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FESTIVALS Greece

The Athens International Film Festival gears up for its 23rd edition

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- French directors Robin Campillo and Claire Denis will enjoy eclectic retrospectives at a festival featuring a Euro-heavy competition

The Athens International Film Festival gears up for its 23rd edition
The Other Side of Hope by Aki Kaurismäki

Featuring a wide selection of the festival circuit’s finest findings alongside a rich array of box-office darlings and red-carpet favourites, the Athens International Film Festival is gearing up for its 23rd edition (20 September-1 October). With Todd Haynes' majestic Palme d’Or contender Wonderstruck and Aki Kaurismäki's bittersweet Silver Bear winner The Other Side of Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Aki Kaurismäki
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]
bookending its eclectic programme, this year's festival will turn its spotlight on French directors Robin Campillo and Claire Denis, while John Huston's unique vision will also be highlighted via a selection of 11 titles from the virtuoso's filmography.

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Heavyweight titles such as Michael Haneke's Happy End [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Michael Haneke
film profile
]
(France/Austria/Germany), Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Luca Guadagnino
film profile
]
(Italy/France/Brazil/USA), Darren Aronofsky's Mother! (USA) and Andrey Zvyagintsev's Loveless [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrey Zvyagintsev
film profile
]
(Russia/France) will be screened alongside festival sensations like Sean Baker's The Florida Project (USA) and Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Lynne Ramsay
film profile
]
(UK), while the gathering’s Special Screenings section will feature cult favourites like Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko, and Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's Black Narcissus in glorious restored versions.

In what shines as a Euro-heavy main competition programme, the Sundance-awarded Axolotl Overkill [+see also:
trailer
interview: Helene Hegemann
film profile
]
(Germany) and Sicilian Ghost Story [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile
]
(Italy/France/Switzerland), Cannes-screened Ava [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Léa Mysius
film profile
]
(France), Venice contender Foxtrot [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Samuel Maoz
film profile
]
(Israel/Germany/France), Berlinale Forum participant My Happy Family [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon G…
film profile
]
(Germany/Georgia/France) and Locarno winner Three Peaks [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jan Zabeil
film profile
]
(Italy/Germany) will be pitted against films from the USA and Japan vying for the Golden Athena (accompanied by a €2,000 award), a prize previously awarded to such films as Sofia Coppola's Virgin Suicides and Yann Demange's '71 [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Yann Demange
film profile
]
.

Meanwhile, local talent will have its chance to shine via the Best Newcomer Awards, handed out annually to acting and directorial debuts, as well as the Short Film Awards for Best Picture (accompanied by €2,000), Best Directing, Best Script and Best Acting.

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