Its geographical position at the centre of Northern Greece and at the base of the Balkan peninsula, makes Thessaloniki the ideal location for Balkan countries to meet and present their new films. That is why the Balkan Survey section, which began in 1994, immediately met with an enthusiastic response among all Balkan countries, while at the same time being especially appreciated by the Festival's western guests, who were given a rare opportunity to experience another side of the Balkans, beyond that which is presented by the western press.

As early as 1995, the festival administration won an honourable mention by the FIPRESCI jury for the selection and presentation of this program.

Each year, the Balkan Survey presents a selection of new films from all over the Balkans. Films from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and Yugoslavia and from directors such as Goran Markovic, Milcho Manchevski, Erden Kiral, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Peter Popzlatev, Metod Pevec, Krassimir Kroumov, Vinco Bresan, Mircea Daneliuc, Zeki Demirkubuz, Ljubisa Samardzic, Vladimir Prifti and Goran Paskaljevic.

There have also been tributes to the work of Omer Kavur, Zivojin Pavlovic and Eduard Zahariev, as well as a complete retrospective of the films of Lucian Pintillie. In 1997, a memorable section of the Balkan Survey, entitled "Times and Turmoil", presented films dealing with the dramatic events that had recently shaken the Balkans.

"In Thessaloniki, I had the feeling that the situation for cinema in the Balkans is getting better and better".
Lucian Pintillie