– The environmentally focused initiative of the Thessaloniki Film Festival celebrates its fifth edition in Northern Evia, exploring the cinematic, ecological and mythical dimensions of forests
The Apollon open-air cinema in Edipsos
The fifth edition of the Evia Film Project, taking place from 23-27 June, marks another chapter in the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s green initiative, which was launched in response to the devastating wildfires that struck Northern Evia in 2021. Held in Edipsos, Limni and Rovies, the event continues its mission of connecting cinema with environmental awareness, while also contributing to the cultural regeneration of the region. This year’s edition turns its attention to the forest, examining its role as a source of life, a refuge, a place of mystery and a powerful cinematic landscape that has inspired filmmakers across generations.
The programme opens on 23 June with John Huston’s classic adventure The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The festival will conclude on 27 June with a celebratory event featuring Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park.
This year’s film selection explores the forest through a wide range of genres, from adventure and fantasy to thriller, horror and contemporary Greek cinema. The programme includes Kevin Reynolds’ Robin Hood, Ted Kotcheff’s Rambo: First Blood, Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, John Boorman’s Deliverance, Sean S Cunningham’s Friday the 13th and Pixar’s Brave. Greek cinema is represented by Dimitris Kanellopoulos’ Pack of Sheep, Tzortzis Grigorakis’s Digger, Angelos Frantzis’ Into the Woods and Eva Stefani’s Bathers, the latter screened beside the famous thermal springs of Edipsos, where much of the film was originally shot.
As in previous editions, the Evia Film Project combines screenings with educational and community-orientated activities. Audiences will also have access to a selection of virtual-reality works presented throughout the event at the Kyma information point in Edipsos. The immersive programme further expands the festival’s ongoing exploration of new technologies and alternative forms of storytelling connected to humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Open discussions accompanying the screenings will take place at the Melina Merkouri Cultural Center in Edipsos, bringing together filmmakers, cultural professionals, local audiences and students from the Department of Digital Arts and Cinema of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. These conversations aim to deepen engagement with the festival’s environmental themes while encouraging dialogue around cinema, sustainability and the future of cultural production.
The educational strand of the event also returns with workshops designed for children and teenagers. Young participants will develop their own audiovisual projects during a three-day programme, with the resulting films premiering at the Apollon open-air cinema on the festival’s closing day. Through these initiatives, the Evia Film Project continues to invest in film education and community participation, fostering new connections between local audiences and the next generation of filmmakers.
The Evia Film Project is organised by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival with the support of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Additional support is provided by COSMOTE TELEKOM, the festival’s principal sponsor, and Fischer, a longstanding partner of the event.
