Thessaloniki International Film Festival

Overview

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is Greece's leading international film festival and a FIAPF Competitive Specialised event. The 67th edition runs November 5 to 15, 2026, in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city. The festival focuses on first and second features from emerging directors worldwide, making it one of the most important discovery platforms for new filmmaking talent in Europe. The festival also operates the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TiDF) as a separate event.

The 66th edition (October 30 to November 9, 2025) awarded three Golden Alexander prizes across its competition sections. The "Golden Alexander - Theo Angelopoulos" Award for Best Film in the International Competition went to "Cotton Queen" directed by Suzannah Mirghani. The "Golden Alexander - Michel Dimopoulos" Award in the Meet the Neighbors+ section went to "The Last One for the Chop" by Francesco Sossai. The Film Forward Golden Alexander was awarded to "1001 Frames" by Mehrnoush Alia.

The festival's industry arm, the AGORA, runs the Crossroads Co-Production Forum, which selects 14 projects from 16 countries each year and connects them with financiers, co-producers, and sales agents over a 4-day event. Cash awards at the Crossroads Forum total over EUR 27,000, including the Onassis Film Award (EUR 10,000) and the CNC Award (EUR 8,000). The 67th edition's submission deadline is July 17, 2026, with early-bird submissions at EUR 40 until May 31, 2026.

Submission Details

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival accepts submissions through its official online form. Key details for the 67th edition (2026):

The early-bird fee of EUR 40 represents a EUR 20 saving compared to the regular fee. Immersive and XR project submissions are free of charge with a deadline of August 31, 2026. Greek film submissions open separately in June 2026. The festival requires a national (Greek) premiere for competition films.

Competition Sections

• International Competition - first and second features from emerging directors worldwide, competing for the Golden Alexander. The 66th edition's International Competition Golden Alexander went to "Cotton Queen" (dir. Suzannah Mirghani)
• Meet the Neighbors+ - films from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region, competing for the "Golden Alexander - Michel Dimopoulos" Award. The 66th edition winner was "The Last One for the Chop" (dir. Francesco Sossai)
• Film Forward - formally adventurous cinema, competing for the Film Forward Golden Alexander. The 66th edition winner was "1001 Frames" (dir. Mehrnoush Alia)
• Greek Films - new Greek cinema, with awards for Best Greek Film and other categories
• Short Film Programs - curated short film selections

Awards and Prizes

International Competition

• Golden Alexander - Theo Angelopoulos - Best Film in the International Competition. The Golden Alexander is accompanied by a cash prize and qualifies the winning film for Academy Award consideration
• Silver Alexander - Special Jury Prize
• Best Director
• Best Actress and Best Actor
• Best Screenplay
• FIPRESCI Prize - awarded by international critics
• Audience Award - voted by festival audiences

Meet the Neighbors+

• Golden Alexander - Michel Dimopoulos - Best Film in the Meet the Neighbors+ section

Film Forward

• Film Forward Golden Alexander - Best Film in the Film Forward section

Academy Award Qualifying Status

The Golden Alexander winner in the International Competition is automatically eligible to submit for Academy Awards consideration in the Documentary Feature category, provided the film complies with Academy rules. The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival's Golden Alexander winner also qualifies for Academy Award consideration in the Documentary Feature category.

AGORA: Crossroads Co-Production Forum

The Crossroads Co-Production Forum is the festival's industry platform, selecting projects in development with a connection to the Mediterranean regions and Southeastern Europe. The forum runs over 4 days during the festival, connecting selected projects with a network of financiers, co-producers, and industry specialists from around the world.

The 2025 Crossroads Co-Production Forum selected 14 projects from 16 countries, including projects from Spain, Albania, Tunisia, Poland, and Greece. The jury consisted of Frank Hoeve (BALDR Film, Netherlands), Uljana Kim (Studio Uljana Kim, Lithuania), and Andreas Zoupanos Kritikos (Faliro House, Greece), with Mathilde Hersant (ARTE France Cinema, France) as the ArteKino International Award juror.

Crossroads Co-Production Forum Awards

Jury Awards:

• CNC Award (Centre national du cinema et de l'image animee) - EUR 8,000 for script development
• ArteKino International Award - EUR 6,000
• Finos Film Award - EUR 3,000 to a Greek project
• Producers' Network - Marche du Film Award - free accreditation to Cannes Marche du Film Producers' Network
• MIDPOINT Consulting Award - in-depth online script consultancy with a MIDPOINT Institute expert
• Two Thirty-Five (2|35) Award - post-production image services

Independent Awards:

• Onassis Film Award - EUR 10,000 to a Greek project participating in the Crossroads Co-Production Forum or AGORA Works in Progress
• Greener Screen Consultancy Award - sustainability script and production consultancy
• Sofia Meetings of the Sofia IFF Award - project selection at Sofia Meetings
• Mediterranean Film Institute - George Kalogeropoulos Award - Script 2 Film Workshops scholarship
• THESSALONIKI EAVE Marketing Workshop Scholarship - scholarship to one participant

The total cash awards available at the Crossroads Co-Production Forum exceed EUR 27,000, with the Onassis Film Award (EUR 10,000) and CNC Award (EUR 8,000) being the largest individual prizes.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Thessaloniki's focus on first and second features makes it one of the most targeted festivals for debut filmmakers worldwide. The International Competition is specifically structured around emerging directors, and a selection here provides exposure to an international programming community that treats the festival as a discovery mechanism. The Golden Alexander winner qualifies for Academy Award consideration, which is a significant advantage for documentary filmmakers in particular.

The submission fee structure is straightforward: EUR 40 early-bird (by May 31, 2026) or EUR 60 regular (by July 17, 2026). The EUR 20 savings for early submission is meaningful, especially for filmmakers submitting multiple projects. Immersive and XR projects can be submitted for free with a later deadline of August 31, 2026.

For producers working in the Mediterranean and Southeast European regions, the Crossroads Co-Production Forum is one of the most accessible co-production markets in Europe. The EUR 10,000 Onassis Film Award (restricted to Greek projects) and the EUR 8,000 CNC Award (open to all selected projects) are substantial development grants. The forum's 4-day format provides structured pitching opportunities with pre-arranged meetings, and the market's connection to ARTE France Cinema through the ArteKino Award provides a direct pathway to one of Europe's most important arthouse broadcasters.

The festival's November timing places it after the major fall festivals (Venice, Toronto, San Sebastian) and before the winter festival circuit, making it a viable premiere option for films that missed earlier deadlines. The 10-day festival length provides ample screening and networking time. Thessaloniki itself is Greece's cultural capital, with a significant student population and active film culture.

Greek filmmakers should note that Greek film submissions open separately in June 2026, with different deadlines and processes. The festival is the most important platform for Greek cinema internationally, and the Best Greek Film award carries significant domestic industry weight.

Festival History

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival was founded in 1960, originally as a Greek national film festival focused on domestic cinema. The festival operated continuously through Greece's political upheavals, including the military junta period (1967 to 1974), and evolved from a national showcase into an internationally recognized competitive event. The festival opened to international competition in the 1990s, repositioning itself as a discovery platform for emerging global filmmaking talent.

The Golden Alexander award, named after Alexander the Great (Thessaloniki's most famous historical figure), has been the festival's top prize throughout its history. The International Competition Golden Alexander was later named in honor of Theo Angelopoulos, the acclaimed Greek filmmaker who died in 2012. The Meet the Neighbors+ Golden Alexander was named in honor of Michel Dimopoulos, a longtime festival collaborator.

The AGORA industry platform was developed to support the festival's mission of discovering and nurturing new talent. The Crossroads Co-Production Forum has grown into one of the most important co-production markets in Southeast Europe, with projects presented at the forum regularly going on to screen at major international festivals. The festival also operates the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TiDF) as a separate annual event, typically held in March, with its own International Competition and Golden Alexander awards.

The festival is organized by the Thessaloniki Film Festival institution, which operates under the Greek Ministry of Culture. The festival's venues include the Olympion Theater complex, the Pavlos Zannas theater, and other screening spaces in Thessaloniki's waterfront cultural district.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For understanding the Mediterranean and Southeast European film market, see International Film Markets. Submit through the Thessaloniki TIFF submission form. Read about Crossroads Co-Production Forum awards.