The Festival has the national assignment to screen in the Panorama of Greek Cinema section all local films produced during the year. Their screening will entitle them to vie for the State Cinema Awards which will be handed out during a special gala the day following the Festival's international award ceremony.

A record number of 25 local fiction films plus 4 co-productions and 7 documentaries, backed by the Greek Film Center and private producers, will be screened this year. Notable this time is the presence in the various sections of the event, ranging from the International Competition-two titles-to the Panorama of Greek Cinema, of the Cyprus led co-productions directed by Greek-Cypriot directors.

The notably increased output of local titles led the Festival to beef up the facilities already put in place last year to enhance the promotion of this product not only with the local audience but also with foreign sales agents, distributors and International Film Festivals as well as with the Greek and foreign press.

Forty plus international film business executives will travel to the Festival invited by The Greek Film Department which oversees the effort in favor of local productions.

Such effort will run hand in hand with the huge promotion campaign traditionally organized at the Festival by the Greek Film Center and its Hellas Film promotion and distribution department.

The GFC will hold November 12 and 13 in collaboration with the Festival a two-day workshop on Distribution and Promotion for European Films with the participation of invited sales agents and distributors from Europe such as Trust Film Sales' Lissy Bellaiche, Orfeo Films Intnl's Christa Saredi, Celluloid Dreams' Tanja Meissner, Peppermint 's Thomas Selzle and others.

Please find more information on the effort in favor of Greek films in the attachment Greek Films

The presentation of the Greek films will also boast its part of stars. The noted Spanish actress Angela Molina starring in the Greek-German co-production Anna's Summer by Jeanine Meerapfel will come to Thessaloniki to be present at the premiere of the film and to take part in the International Awards ceremony and closing gala of the event.

Valeria Golino and George Corraface will enhance with their presence the premiere of Andreas Pantzis' new offer, Word Of Honor.