Overview
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is a FIAPF-accredited Competitive Specialized Feature Film Festival held annually in November in Thessaloniki, Greece. The 67th edition runs November 5 to 15, 2026. TIFF is one of the few FIAPF-accredited festivals that accepts open submissions for its competition sections, which are restricted to first and second feature films. The festival screens approximately 150 films across competition and non-competition programs.
The 66th edition (October 30 to November 9, 2025) drew 92,000 attendees across its 11-day run. Three Golden Alexander awards were presented: Cotton Queen (dir. Suzannah Mirghani) won the Theo Angelopoulos Golden Alexander for Best Feature Film, The Last One for the Road (dir. Francesco Sossai) won the Michel Dimopoulos Golden Alexander, and 1001 Frames (dir. Mehrnoush Alia) won the Film Forward Golden Alexander. Honorary Golden Alexanders were presented to Isabelle Huppert and Giorgos Tsemberopoulos.
TIFF's industry platform, Agora, runs November 6 to 14, 2026, in a hybrid format. Agora focuses on Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region, offering the Crossroads Co-production Forum, Agora Series, Agora Film Market, and Works in Progress sessions. The Works in Progress program selects 8 to 10 fiction feature films in post-production from the wider region and presents them to sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers.
Submission Details
TIFF accepts open submissions through its Eventival portal. The festival regulations for the 67th edition specify:
Competition sections (first or second features only):
- International Competition: first or second feature-length fiction films from across the globe
- Meet the Neighbors+ Competition: first or second feature-length fiction films from Greece's extended neighborhood (see festival regulations for the list of eligible countries)
- Film Forward Competition: first or second feature-length fiction films with an innovative approach to cinema
- Immersive: All Around Cinema Competition: Immersive/XR films
Non-competition sections:
- Open Horizons, Survey Expanded, Special Screenings, Out of Competition, 'Round Midnight, NextGen (films focused on children and teenagers)
Submission fees (67th edition):
- Early bird (by May 31, 2026): EUR 40 per submission
- Regular (June 1 to July 17, 2026): EUR 60 per submission
- Immersive/XR projects: free of charge (deadline August 31, 2026)
- Greek film submissions open in June (separate deadline: June 10, 2026)
Eligibility requirements:
- Competition sections limited to first or second feature films
- National premiere required for Greece
- Films must be feature-length (over 60 minutes for competition sections)
- Submission fees are non-refundable
Key Sections
- International Competition - first or second feature fiction films competing for the Golden Alexander - Theo Angelopoulos (EUR 10,000 cash prize)
- Meet the Neighbors+ Competition - first or second features from Greece's extended neighborhood, competing for the Golden Alexander - Michel Dimopoulos (EUR 10,000)
- Film Forward Competition - innovative first or second features competing for the Golden Alexander (EUR 8,000)
- Immersive: All Around Cinema - XR/immersive projects competing for the Golden Alexander - Best Immersive (EUR 2,000)
- Open Horizons - non-competitive international program
- NextGen - films focused on children and teenagers
- Agora - industry program with Crossroads Co-production Forum, Agora Film Market, Works in Progress, and Agora Series (November 6-14, 2026)
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Debut and Second-Feature Filmmakers
TIFF is built around first and second features. If your debut or second feature is completed in 2025 or 2026 and has not screened in Greece, TIFF offers four distinct competition sections, each with a cash prize. The International Competition is open to filmmakers worldwide, while Meet the Neighbors+ restricts eligibility to countries in Greece's extended neighborhood. Film Forward targets innovative approaches to cinema.
The festival's open submission policy is notable. Most FIAPF A-list festivals program their competitions by invitation only. TIFF accepts open submissions, which means your film does not need a sales agent or industry contact to be considered.
For Southeastern European and Mediterranean Filmmakers
The Agora industry program is the primary reason many regional filmmakers attend TIFF. The Crossroads Co-production Forum supports projects in development seeking co-production partners. The Works in Progress program selects 8 to 10 fiction features in post-production from the region and presents them to sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers. The Works in Progress submission deadline is August 24, 2026. A minimum of 25 minutes of excerpts is required.
For Greek Filmmakers
TIFF is the most important domestic platform for Greek cinema. The festival's Greek film submissions open in June with a separate deadline of June 10, 2026. The festival has been a launchpad for the generation of Greek filmmakers who emerged since 2010, including Yorgos Lanthimos and Athina Rachel Tsangari.
Major Awards
International Competition
- Golden Alexander - Theo Angelopoulos (Best Feature Film): EUR 10,000
- Silver Alexander (Best Direction), Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Artistic Achievement, Best Score
Meet the Neighbors+ Competition
- Golden Alexander - Michel Dimopoulos (Best Feature Film): EUR 10,000
Film Forward Competition
- Golden Alexander (Best Feature Film): EUR 8,000
Immersive: All Around Cinema
- Golden Alexander - Best Immersive: EUR 2,000
66th Edition (2025) Award Winners
- Theo Angelopoulos Golden Alexander: Cotton Queen (dir. Suzannah Mirghani)
- Silver Alexander (Best Direction): Beachcomber (dir. Aristotelis Maragkos, Greece)
- Michel Dimopoulos Golden Alexander: The Last One for the Road (dir. Francesco Sossai)
- Film Forward Golden Alexander: 1001 Frames (dir. Mehrnoush Alia, USA/Iran)
Festival History
TIFF was founded in 1960 as a week-long Greek film program. In its early decades, the festival focused on Greek cinema, serving as the national platform for domestic filmmakers. The festival's international expansion began in the 1990s, when it broadened its scope and established the Agora industry program.
FIAPF accredited the festival as a Competitive Specialized Feature Film Festival, a category it shares with festivals including Istanbul, Kolkata, and Tallinn. The festival renamed its top prize the "Golden Alexander - Theo Angelopoulos" in honor of the late Greek filmmaker. The 66th edition in 2025 recorded 92,000 attendees at Warehouse C, the festival's primary venue in the Thessaloniki port complex.
Past Winners
2025 (66th Edition)
- Theo Angelopoulos Golden Alexander: Cotton Queen (dir. Suzannah Mirghani, Germany/France/Palestine/Egypt/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/Sudan). Mirghani's debut feature, a Sudanese-set coming-of-age story, also screened at Locarno.
- Michel Dimopoulos Golden Alexander (Meet the Neighbors+): The Last One for the Road (dir. Francesco Sossai, Italy/Germany)
- Film Forward Golden Alexander: 1001 Frames (dir. Mehrnoush Alia, USA/Iran)
2024 (65th Edition)
- Theo Angelopoulos Golden Alexander: Happy Holidays (dir. Scandar Copti, Palestine/Israel/Germany). Premiered in Venice's Horizons section, where it won Best Screenplay. Copti previously won at Thessaloniki in 2009 for Ajami, which went on to receive an Academy Award nomination.
- Film Forward Golden Alexander: Universal Language (dir. Matthew Rankin, Canada). Submitted as Canada's Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film.
- Honorary Golden Alexanders: Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes.
2023 (64th Edition)
- Theo Angelopoulos Golden Alexander: Animal (dir. Sofia Exarchou, Greece). First Greek film to win the top prize in 30 years.
Notable Alumni
TIFF has served as a launchpad for Greek and international filmmakers:
- Theo Angelopoulos premiered his first feature Reconstruction at TIFF in 1970 and won for The Travelling Players in 1975. He later won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for Eternity and a Day (1998).
- Yorgos Lanthimos screened Dogtooth at TIFF, which triggered the Greek Weird Wave movement and received an Academy Award nomination. Lanthimos later won the Palme d'Or for Poor Things (2023).
- Athina Rachel Tsangari screened Attenberg at TIFF. Her film Chevalier (2015) won the Best Film award in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
- Scandar Copti won at TIFF in 2009 with Ajami, which received an Oscar nomination. Copti returned to win the Golden Alexander again in 2024 with Happy Holidays.
- Christos Nikou screened Apples at TIFF. The film played Telluride, Venice, and Toronto. Nikou later directed Fingernails (2023) for Apple TV+.
Submission Tips
- Target the right competition section. The International Competition is open worldwide to first and second features. If your film is from Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean, or the Middle East, Meet the Neighbors+ may be a better fit. Film Forward targets formally innovative work.
- Submit early to save money. Early bird deadline (May 31, 2026) costs EUR 40 versus EUR 60 at the regular deadline (July 17, 2026).
- Secure your Greece premiere. A national premiere is required for all competition sections.
- Use the open submission system. Unlike Cannes, Venice, or Berlin, TIFF accepts open submissions through Eventival. You do not need a sales agent to be considered.
- Apply to Agora Works in Progress if in post-production. The deadline is August 24, 2026. You need at least 25 minutes of excerpts.
- Feature length means over 60 minutes. Films under 60 minutes are not eligible for competition.
Industry Reputation
TIFF is not an acquisitions market on the scale of Cannes, Berlin, or Venice. Its industry value is concentrated in the Agora platform, which serves Southeastern European and Mediterranean co-production and distribution.
The festival is not Oscar-qualifying. Its competitive status comes from FIAPF accreditation. For Greek filmmakers, TIFF is the most important domestic platform. For international debut and second-feature filmmakers, the open submission policy and EUR 10,000 top prize make it one of the most accessible FIAPF-accredited festivals.
The festival's track record of launching filmmakers who go on to Cannes, Venice, and Oscar recognition gives it credibility as a discovery festival. However, filmmakers seeking major acquisitions deals should temper expectations: TIFF is better suited for regional networking, co-production financing, and building festival circuit momentum.
Watch
See Also
For Southeastern European co-production strategies and regional film markets, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit planning and premiere strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate the financial return of festival submissions, see the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, see Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
