Beyond Borders in Kastellorizo at Risk
An international cultural institution with an eleven-year track record, marked by consistency and growing recognition in the field of documentary filmmaking, is now at a critical turning point.
Today, Wednesday, April 22, an urgent Press Conference was held at the Journalists’ Union of Athens (ESIEA) by the Beyond Borders | Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival.
The 11th edition (August 23–30, 2026) of the Festival is facing serious challenges in securing the necessary resources for its uninterrupted continuation. The recent withdrawal of key strategic and financial partners has brought into sharper focus a long-standing issue: the absence of a stable and predictable institutional support framework, which would allow the Festival to plan and grow with continuity, consistency, and a long-term perspective—rather than under conditions of annual uncertainty.
Held on the remote island of Kastellorizo, Beyond Borders has, through sustained effort and self-reliance, evolved into one of the most dynamic and rapidly emerging documentary film institutions in the wider region of Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean. It serves as an active platform for international dialogue, creative exchange, and professional networking, meaningfully connecting Greek filmmakers with the global film industry and consistently contributing to Greece’s cultural outreach.
Despite repeated and well-documented efforts to engage with the relevant Ministries and institutional stakeholders, no stable framework has yet been established to ensure the continuity of such an initiative. The Prime Minister’s Office has also been informed on multiple occasions as part of broader efforts to seek solutions.
With the exception of the support provided by EKKOMED (National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication), which remains a steady supporter of the Festival, it is evident that the need for a coherent, institutional, and functional support mechanism for international cultural initiatives—especially those taking place in remote and border regions—is now more urgent than ever.
As stated by the Festival’s Artistic Director, Irini Sarioglou, during the Press Conference:
“Beyond Borders is not merely an event; it is a living cultural organism that has been growing for eleven years in one of the most sensitive and symbolically significant locations in the country. Its continuation is not only about the Festival itself, but about maintaining a consistent cultural presence at the borders and enabling Greece to engage creatively with the world.
Let us be clear: we are not asking for favors. We are not cultural beggars. We are calling on the State to provide stable and consistent institutional support through multi-annual programmatic agreements with the relevant Ministries and the competent Region.
Every September we start again from zero and this cannot continue. We have done this for ten years, proving the value and recognition of the institution at both national and international levels. Even the International Federation of Film Critics, through its representative, has described the Festival as one of the top three quality festivals in Europe.”
In this context, the Festival issues a final public appeal to all relevant institutional and private stakeholders for the immediate identification of solutions that will secure the realization of its 11th edition.
At the same time, it underscores the urgent need to establish a stable institutional framework that will enable meaningful long-term planning of internationally impactful cultural initiatives, actively strengthening Greece’s presence on the global documentary map.
Beyond Borders is not seeking a temporary fix that perpetuates uncertainty year after year. It is asking for the necessary conditions to continue fulfilling its mission with consistency: to promote Greek documentary filmmaking, to strengthen its international connectivity, and to operate as a stable pillar of cultural extroversion.
It is noted that the issue of the Festival’s support was recently raised in the Greek Parliament, highlighting its national significance.
Culture at the borders is not a luxury.
It is a vital expression of presence, continuity, and international orientation for the country.
Ensuring the continuity of such institutions is a shared responsibility and a necessary investment in the future.
📷 Festival photos available here.
🌐 More information: www.beyondborders.gr
📧 Contact: info@beyondborders.gr
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Organised by: Hellenic History Foundation (IDISME)