The Thessaloniki International Film Festival will celebrate its 66th edition from October 30 to November 9, 2025, returning with renewed energy and a wide range of proposals that continue to establish it as one of the most important film events in Southern Europe. Hundreds of films — screened both in theaters and online — will unfold a diverse map of contemporary cinema, embracing renowned filmmakers as well as emerging voices seeking to make their mark on the international scene.

French icon Isabelle Huppert will be one of the most anticipated guests. A towering figure of world cinema, she will be present in Thessaloniki to meet audiences in a masterclass, while the Festival honors her with an extensive selection of her most representative films. Another central name will be Greek filmmaker Yorgos Tsemberopoulos, who celebrates fifty years of career and will receive an Honorary Golden Alexander. The event will also welcome the celebrated cinematographer Frederick Elmes and a distinguished lineup of international audiovisual professionals.

The opening film will be Father Mother Sister Brother, the recent Golden Lion winner in Venice, directed by Jim Jarmusch and presented in the presence of actor Indya Moore. The Festival will conclude with Hen, by Hungarian filmmaker György Pálfi, a Greek co-production that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Between both highlights, the program will bring together cinematic traditions, bold experimentation, historical reflection and a strong social pulse.

One of the most distinctive axes of the edition will be the tribute “Plot Twist: Beyond the Sixth Sense,” curated by Myriam Ben Salah, which explores plot twists as a subversive and playful narrative tool. The Festival will also host a major tribute to key actors of Greek cinema from the 1960s and a complete retrospective of Tsemberopoulos’ work. Meanwhile, the films of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani will receive the special focus deserved by one of the most daring and provocative directing duos of contemporary European cinema. Another spotlight will revisit the multifaceted legacy of French artist Marcel Pagnol — filmmaker, playwright and novelist of enormous influence throughout the 20th century.

The Festival also turns to urgent political, social and human concerns with “Fragilities,” a section featuring films that confront contemporary wounds: forced displacement, state violence, censorship and communities in conflict across the Balkans and beyond. The industry side of TIFF will play a key role with new initiatives designed to support emerging creators in the region, strengthened by the participation of leading European audiovisual organizations.

Innovative formats such as series and podcasts will also find space at the Festival, reflecting its ongoing effort to expand the boundaries of audiovisual storytelling. This same commitment is expressed in its focus on sustainability and accessibility, reinforcing TIFF’s dedication to an inclusive and environmentally responsible film culture.

The posters and trailers for the edition, created by Greek artist Stefanos Rokos and featuring music by Jim Sclavunos — member of The Bad Seeds and an influential figure of experimental rock — highlight once again that the Festival is not only about showing films: it builds an artistic, urban and collective experience.

With a program spanning memory and avant-garde, star power and discovery, popular genres and formal experimentation, Thessaloniki reignites the big screen and positions itself once again as an essential meeting point for global cinema. #TIFF66