The 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (6-16 March) returns this year with a programme that spans explorations of #Artificial Intelligence#, urgent contemporary crises, and a compelling visual identity designed by painter Dimitris Anastasiou.

Artificial Intelligence: A Cinematic Exploration

This year’s festival presents AI, an Inevitable Intelligence, a tribute dedicated to the intersection of artificial intelligence and documentary storytelling. With a curated selection of films, masterclasses, and installations, the program seeks to dissect AI’s growing influence on human creativity, ethics, and daily life.

Among the featured documentaries, The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze by Tilda Swinton examines the evolution of learning in a technologically driven world, while The Biography of a Software by George Drivas engages in an audiovisual dialogue with an AI-driven entity. Additionally, About a Hero, based on a script generated by an AI trained on Werner Herzog’s works, critically reflects on the notion of artistic originality.

Unveiling Global Realities: The Happening Now Section

The Happening Now program offers a selection of five documentaries that delve into contemporary socio-political crises. Zurawski v Texas by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault explores the legal battle over abortion rights in Texas, shedding light on the state’s stringent reproductive policies.

Meanwhile, Eyes of Gaza by Mahmoud Atassi captures the harrowing experiences of Palestinian journalists covering the ongoing conflict in #Gaza, a region where press freedom is under siege. In #Russia, Mr. Nobody Against Putin by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin documents the struggle of a teacher navigating the country’s aggressive #propaganda machinery in the wake of the #Ukraine invasion.

A Visual Identity Bridging Past and Future

Renowned Greek painter Dimitris Anastasiou has crafted the festival’s visual identity, producing three paintings that narrate a journey through time. His work reflects the festival’s thematic focus, beginning with depictions of Greece’s rural past before transitioning into an abstract, futuristic cityscape—an allusion to the festival’s AI tribute.