Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2026

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is the most significant film event in Greece and one of the longer-running festivals in Europe, founded in 1960. It runs for ten days each November across Thessaloniki, drawing filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema audiences from across the country and internationally.

The programme

The festival’s competitive sections focus on independent world cinema, with the International Competition showcasing debut and second features from directors worldwide. A Greek Film panorama section provides an overview of domestic production from the preceding year, and retrospectives dedicated to specific directors or national cinemas run alongside the new releases. Restored classics, short film competitions, and a series of open-access screenings complete the public programme.

The Olympion cinema on Aristotelous Square is the festival’s primary venue, supplemented by the Pavlos Zannas cinema and several other screens around the city centre. Screenings begin mid-morning and run through to late evening each day of the festival. Most foreign-language films screen with English subtitles, and Greek films typically carry English subtitles in the festival versions.

The Golden Alexander is the festival’s top prize, awarded by an international jury. Winning and shortlisted films frequently go on to further European festival circulation, giving the Thessaloniki event genuine curatorial weight within the independent film calendar.

Tickets and attendance

Individual screening tickets are sold online through the festival website at filmfestival.gr and at venue box offices during the event. Prices are modest — typically €6-8 per screening — and passes covering multiple screenings are available for regular attendees. The festival is well attended by Greek audiences, and popular screenings can sell out, so booking ahead for specific titles is advisable.

Industry accreditation for the Thessaloniki Agora, the festival’s co-production market, is handled separately through the same website.

Planning your visit

November in Thessaloniki is cool and occasionally wet, with temperatures averaging 12-15°C and shorter daylight hours, but the city’s covered food market, indoor dining, and compact walkable centre make it a comfortable city-break destination at this time of year. Flights connect Thessaloniki’s Makedonia Airport to Athens and to several European cities, and the train from Athens takes around 4 hours. For broader context on the city and what to see outside the cinema, our Thessaloniki guide has the full picture on neighbourhoods, food, and transport. Our practical getting-around guide covers inter-city rail and bus options across Greece.