Skandar Copti will leave Thessaloniki with the Best Feature Film Award, “Golden Alexander – Theo Angelopoulos,” accompanied by a cash prize of €10,000, for his film Happy Holidays, showcased at the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
The film, a co-production of Palestine, Germany, France, Italy, and Qatar, follows four characters experiencing their unique realities, connected by inseparable bonds. It sheds light on complex relationships between genders, generations, and cultures in a troubled region. Rami, a Palestinian living in Haifa, faces his Jewish partner’s sudden change of heart as she reconsiders her decision to have an abortion. His mother, Hanan, grapples with a severe financial crisis while seeking compensation for her daughter Fifi’s accident. Miri deals with her own daughter’s depression while trying to undermine her sister’s pregnancy with Rami. Meanwhile, Fifi carries a guilty secret threatening to disrupt her family’s reputation and her new relationship with Dr. Walid.
The film was described by the jury, comprising producer Konstantinos Kontovrakis, director Denis Côté, and filmmaker/producer Sara Driver, as “an intricate and detailed weaving of narratives and perspectives highlighting the complexity of dynamics related to the concepts of nation, gender, and class, reflecting the future in the face of a young woman.”
Silver Alexander for Julie Remains Silent by Leonardo van Dijl
The Silver Alexander was awarded to Julie Remains Silent, a Belgian-Swedish film that follows the life of a promising tennis talent at a top Belgian academy. Although her life revolves around the sport, everything changes when a young athlete at the club takes her own life. When Julie’s coach is investigated and expelled from the academy, members are encouraged to come forward. However, Julie remains silent. Leonardo van Dijl’s debut film, a standout at Cannes, powerfully conveys the difficulty of breaking silence for an abuse victim. Each frame carefully captures the weight of this silence, reflecting the depth of trauma.
The jury praised it as “a film of psychological depth, radiating strength and calm. A beautifully constructed piece with equally beautiful performances and cinematography.”
The Best Actor Award went to Mahmoud Bakri for his performance in In an Unknown Land by Mahdi Fleifel, and the Best Actress Award to Joana Santos for her role in In Fall by Laura Carreira.
Meet the Neighbors + Awards
In the Meet the Neighbors + competitive section, featuring first or second films from 36 countries in Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, the Best Feature Film Award “Golden Alexander – Michel Dimopoulos,” with a cash prize of €10,000, was awarded to Vitoria by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman. The Best Director Award “Silver Alexander,” with a €5,000 prize, went to Layla Abbas for Thank You for Your Transaction. Volodymyr Kravchuk won Best Actor for Ysyban by Pavlo Ostrikov, and Antonia Zegers received Best Actress for The Uprooted by Belén Funes.
Film Forward Awards
The Film Forward section presents the work of bold, emerging directors who, through their first or second films, question and redefine our relationship with reality. The Best Feature Film Award “Golden Alexander,” with a €8,000 prize, was awarded to Universal Language by Matthew Rankin, while the Best Director Award “Silver Alexander,” with a €4,000 prize, went to Noaz Deshe for Xoftex. The jury gave a Special Mention to Maldives by Daniel Bolda.
Immersive: All Around Cinema Awards
The Immersive: All Around Cinema competition embraces works that utilise cutting-edge technology to explore different facets of extended reality. The Golden Alexander, with a €2,000 prize, went to Play Life by Zilvinas Naujokas, Vilius Petrauskas, Mantas Pranckus, and Donatas Ulvydas. A Special Mention was awarded to The Piraeus Journey by Filippos Tsitos.
Podcast Awards
The Best Podcast Award, with a €2,000 prize, was awarded to Friends in Borderline Spaces by Anastasia Sotiropoulou. A Special Mention was given to A Story the Mountains Tell by MASH (Christos Kapenis and Katerina Anastasiou).
Mermaid Award
The Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Mermaid Award, given to the best LGBTQIA+ themed film in the official programme, supported by Mastercard with a €3,000 prize, was awarded to Everything Will Be Fine by Ray Yeung.
Smart7 Award
To promote international distribution of European films, the Smart7 festival alliance presented the Smart7 Award, with a €5,000 prize, awarded to This Is Not My Movie by Maria Sborska.
Light Award
A new award made its debut at the 65th Thessaloniki Film Festival. The Light Award, powered by DEH, for best debut performance in a lead or supporting role in a Greek feature film in the official programme, went to Yiannis Karababas for his role in Wishbone by Penny Panayotopoulou, and shared for best debut actresses between Eva Samioti and Myrto Meitani-Kastrinaki for Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis.
Accessibility Award by Alpha Bank
The Alpha Bank Accessibility Award, with a €3,000 prize, recognises a person or film highlighting accessibility in the arts. This year, it was awarded jointly to director Leonard Mink and actor Ben Kramer for Tremolo.
ERT Awards
ERT’s first prize, valued at €3,000 and awarded to the best Greek film chosen by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), went to Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis. ERT’s second prize, worth €2,000, went to the Greek project distinguished in AGORA Works in Progress, and a third award, the ERT Original Music Award with a €2,000 prize, was awarded to Yannis Veslemes for the music in Maldives by Daniel Bolda.
“Human Values” Award by the Hellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament’s established “Human Values” Award, given to a film in the International Competition section, was awarded to Julie Remains Silent by Leonardo van Dijl.
EKOME Awards
The Greek Film Centre for Audiovisual Media & Creation (EKOME) awarded two prizes. The EKOME Award, valued at €5,000 and given to a debut director or debut film in a Greek production premiering in the official programme, was awarded to Kostis Charamountanis for Kyouka Before Summer Ends. The Location Award, valued at €1,500, was awarded to location managers Marios Dimopoulos and Niki Saliagopoulou for Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis.
Ioannis F. Costopoulos Foundation Award
The Ioannis F. Costopoulos Foundation Award, established in 2019 to mark its 40th anniversary, is given to a Greek programme film premiering at the festival with a comprehensive aesthetic proposal that advances cinema and highlights its connection to other arts. This year’s award went to Arcadia by Yorgos Zois.
Finos Film Award
For the second year, Finos Film presented an award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, recognising a Greek film premiering in the Greek Cinema section, awarded to Kyouka Before Summer Ends by Kostis Charamountanis.
FIPRESCI Awards
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), composed of prominent film critics, presented two awards: one for Best International Competition Film, awarded to Arcadia by Yorgos Zois, and one for the Best Greek film premiering at the Festival, awarded to Riviera by Orfeas Peretzis.
PEKK Award
The Panhellenic Film Critics Association (PEKK) awarded the Best Film in the Greek Programme to Meat by Dimitris Nakos.
WIFT GR Award
The WIFT (Women in Film & Television) Greek section’s award goes to a film in the International Competition or Meet the Neighbors+ or >>Film Forward section for best female contribution in front of or behind the camera. The WIFT GR award went to Sugar Island by Johane Gomez Torero.
Crew United Award
The Crew United Award, offering a five-year free Premium Membership on the Crew United platform, was awarded to Dimitris Nakos for Meat.
Youth Jury Awards of Thessaloniki University Students
The Youth Jury, comprising students from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s Film Department, awarded Best Film to Kyouka Before Summer Ends by Kostis Charamountanis and a Special Jury Award to Meat by Dimitris Nakos. Greek films premiering at the Greek Cinema Festival were eligible.
Fischer Audience Awards
Fischer, the official sponsor of the Audience Awards for a decade, awarded five prizes to the films receiving the most audience votes: Fischer Audience Award – International Competition went to In an Unknown Land by Mahdi Fleifel, Fischer Audience Award – Meet the Neighbors+ to The Mohican by Frederic Farrucci, Fischer Audience Award – >>Film Forward to Kyouka Before Summer Ends by Kostis Charamountanis, Fischer Audience Award – Official Programme to Guiding Light by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, and the Fischer Audience Award “Mihalis Kakogiannis” – Greek Cinema Festival to Wishbone by Penny Panayotopoulou.
AGORA Awards
Earlier in the week, the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s AGORA presented awards, supporting successful initiatives through in-person and online events, maximising all available tools and new technologies.
Source: AMNA
