09/07/2024 - The international documentary film festival dedicated to historical and cross-cultural themes will feature 37 films from around the world, presented on the Aegean island of Kastellorizo

The ninth Beyond Borders Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival will take place on the picturesque island of Kastellorizo from 25 August-1 September. This edition will showcase compelling films and premieres from around the world, feature enhanced awards for filmmakers and foster new collaborations. The festival's opening ceremony will feature the Greek premiere of the award-winning documentary Beethoven's Nine: Ode to Humanity by Larry Weinstein (Canada/Germany). Closing the gathering will be a screening of From Abdul to Leila [+see also:
film review
interview: Leila Albayaty
film profile] by Leila Albayaty (Belgium/Germany/Saudi Arabia).

Beyond Borders showcases documentary films addressing historical events, personalities and sociopolitical issues. As the festival's artistic director, Irini Sarioglou, explains, “On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, and with the world plagued by war and conflicts, the theme of this year's Beyond Borders focuses on the wounds of displacement, forced expatriation and the bitter feeling of being twice a stranger. Knowledge, research and the outcry [prompted by] documentaries are more necessary than ever to stir consciences, and promote dialogue and reconciliation.”

This year, the festival received 763 documentary submissions from 95 countries, and will feature 37 world, international or Greek premieres. Beyond Borders includes three screening sections: the Main Competition, with 18 medium- and feature-length documentaries; the μicro Competition, with 24 short documentaries; and the Panorama section, which offers daily thematic film tributes outside of the competition. The two competitive sections will present a total of 11 awards.

In the Main Competition, films will be competing for the Golden, Silver and Bronze Megisti Wreaths (worth €3,000, €2,000, and €1,000, respectively), sponsored by ERT. The selection includes 2G [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Karim Sayad (Switzerland/Lebanon), Anna and the Egyptian Doctor by Taliya Finkel (Israel), Bangarang [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Giulio Mastromauro (Italy), Grandmother's Footsteps by Lola Peploe (France), I Shall Not Hate by Tal Barda (Canada), In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least by Christos Andrianopoulos (Greece), KIX [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Dávid Mikulán and Bálint Révész (Hungary/France/Croatia), Koka by Aliaksandr Tsymbaliuk (Poland), and The Land of Unforgettable Songs by Vladimiros Nikolouzos (Greece).

Along with the above, Loxy by Dimitris Zachos and Thanasis Kafetzis (Greece), My Place Ozerna by Karina Będkowska (Poland), The Parallel Currents by Pablo Chavanel (France), The Pickers by Elke Sasse (Germany), Reset by Min Bae (Canada), Samuel and the Light by Vinícius Girnys (Brazil/France), Searching for Rodakis by Saim Kerem Soyyilmaz (Turkey), The Three Fatalities of Teofilo Del Valle by Manuel De Juan Navarro (Spain), and Who, If Not Us? - The Fight for Democracy in Belarus by Juliane Tutein (Germany/Belarus) wrap the selection.

A five-member international jury – headed by Mitzi Goldman, producer and CEO of Documentary Australia, and including director-producer Valerie Kontakos, director-producer Alan Gilsenan, author and journalist Bruce Clark, and director Shuibo Wang – will select the winners of the Main Competition. Meanwhile, the μicro jury – led by director-producer André Singer and featuring programme director at Nova Greece Agapi Kefalogianni, head of documentaries at Public Sénat Elise Aicardi, academic Elif Akçalı and director-producer Marco Gastine – will hand out the Golden, Silver and Bronze Phoenix (worth €1,250, €1,000, and €750, respectively), supported by Phoenix TV, for the best short documentaries by emerging directors.

Additionally, a daily event known as the “Critics’ Corner” will be held under the guidance of Klaus Eder, secretary general of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). In these sessions, three FIPRESCI members will discuss the previous night's competition films with industry professionals and the audience.

Beyond Borders continues its collaboration with esteemed institutions that significantly advance and promote documentaries and culture worldwide. For the festival's ninth edition, Greek public broadcaster ERT will serve as the media institution of honour, and Turkey's Kadir Has University will be the honorary academic institution. Additionally, the Athens Avant-Garde Film Festival will take pride of place as the festival of honour. Lastly, Australia has been designated as the country of honour.

The Beyond Borders Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival is organised by the Hellenic History Foundation (IDISME), in collaboration with Paris-based association Ecrans des Mondes and in co-organisation with the South Aegean Region, and it will be held for another year under the patronage of HE the President of the Hellenic Republic Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou.