Thessaloniki: A Film Fanatic’s Fantasy
Showcasing Greek cinematic talent and international premieres, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival begins this Thursday, November 3, and will continue until Sunday, November 13. Greece’s largest film institution was founded in 1960, making this the sixty-third annual TIFF. Oscar-buzz features and acclaimed independent films will all be screened in the iconic Olympion theater. With its impressive collection and exciting premieres, the trip to Thessaloniki is sure to be worthwhile.
The Fabelmans, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Michelle Williams and Paul Dano is the opening film at the Thessaloniki Film Festival
Curtains open with Steven Spielberg’s latest project, The Fabelmans. Starring Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, this coming-of-age drama boasts a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Actress Vicky Krieps and director Marie Kreutzer team up for Corsage, the festival’s closer. The film recently won the Best Film Award at the London Film Festival, and is a period piece loosely based on the life of Empress Elizabeth of Austria.
Each year, the TIFF selects a central theme. This year’s concept is “reconstruction,” in honor of the 10-year anniversary of the death of legendary Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopolous. In accordance with the theme, the festival will put on two art exhibitions inspired by his legacy and screen a documentary about his life directed by Antonis Kokkinos and Yiannis Soldatou. The eleven films in the International Competition collection will also compete for a prize in filmmaker’s name, the “Theodoros Angelopoulos” Best Film Award. Tributes to indigeneous cinema, director Peter Strickland, and legendary theater director Peter Brook will also be offered at the festival.
A scene from The Fabelmans
Of the other films screening, fifteen are premieres. There are 28 Greek feature-length films and 19 Greek short films being screened, and two of these projects are in the running for the Best Film Award: Isychia 6-9 by Christos Passalis and Listen to Me by Maria Douza.
Tickets can be purchased for €6 each per film, or €40 for 10 tickets. For tickets, a full list of screenings, and more information, check out the TIFF website.
