The Thessaloniki Film Festival, which will be held from October 30th to November 9th, has announced the lineup of its international competition, which will screen 12 films by up-and-coming directors.
The jury consists of director, screenwriter, producer and actor Elegance Bratton; Tania Dimitrakopoulou, Sales Manager at Match Factory. and cinematographer Fred Elms.
Golden Alexander will receive a prize of 10,000 euros for Best Feature Film, while Silver Alexander will receive a prize of 5,000 euros for Best Director. The jury also awards awards for best actor, actress, screenplay or artistic achievement.
international competition film
“Unquenchable Light” Lauri-Matti Paluppei, Finland/Norway
Pauli, a 29-year-old talented and successful flutist, experiences a personal crisis and, unable to cope with the weight of expectations placed on her, returns to her family home in a small town in Finland. There, almost unwillingly, he connects with a group of young musicians, outcasts in a stifling rural environment, who compose improvised and experimental music, fueled by a wonderful madness.
“Bearcave” by Chrisiana B. Papadakis, Stergios Dinopoulos, Greece-UK
Argiro and Aneta are two best friends who live in the mountain village of Tirna, Greece. When Aneta reveals that she is pregnant and plans to escape the city with her policeman boyfriend, a devastated Argiro encourages her to embark on a hike to the legendary Bear Cave.
“Beachcomber” Aristotelis Maragkos, Greece
Elias dreams of building ships from scrap metal, following in the footsteps of his sailor father. But as his creation crumbles, so does the myth he’s built around himself, forcing him to confront the fragile truth of who he really is.
“Cotton Queen” Susanna Mirghani, Germany, France, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan
Young Nafisa lives in a village on the banks of the Nile River in Sudan. The granddaughter of the so-called “Cotton Queen,” an elderly woman who appears to have lived for centuries, is legendary for her resistance to the British and her supposed ability to foresee the future, and is now of marriageable age. In the present, Nafisa picks cotton in her grandmother’s field, jumps into a river, and falls in love with a young man. However, the arrival of a wealthy entrepreneur from London turns everything upside down, and without her knowledge, everyone (including her parents and grandmother) makes plans for her.
“Gorgona”, Evi Kalogilopoulou, Greece/France
In a timeless dystopian future, in a patriarchal city-state plagued by violence and environmental pollution, two women rebel, fight for freedom and identity, and transform into symbols of resistance and change.
“Karla” Christina Tournatzes, Germany
Munich, 1962. In a society bound by silence and shame, 12-year-old Carla makes a remarkable but unusual decision. She takes her abusive father to court. She refuses to be silenced and insists on telling her story in her own way, choosing what to reveal and what to leave unsaid.
“Mason”, Nancy Biniadaki, German-Greece
Relationships break down, passports expire, and suddenly everything is in jeopardy. Egyptian archaeologist Maysoon lives in Berlin with her partner Tobi and their two children, but her past comes back to bite her. It was once politically active before the Arab Spring. Returning to Egypt could cost him his freedom. Fearing the loss of his home, family, and self-control, Mason begins a fight.
“Milkteeth” Mihai Mincan, Romania, France, Denmark, Greece, Bulgaria
Romania, 1989. In a small, isolated town at the end of the Ceausescu dictatorship, 10-year-old Maria becomes the last witness to her sister’s mysterious disappearance. Torn by her loss, she tries to come to terms with a new, terrifying reality. She withdraws into herself and refuses to speak. Has she lost her voice or just can’t find the right words?
“On the Sea” Helen Walsh, UK
In a foggy coastal village in Wales, where life is governed by centuries of conservative, patriarchal values, a man suddenly finds himself at odds with his close-minded community and, most importantly, with himself. Jack, 48 years old, married, and the father of a rebellious teenager, is a mussel farmer who upholds his family’s legacy and meets an attractive young man who has come to the area as a seasonal worker. Whatever happens next, his unspoken and repressed desires come to light, and he and his family are forever changed.
“Pillion” Harry Wrighton, UK
Wroten’s adaptation of Adam Mars-Jones’ novella Box Hill delivers a surprisingly romantic and unexpected queer coming-of-age story. Colin (Harry Melling), a timid young man living a mostly ordinary life in the English countryside, meets a mysterious biker, Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), who teaches him about the relationship between dominance and submission.
“Satisfied” Alex Brunova, USA, Greece, Ukraine, Italy
The relationship between Laura and Philip, a young British composer, is disintegrating. While vacationing on the island of Antiparos, the two struggle to regain their footing as a couple and revive their lost creativity. But despite the enchanting Cycladic landscapes and summer laziness, something invisible but heavy looms on the horizon. And when Laura meets a mysterious, dark, and alluring Greek woman, the balance shifts, repressed trauma comes to light, and hope for overcoming it emerges.
“Strange River” Jaume Claret Muxart, Spain-Germany
Two boys and their parents start their summer vacation by cycling along the Danube. The eldest son, already in his teens, unexpectedly encounters a mysterious boy in an encounter that will decide the outcome of his journey, while the youngest only watches from the sidelines.
