Your Guide to the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival

The phrase “the whole city moves to the festival’s rhythm” may sound cliché, but each November, it’s the perfect encapsulation of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Aristotelous Square and the Olympion Theater form the central meeting point, with cinephiles from around the world gathering in the building’s two bustling cafés where they swap views on the day’s films. The warehouses down at the port feature a more noir ambiance—especially when the weather cools and Thessaloniki’s autumn mist rolls in.

At the canteens of the warehouses, hot chocolate with rum is the most popular treat, and the late-night screenings draw the festival’s most dedicated fans who will have already taken in two or three films earlier in the day. In any case, the festival doesn’t stop when the credits roll on the day’s final screening but continues in the city’s cafés and bars with parties, events, discussions and gossip about all things film. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s 65th festival edition.

When

The festival kicks off on Thursday, October 31, and runs through Sunday, November 10.

Screenings

Over twenty films will be shown per day, with a total of 252 screenings. This year’s festival will also offer online screenings, a feature introduced in 2020 during the pandemic. On the platform online.filmfestival.gr 67 films will be available for €4 per screening.

Venues

The heart of the festival beats, of course, at the Olympion on Aristotelous Square. The main hall seats 406, with an additional 80 on the balcony, while the smaller “Pavlos Zannas” hall accommodates 180. This year, after 30 years, both spaces have been refurbished with new seating and carpeting and other work to enhance the viewing experience. Over at Thessaloniki’s port, for years now old warehouse buildings have been converted into cinema spaces. Warehouse 1 hosts the “Stavros Tornes” and “John Cassavetes” theaters, each with a capacity of around 200 seats. Warehouse D houses the “Frieda Liappa” and “Tonia Marketaki” theaters, each seating 250. Additional screenings will also take place at the Makedonikon Cinema at 24 Filikis Etairias Street.

Tickets

Tickets are priced at €7 and are available for purchase online at filmfestival.gr and the platform more.com. There is also a package of 10 screenings available for €50.

Program

The festival program, available both online and in print at the screening venues, includes summaries of all the films being shown. At the 65th TIFF, aside from the competitive categories that will include new productions from around the world, as part of the “Open Horizons” section audiences will enjoy 52 independent films, while under the main theme of “We, the Monster,” 22 films will be presented that draw on the rich symbolism of monsters in cinema. 

The festival will also host a special tribute to the versatile Danish creator Jesper Just, showcasing 18 of his short films, while this year’s Spotlight will honor the uncompromising French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Greek director Panos Koutras will be awarded an honorary Golden Alexander for his lifetime contribution to cinema, accompanied by screenings of ten of his short and feature films. Honorary Golden Alexander awards will also be presented to Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, who will attend the festival for the screening of the new release, “The Return”, in which they co-star.

Parallel Events

Throughout the festival, the MOMus – Experimental Center for the Arts (Warehouse B1, Thessaloniki Port) will showcase Jesper Just’s latest work “Interfears” as a visual installation alongside the main exhibition titled “We, the Monster”. At the western guardhouse of Gate 1 on Pier A of the port, the interactive installation “Intangible” will be on display. A variety of discussions, talks and parties add to the lineup of parallel events, from the opening party featuring Greek alt-pop artist Paidi Trauma at Warehouse C to a discussion on artificial intelligence in cinema at the “Pavlos Zannas” hall of the Olympion on November 9.