Running 31 Oct 10 Nov,Thessalonikiwill this year screen 12 films in its international competition.
Titles include Edinburgh-based filmmaker Laura Carreiras haunting debut featureOn Falling.
Other titles include Ariane Labeds debut featureSeptember Saysand the buzzy Palestinian featureTo A Land Unknown.
Thessaloniki Film Festival.Getty.
A total of 252 feature and short films will be screened at Thessaloniki.
The festival will close with Joshua Oppenheimers fiction debutThe End.
The three actors will all be handed honorary awards.
DEADLINE: How has prep for this years festival gone?
ORESTIS ANDREADAKIS:Preparing a festival is a very peculiar job because you are essentially preparing an imaginary event.
We have a go at collect motion pictures from around the world and project them for our audience.
We talk with directors, producers, and actors.
And then puff, everything is in the air.
But in the meantime, this is the magic of a film festival.
DEADLINE: How has the process of attracting films been?
There is a lot of talk about this year being difficult for festivals because of the Hollywood strikes?
ANDREADAKIS:We have the same amount of movies this year.
We have 252 more or less every year.
First of all, in our neighborhood, there are two bloody wars.
In Ukraine and Palestine.
As a festival, we want to support filmmakers and artists to talk about those difficult situations and problems.
DEADLINE: There was an anti-LGBTQ attack in Thessaloniki during the documentary festival in March.
The city is traditionally very welcoming to all, so that was surprising.
Will that attack change how the festival runs?
But fortunately, it didnt last.
It was only during the festival.
A few days after it was calm.
So for the moment, we havent had any similar problems.
But this is the symptom of the difficult situations we live in.
DEADLINE:Thessalonikinow has a podcast competition.
Why did you decide to include podcasts in the official lineup?
Were very proud of this because podcasts are really a kind of cinema without pictures.
And now, the audience loves it.
DEADLINE:So festival goers canjust sign on to the festival website and listen to the selection of podcasts?
ANDREADAKIS:Yes, we go for the podcasts the same way we go for the movies.
And then you might go to our site and hear the podcasts.
DEADLINE: This year Carlo Chatrian is guest curating a sidebar titled We, the Monster.
Last year, Dennis Lim curated a section.
Why do you invite guest curators?
ANDREADAKIS:Because its always nice to have another voice.
A fresh voice, and they bring something new and different.
Its always great to bring something from outside that can enrich our opinions and programme.
Last year it was Dennis Lim and this year we worked together with Carlos Chatrian to select 22 movies.
I think the theme is very relevant because slowly our society is becoming more monstrous.
There are also some people who believe people who have different backgrounds to them are monsters.
So there are two sides to this.
DEADLINE: Panos Koutras will receive an honorary award this year.
Can you talk a little about why he is an important Greek filmmaker to honor?
ANDREADAKIS:Panos Koutras is one of the most important, filmmakers of modern contemporary Greek cinema.
Hes one of the first filmmakers here to discuss LGBT themes, even in his short films.
He also speaks about minorities and he invented a new, completely personal cinematic view.
