India Moore Opens Star Studded Thessaloniki Film Festival

The 66th Thessaloniki Film Festival (TFF) officially opened at the Olympion Theater with a dazzling ceremony, featuring actress India Moore from the opening film Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch. Government officials, filmmakers, and cultural figures attended the event, which showcased music and performances.

Vice Minister of Culture Iason Fotilas inaugurated the festival by performing Dionysis Savvopoulos’ song, underscoring the event as a "statement of hope" amid global crises. Festival director Eliz Zalando emphasized the festival’s focus on future generations and societal issues, with this year’s central theme being “Plot Twist,” a call to explore change and solutions through cinema.

Host and comedian Grigoris Eleftheriou highlighted key elements of this year’s festival, including the Plot Twistretrospective, the TFF Market, its ambassador chef Sotiris Kontizas, and a tribute to Greek filmmaker Giorgos Tsemperopoulos. The opening ceremony centered on India Moore, TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people, who praised cinema for fostering collective reflection and unity.

Government support for the festival was also highlighted. Fotilas noted that EKOMED, Greece’s new audiovisual agency, has already disbursed over €70 million this year and doubled selective program funding for filmmakers from €3.5–4 million to €7.5 million. Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis announced a new award for the competition section Meet the Neighbors+, offering €5,000 for directing excellence, named the Silver Alexander Award. Regional Governor Konstantinos Gioutikas stressed the area’s appeal to international productions, noting that over 160 films have been shot in Central Macedonia, including seven by major global studios.

The festival’s opening film, Jarmusch’s Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner, explores family bonds and features his signature humor, incisiveness, and unique character portrayals. Jarmusch appeared in a pre-recorded message expressing excitement about the film’s Thessaloniki screening, while cast and crew, including cinematographer Frederick Elms, producer Atila Salih Yucer, and costume designer Catherine George, are set to attend and host masterclasses.

This year’s festival will screen 278 films, both feature-length and shorts, across seven physical venues, with 86 films also available online via online.filmfestival.gr.