From 1992 to the present, the New Horizons program has remained an indicator of the developments taking place in the art of cinema. An art which has the power to document the variety of human experience, while at the same time expressing the cultural developments of the times and remaining a perennial favorite of the public. By bringing to the fore authentic examples of a cinema which stands out both for the style and the views of its creators, New Horizons have consistently won "the wager" with Thessaloniki's filmgoing public. Eschewing the conventionality of the big production studios and the limits of entertainment, the aim of New Horizons continues to be the discovery of new forms of expression and exploration of issues, as well as of new filmmakers who are not afraid of being original and taking risks.

Atom Egoyan, Abbas Kiarostami, Michael Haneke, Hal Hartley, Christopher Nolan, Sergei Bodrov: these are only a few of the film directors who have become established in their field and to whom we were first introduced at New Horizons screenings.

New Horizons look to the future optimistically, as they discover the multi-faceted activities of young directors who give new life to the cinematic landscape. For this reason, this year's selection is focused mostly on young filmmakers.

An invitation and challenge to all cinephiles, our program offers them the opportunity to discover the hidden treasures which the cinema of the future has in store for us. Our motive has always been the promotion of the most progressive trends in modern film. However, distinguished filmmakers, who continue to explore the avant-garde aspects of their craft, are also present this year, such as Abbas Kiarostami with his latest feature,10; Takeshi Kitano with his film Dolls; Larry Clark with his provocative film Ken Park; as well as Claire Denis with Friday Night.

Especially noteworthy among this year's program are the tributes to three independent filmmakers who have gained international acclaim and whose work will be presented in Greece for the first time. These are: a selection of six films by Mexican director Jaime Umberto Hermosillo, accompanied by the publication of a monograph; a retrospective of the entire oeuvre of the award-winning Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo, as well as that of Italy's Aurelio Grimaldi, including his fascinating trilogy inspired by the life and works of Pier Paolo Pasolini.

The presentation of the well-known visual artist Shirin Neshat, with a retrospective of her video installations, will be an event of unique interest.

The long tradition of New Horizons in side-bar events continues again this year with a photography exhibition entitled "Glimpses of Iran", which will be held in collaboration with Tehran's Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition includes 80 photographs by Iranian artists, illustrating everyday life and the political developments in modern-day Iran.

New Horizons will also be organizing a concert with the renowned Finnish group Pan Sonic, well-known from its collaboration with artists such as Bjork, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Suicide and KLF, as well as by its appearances at the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Last but not least, the New Horizons poster for this year has been designed by yet another illustrious Greek artist, the eminent Greek painter Yorgos Lazongas.

Dimitri Eipides

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