05/04/2016 - The festival's new general director, Elise Jalladeau, is to head the selection process, which will be validated by its board of directors

Following the resignation of festival director Dimitri Eipides (see the news) and the subsequent appointment of Elise Jalladeau as the new general director (see the news), the Thessaloniki Film Festival (TFF) is now calling for a new artistic director, the institution announced on Monday.

Jalladeau will head the selection process and will be aiming to compile a pool of applicants who are renowned in the Greek and/or international film industry, and who have organisational and administrative experience in the film industry, as well as the necessary abilities to serve the purposes and objectives of the festival. The TFF board of directors will have the final say in validating the general director’s choice.

With a three-year term with optional renewals up for grabs, the candidates will be asked to offer their proposals for heading both the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TDF), while also setting up a series of parallel events and special activities, as well as the organisation of the Thessaloniki Greek Film Festival, which is the non-competitive event that has been regularly implemented in the TIFF as the event’s Greek Panorama section.

Though it remains unclear whether the festival’s governing body will opt to split responsibilities for the two festivals (the TIFF and the TDF) between two artistic directors, Eipides, who had been heading the TFF as general director while also being the TIFF and TDF artistic director, has repeatedly expressed his desire to retain his seat at the TDF. In the meantime, some of Eipides’ important co-workers during his tenure have risen among other key players in the race for the TIFF seat.

The deadline for entries is 27 April, while details regarding the call for interest can be found on the festival’s website.