The 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (TIDF, 6-16 March) is set to captivate audiences with a vibrant selection of films, featuring ten world, 20 international and six European premieres across its diverse non-competitive sections. This year's line-up will offer fresh perspectives on contemporary issues through the Open Horizons, NextGen, AI Tribute and Special Screenings categories, reaffirming the festival's role as a dynamic platform for documentary filmmakers from around the world, bridging local narratives with global audiences.

Starting with Open Horizons, seven films will be having their world premieres at TIDF: Fatherhood by Even G Benestad and August B Hanssen (Norway/Iceland/Germany) follows three men in a multi-partner relationship as they prepare for parenthood amidst societal pressures; Grains of Sand by Sarah Gross (Germany/USA) captures the friendship between two elderly women artists who redefine their identities beyond familial roles; Mums by Ariadna Seuba Serra (Spain) intimately documents a couple’s challenging journey to motherhood over four years; Unseen Olympiad by Casey Shaw (China/USA) provides a fresh perspective on the 2024 Paris Olympics; and What About Petey? by Martin Trabalík (Czech Republic) portrays a father’s struggle to care for his autistic son and teenage daughter after his wife's sudden death.

The NextGen section features Becoming Roosi by Margit Lillak (Estonia/Germany), a deep, funny, and provocative story of a girl growing up in a hippy eco-commune and her struggle to find her path between activism and creativity, and Small Dogs Bark Loud by Nora Nivedita Tvedt (Norway), which centres on 12-year-old Tuni, who finds solace in her dog Salto while navigating grief and illness. In the Special Screenings section are Another Light on the Road: Robert Frank & June Leaf's Canadian Home by Katrina Whalen and John Parlante (USA), an affectionate tribute to the artistic couple’s legacy and their ties to the rural Nova Scotia community, and Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey by Pippa Ehrlich (South Africa/UK) tells the heartwarming story of Gareth, who finds a new purpose in life by becoming a surrogate parent to a rescued pangolin. Finally, in the AI Tribute section, Kinktimacy by Nong Nhat Quang (Spain/Vietnam) follows a Cambodian Australian kink educator, as he heals from past traumas through Shibari. 

As for the international premieres, fifteen of them will be featured in the Open Horizons section and these include: The Art of Stealing by Jorien van Nes (Netherlands), Being Mikolaj by Aurelia Frydrych-Zdanowska (Poland), Chasing the Light by Maurice O'Brien (Ireland), The Faint Clatter of Birds by Franciszek Berbeka (Poland), The Family Approach by Daniel Abma (Germany), Girls for Tomorrow by Nora Philippe (France/Belgium/Netherlands/Bulgaria), Heightened Scrutiny by Sam Feder (USA), Home Game [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lidija Zelovic
scheda film] by Lidija Zelovic (Netherlands), Love & Trouble by Amy Hardie (UK/Germany), Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore by Shoshannah Stern (USA), Monk in Pieces by Billy Shebar (USA/Germany/France), The Moelln Letters [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Martina Priessner
scheda film] by Martina Priessner (Germany), Move Ya Body: The Birth of House by Elegance Bratton (USA), The Propagandist [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Luuk Bouwman (Netherlands), and Them Fado Bicha by Justine Lemahieu (Portugal).

As for the remaining international premieres, four of them will be in the NextGen section: All American by Mark Andrew Altschul (USA), Folktales by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (USA/Norway), Little Universe by Nele Dehnenkamp (Germany), and Speak. by Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman (USA). Meanwhile, The Dating Game [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Violet Du Feng (USA/UK/Norway) is featured as a Special Screening, and In The Belly of AI by Henri Poulain (France) in the AI Tribute.

The Open Horizons category will also feature a total of six European premieres: Ainu Puri by Takeshi Fukunaga (Japan/USA), The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine by Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza (Chile/Netherlands), Honeydew by Marco Bergonzi and Michael Petrolini (Italy), The Last Republican by Steve Pink (USA), Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story by Bruce David Klein (USA), and Make It Look Real by Danial Shah (Pakistan/Belgium/Netherlands).