania

The reasoning of the jury:

“The Onassis Film Award goes to a compelling, sharp story about the end of innocence. A bold film with a suffocating atmosphere, exploring the limits of human endurance, the abuse that fuels closed social systems, the intensity of teenage friendship, the impulse to take risks and the inner strength of the powerless. The award goes to Mignon, directed by Sofia Georgovassili”.

The jury of the Onassis Film Award, under the direction of the Head of Culture and Artistic Director of the Onassis Foundation, Afroditi Panagiotakou, is composed of:

Dimitris Theodoropoulos, Executive Director of the Onassis Foundation

Vasso Vasilatou, Curatorial Consultant

Elizampetta Ilia Georgiadou, Screenwriter

Vassilis Panagiotakopoulos, Producer

AGORA SERIES TALENTS AWARD

Two awards were presented at the newly established Agora Series Talents programme, which is addressed to series screenwriters.

The Crew United Award was presented by Venia Vergou and Iris Asimakopoulou to Selini Papageorgiou, who participated with her project Heavy.

Reasoning: “The Crew United Award goes to a project that explores, with sharp humor and a fresh, pop perspective, how our bodies become battlegrounds for expectations, judgment, and the need for acceptance. A witty and honest take on the pressures we put on ourselves and each other, and the struggle to break free: Heavy, by Selini Papageorgiou.”

The winner receives a 5-year free Premium membership subscription at Crew United, the leading online networking platform connecting audiovisual professionals in Europe.

A new award entry this year is the Heart of the Project Mentoring Award. It was presented by Elena Christopoulou, Workshops and Training Facilitator, to Matina Galatsianou, who participated with her project Ahinos.

Reasoning: “For bridging inner and outer lived experience, and exploring the space between myth and reality, truth and silence, relationships and personal memory, the Heart of the Project award goes to Matina Galatsianou and her project Ahinos.”

The winner receives two mentoring sessions for honing the necessary inner skills to represent her project in her future market/festival endeavours.