Selected titles includeAnimalby Sophia Exarchou, Christos NikousFingernails, andIn Cameraby Naqqash Khalid.
A total of 270 feature and short films will be screened at Thessaloniki.
The festival will close with Fallen Leaves by Aki Kaurismaki.
Thessaloniki.SAKIS MITROLIDIS/AFP via Getty Images.
DEADLINE:Orestis, it feels like Thessaloniki is really growing in prominence.
How do you feel about this and what is your end goal?
ORESTIS ANDREADAKIS:Yes, its growing.
When you go to the bigger festivals, it is extremely difficult to fix an appointment.
Its a full-time job.
When people come here, things are much easier.
Also, Thessaloniki is a beautiful city and the capital of good food.
DEADLINE:How long is your tenure?
ANDREADAKIS:I have another year and a half.
Until the end of 2025.
DEADLINE:There is huge strength in the competition strands this year, particularly from the local region.
Can you tell me a little about putting together the competitions?
ANDREADAKIS:We have three main competitions.
This year, we expanded Meet The Neighbors.
All the good and, as we know, the evil comes from here.
DEADLINE:How would you describe this years international competition?
ANDREADAKIS:This year, the festival is under the theme of The Ghost.
Dennis Lim [director of programming at the Film Society of Lincoln Center] has curated a retrospective.
But, strangely enough, you will see films with ghosts in all sections of the festival.
There are real ghosts, allegorical ghosts, and ghosts of love and politics.
This is a very nice game to discover the ghosts of theThessaloniki Film Festival.
DEADLINE:How did Dennis become involved with the festival?
ANDREADAKIS:We love Dennis.
Hes a very good friend.
And he loves Greece.
He comes every summer.
He has a house here.
We started talking about putting this together at the beginning of the year.
DEADLINE:Once again, Greek films have performed very well on the festival circuit this year.
What have you thought about this years crop of films?
ANDREADAKIS:Fifteen years ago, very few Greek films were screened at major festivals.
It was only Thodoros Angelopoulos and one or two others.
The last example was at Locarno, where the Greek filmAnimalwon the best actress prize.
Very few countries that are the size and population of Greece achieve this.
It gives us hope that the new generation of Greek filmmakers are doing well.
DEADLINE:But why has fueled this turn over the last few years?
ANDREADAKIS:Thats the million-dollar question.
This new generation studied abroad.
And they go around all the festivals to find co-productions.
When you live in a very difficult situation, youre obliged to take a position.
Also, theyre very talented people.
They help each other, and I hope the Thessaloniki Film Festival has helped them too.
DEADLINE:Who is visiting Thessaloniki this year?
ANDREADAKIS:Monica Bellucci will receive the honorary Golden Alexander for lifetime achievement.
Shes the lead actress in a hybrid fiction documentary about Maria Callas screening at the festival.
The director, Jeremy Podeswa, will also be here to participate in the Agora series section.
