The story
Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki International Film Festival began in 1960 as a purely domestic Greek Film Week and only became an international competition in 1992, adding a dedicated Balkan Survey strand alongside emerging-director competitions and Greek cinema showcases. Held each November, it is now the oldest continuously running festival in the Balkans focused on new filmmaking talent.
Thessaloniki International Film Festival spent its first three decades as a purely domestic event, launched in 1960 under the plain name Greek Film Week before Greek cinema had any dedicated annual showcase of its own, organized with backing from the Techni Macedonian Art Society.