email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

THESSALONIKI 2017

Thessaloniki lifts the lid on its full line-up

by 

- The 58th edition of the Greek gathering includes a thematic international competition, a Greek focus and the launch of its first VR competition

Thessaloniki lifts the lid on its full line-up
Cargo by Gilles Coulier

Focusing on the concept of “The Need for Roots”, the 58th Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled its full line-up. The 14 feature films that are competing for the Golden Alexander also follow the core ideas behind Simone Weil’s book of the same name, which focuses on both the concept of uprootedness and the re-establishment of roots. The 58th TIFF runs from 2-12 November.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

The selected films are helmed by new voices from around the globe, and are either debut or sophomore features. European co-productions have a heavy presence, with ten participants, while three of them are aiming to enrapture the local audience, as they are Greek, with two of them also set to enjoy their world premieres. Among the selected productions are Gilles Coulier’s feature debut, Cargo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gilles Coulier
film profile
]
(Belgium/Netherlands/France), the Tribeca winner Son of Sofia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elina Psykou
film profile
]
 by Elina Psykou (Greece/France/Bulgaria) and the festival hit Winter Brothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
interview: Hlynur Pálmason
film profile
]
 by Hlynur Pálmason (Denmark/Iceland). The other films that will take part in TIFF’s International Competition are Beast [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Pearce
film profile
]
 by Michael Pearce (UK), Closeness [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Kantemir Balagov (Russia), Life Guidance [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruth Mader
film profile
]
 by Ruth Mader (Austria), Lucky by John Carroll Lynch (USA), No Date, No Signature by Vahid Jalilvand (Iran), Ravens [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jens Assur
film profile
]
by Jens Assur (Sweden), The Dragon's Defense by Natalia Santa (Colombia), The Garden [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Sonja Maria Kröner (Germany), The Ox by Yorgos Nikopoulos (Greece), The Surface of Things by Nancy Biniadaki (Germany/Greece) and Those Long Haired Nights by Gerardo Calagui (the Philippines).

Furthermore, seven films will be introduced to the Greek audience as out-of-competition selections: Columbus by Kogonada (USA), Daybreak [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gentian Koçi
film profile
]
 by Gentian Koçi (Albania/Greece), Do It Yourself [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Dimitris Tsilifonis (Greece), Life and Nothing More [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile
]
 by Antonio Méndez Esparza (Spain), Disappearance by Ali Asgari (Iran), The Cakemaker [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ofir Raul Graizer
film profile
]
 by Ofir Raul Graizer (Germany/Israel) and Thorn by Gabriel Tzafka (Denmark/Greece).

As is the case at every edition, Greek cinema is fully in the spotlight of the most important gathering in the country. In total, 33 Greek features will be screened during the 58th TIFF, and 15 of them will participate in the “First Run” section, thus making them candidates for the six independent awards handed out by the festival. The selection includes films by newcomers and established directors, such as 4 Days by Michalis Giagkounidis (Greece), Approach by Τony Lykouressis (Greece), Back Held Hands by Nikos Kornilios (Greece), Blue Queen by Alex Sipsidis (Greece), Happy Birthday by Christos Georgiou (Greece/Germany), Love Me Not [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alexandros Avranas
film profile
]
 by Alexandros Avranas (Greece/France/Cyprus), People by Pavlos Iordanopoulos (Greece), Polyxeni [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Dora Masklavanou (Greece), Rosemarie [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Adonis Florides (Cyprus), Sacrilege by Marsa Makri (Greece), Timeless Stories by Vassilis Raisis (Greece), To R by Filmmakers Group Stin R (Greece), Too Much Info Clouding over My Head [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Vasilis Christofilakis (Greece), Ussak by Kyriakos Katzourakis (Greece) and Women Who Passed My Way by Stavros Tsiolis (Greece). Also, the internationally co-produced documentary Dolphin Man [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Lefteris Charitos will have a special screening as part of the Greek section. 

Finally, the 58th TIFF will initiate the first Virtual Reality Competition in Greece and the Balkans, with ten VR films that will be screened in a new venue in the city centre. The winner will receive an award sponsored by the Film Center Serbia. Click here to see the films selected in the VR Competition.

It should be mentioned that apart from the attending directors, the guests at the 58th TIFF include Alexander Payne and Jean-Marc Barr, while a carte blanche is being given to Greek scriptwriter Efthimis Filippou (The Lobster [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile
]
The Killing of a Sacred Deer [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile
]
) to screen ten of his favourite films.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy