With 92,000 spectators and visitors at screenings in physical venues and online, as well as at events, the 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival called it a wrap. From October 30th to November 9th, this year’s edition hosted premieres, fascinating discussions, masterclasses, exhibitions, and parties. It welcomed glamorous figures of world cinema, including Isabelle Huppert, Indya Moore, Frederick Elmes, Yorgos Tsemberopoulos, Alexander Payne, Daniele Luchetti, György Pálfi, Trine Dyrholm, Ildikó Enyedi, Nanouk Leopold, Jim Sclavunos, Tan Dun. And even our beloved chef Sotiris Kontizas, who was this year’s Agora Ambassador, as well as Stefanos Rokos and Fokion Xenos, who designed the Festival’s posters and spots.
In total, 188 out of the 337 screenings were sold out. During the 11 days of the Festival, 8 masterclasses took place, which were open to the public, drawing great participation from students and young people. Over 3,500 podcasts were streamed as part of the Festival’s podcast section, while over 500 XR screenings were held within the framework of its 66th edition. Audiences filled Sister Sylvester’s immersive experience Drinking Brecht.
As part of the Agora’s development activities, 640 meetings were held among 717 film industry professionals from Greece and abroad. We hope these exchanges will soon develop into new projects, scripts, and films. A total of 167 films were made available to professionals and journalists alike at the Agora Film Market through Cinando.
More than 2,000 visitors have explored the Festival’s exhibition, titled “Plot Twist (the science fiction change),” which marked the official opening of the Biennale 9. The exhibition will continue until November 16th at the MOMus-Experimental Center for the Arts.
This year, 32 Greek feature films and 30 short films were screened, nine in the official competition sections: three in the International Competition Section, three in the Meet the Neighbors+ Competition Section, and three in the >>Film Forward Competition Section. In addition to the nine Greek films showcased in the competition sections, 23 more, crafted by emerging or established directors, were screened as part of the 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s official program. The filmmakers, the actors, and the films’ contributors came to Thessaloniki to present their films, engage with the audience, participate in the activities of the Agora, and meet with leading industry professionals of the audiovisual sector from around the world.
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival supports the Drama International Short Film Festival. It welcomed the award-winning directors who, within the framework of the Agora as well as through screenings of their films in the 66th edition, had the opportunity to network and connect with other professionals.
Let's look back at some of our finest moments at the 66th TIFF:
