The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - "Images of the 21st Century" has been a challenge from the start. From its inception, it has aimed to be at the same time a reflection of reality, a spark for social awareness, an event of substantial entertainment, a meeting point for film proffessionals, a field for the development of international coproductions and a rich, timely and piercing collection of images which are characteristic of our times. These being its aspirations, the Images of the 21st Century reflect the aspects of the modern world, explore the past and hearken to the future.

I believe that today, five years later, the Festival has achieved its initial goals and thus ranks among the most important events of this kind. This development justifies the creation of such a festival in Thessaloniki, while at the same time setting even higher aims for the future. The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival must not rest on its laurels, but must expand its activities further, meeting new challenges and remaining in the heart of current developments. Certain changes towards this goal were imperative.

For the first time this year, the Festival's duration will be extended to ten days, in order to present a fuller programme. Moreover, in an effort to enhance the interest in Greek film production, an official Competition Section has been established for Greek documentaries. The five-member Jury will give three awards accompanied by cash prizes. I believe that these two innovations, combined with the increased number of both the screenings and the guests, will maintain the lively participation of the public and will offer even greater opportunities to film professionals to promote and exchange their views.

At the same time, the 5th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival will remain faithful to the five main axes of its programme: Views of the World, Stories to Tell, Portraits, Habitat and the Recording of Memory make up the main body of the international program, which apsires to shed light on the different and often conflicitng aspects of reality.

Two older and especially popular sections have returned to the programme: Music Through the Lens and Night Shadows, which make up a separate zone, raising the stakes with daring explorations in both contemporary music and the alternative documentary genre. Spotlights on figures from Greece, France and the US will give the public the opportunity to get to know or to remember the work of significant and pioneering artists.

"Contemporary Issues: Palestine" tries, through recent productions, to take a closer look at the devastating results of a war which concerns us all, and especially the children of that region. In the context of this section, there will also be a series of side-bar events. The International Doc Market and the Pitching Forum 2003 aim primarily at the enhancement of the production, funding, distribution and sale of documentaries through collaboration and productive dialogue. A concert and an exhibition complete the picture of a Festival which remains in the heart of current events, trying to understand, influence and affect developements, its gaze forever turned towards new horizons.