The Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival has set dates for its 28th edition (5–15 March 2026), returning as a hybrid event across physical venues and online exhibition. The festival frames two parallel priorities: a high-profile authorship spotlight on archival and essayistic practices and a large-scale commitment to the domestic nonfiction slate, with 57 Greek feature-length documentaries programmed across competitions and non-competitive sections.
A central headline is the decision to confer honorary Golden Alexanders on Bill Morrison and Vouvoula Skoura, both scheduled to attend in person. Morrison’s festival spotlight comprises six titles, aligning with a broader edition-wide emphasis on archives, material decay, and cinema’s afterlives. Alongside screenings, Morrison will deliver a masterclass, «Uncovering the Hidden Frame», positioned as a practice-led reflection on how archival footage has shaped his work. The selected films include Decasia (2002), Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016), The Village Detective: A Song Cycle (2021), The Great Flood (2013), The Miners’ Hymns (2011), and Spark of Being (2010), collectively mapping his approach to distressed celluloid, historical collage, and music-driven nonfiction form.
Skoura’s tribute is more expansive, with a 20-film selection designed to foreground her interdisciplinary method across film essay, video art, and experimental montage. The festival is also underwriting the digital restoration costs for Inner Migration (1984) and Skoria Fotos (1989), with work to be carried out by the Greek Film Archive’s digital restoration laboratory. Accessibility is also being used as a programming lever. Skoura’s Etel Adnan: Words in Exile will screen with accessibility provisions supported by Alpha Bank, while the tribute context extends to newer works, including the 2025 premiere UTOPIA. The Poetics of Borders: Berlin – Nicosia and the 2026 project Etel Adnan: Undying Colours.
On the national front, TIDF again positions itself as a primary launchpad for Greek documentary features, spanning the International Competition, Newcomers, and >>Film Forward, plus Open Horizons, Platform+, and Special Screenings. The festival will pay a rental fee to all Greek films in the official selection, a policy aimed at reinforcing sustainability for local producers and rights-holders. Platform+ titles will be available on the festival’s digital platform from 6–20 March, extending visibility beyond the on-site dates and widening access for non-local audiences.
The Greek program is complemented by a dense ecosystem of independent awards and institutional partnerships. New for 2026 is the Municipality of Thessaloniki award, «City Stories», with a €5,000 prize and targeting films that engage contemporary urban life. The festival is also continuing the Council of Europe-backed «Human Rights in Motion» prize (also €5,000), which is positioned as a shared initiative across four European festivals: FIPADOC, Sheffield DocFest, and Doclisboa. Additional prizes include FIPRESCI awards, ERT cash awards, an EKKOMED contribution to Greek projects and debuts, plus awards linked to Amnesty International, WWF Greece, and Women in Film & Television Greece.
