The events for the film industry of the 11th Beyond Borders

As part of its 11th edition, Beyond Borders | Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival (August 23–30, 2026) dynamically expands its industry scope, transforming the remote island into a pivotal international hub for the audiovisual industry.

With the inauguration of the 1st Co-Production Development Forum, the 7th consecutive edition of the acclaimed Audio-Visual Pitching Lab, specialized masterclasses by renowned international experts, panel discussions, and special presentations, the Festival offers a comprehensive program dedicated to networking, training, and global outreach.

These industry events are organized under the auspices of EKKOMED (Creative Greece (Hellenic Film, Audiovisual and Creative Center) during a highly symbolic moment, as Greece and Athens prepare to host the 39th European Film Awards Ceremony.

International Co-Production Development Forum

August 24 – 27 | Santrapeia School, Kastellorizo

The Forum is a new, high-level pilot initiative designed exclusively for Greek productions and co-productions targeting the international market. Led by Forum Head Rudy Buttignol, C.M. , a prominent figure in international public broadcasting and former President & former CEO of Knowledge Network , the selected projects will take part in an intensive four-day workshop featuring hands-on training, masterclasses, and pitching sessions.

Filmmakers will pitch their projects directly to top executives, producers, and commissioning editors from major international networks, including Adel Ksiksi (Al Jazeera Documentary), Claudia Bucher (ARTE GEIE), Peter Arens (ZDF), and Lefteris Fylaktos (ERT).

Selected Co-Production Forum Projects:

  • Child Brides: The Missing Piece

Director: Fotini Lampridi | Producer: Marina Danezi

Logline: A deeply personal investigation into the intergenerational trauma of child marriages in Karpathos, where girls as young as 12 and 14 — including the director’s mother — were married off to adult men. A journey of memory and return aimed at breaking the cycle of silence.

Credits: Director Fotini Lampridi is an accomplished journalist and songwriter. Producer Marina Danezi has produced over 120 documentary episodes for ERT and multiple award-winning films.

  • Hitler’s Excavation in Olympia

Director & Producer: Nikos Chrysikakis

Logline: An overlooked chapter of history: Adolf Hitler’s personally funded excavations in Ancient Olympia (1937–1944) and the Nazi regime’s ideological weaponization of the Ancient Greek spirit to promote Aryan supremacy.

Credits: Nikos Chrysikakis is an Athens- and Hamburg-based visual artist and director (Lost Yannina, In the Factory).

  • Ideal Homeland

Director & Producer: Gregory Vardarinos

Logline: Inspired by Milan Kundera’s Ignorance, this documentary explores the real and imagined homelands of Greek emigrants in Germany over a 60-year arc — from the Gastarbeiter of the 1960s to the post-2010 brain drain.

Credits: Gregory Vardarinos is an award-winning director (BAFTA Scotland New Talent nominee) with extensive experience in historical documentaries (Thessaloniki 1917).

  • Music from the Unseen: Tcha’s Journey

Director: Petros Kolotouros | Producer: Leonidas Liambeys (Long Run Productions)

Logline: Visually impaired virtuoso violinist Tcha Limberger travels from Belgium to the remote mountains of Epirus to discover the secrets of ancient Epirote laments, transforming grief and loss into sonic catharsis.

Credits: Petros Kolotouros specializes in audiovisual representations of music (Improvisations in Parallel Mode). Producer Leonidas Liambeys brings 18 years of international co-production experience, with selections at major festivals such as CPH:DOX, Cannes Docs, and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

Audio-Visual Pitching Lab

August 26 – 27 | Hybrid Pitching Workshop

Now in its 7th edition, the Audio-Visual Pitching Lab reinforces its mission to connect emerging European and international creators with seasoned industry executives. As the only domestic pitch lab conducted remotely, it ensures equal access to knowledge and industry connections without geographic or financial barriers.

  • Head Moderator: Dr. Claudia Schreiner, an internationally respected industry veteran with years of experience as Director of the Masterschool at Documentary Campus (Berlin/Munich).
  • Selection Committee: Composed of students from the Festival’s partner film schools: Mehmet Ferruh Kıray (Turkey), Alma Dumitras Bojescu (Romania), and Elise Le Floch (France).
  • Format: Each presentation spans 15 minutes (a 7-minute pitch, 7 minutes of feedback and discussion with the expert panel, and 1 minute for decision announcements).
  • Award: The winning project, selected by the panel, will receive €3,000 worth of free sound post-production services, generously provided by Eye of the North Studios, to help bring the film to completion under top technical standards.

The 11 Selected Pitching Lab Projects:

  • A King in Patagonia | Directors: Léopold Belanger & Grégoire Pontoizeau (France)

In Périgord, France, an eccentric group of seniors maintains a 19th-century hereditary monarchy claiming to represent the Mapuche people. The documentary follows “King Philippe III” to the Andes, capturing the clash between a Western fantasy and the Mapuche’s actual struggle for land rights.

  • Where Is My Bed? | Director: Ana Vučković (Serbia)

When relatives take away her late grandmother’s bed, a young filmmaker embarks on a whimsical quest across wintertime Serbia. The search for the bed turns into a poignant and humorous meditation on family dysfunction and the meaning of home.

  • Tango me Sarajevo | Director: Nafise Motlaq (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Sarajevo’s vibrant tango community prepares for an upcoming festival. Through the embrace of the dance, participants from across former Yugoslavia — particularly a young couple — navigate ethnic tensions, memory, and post-war depression.

  • The Cow Thief | Director: Mohamed Zedan (Egypt)

An Egyptian filmmaker searches for a censored 1940s screenplay by legendary director Kamal Selim. From Cairo’s archives to France and Italy, the documentary turns into a personal act of resistance against archival erasure in Arab cinema.

  • Immigrant Moon | Director: Christina Katsiadaki (Canada)

Grounded in a personal immigration journey to Canada, the film explores the relationship between newcomer immigrants and Indigenous communities (Dene, Cree), searching for common ground among displacement, tradition, and environmental stewardship.

  • Council of the Little | Director: Shakila Bizimana (Bulgaria)

In a dystopian social setup, 20 children aged 7–8 in Sofia (including Roma youth) participate in an unscripted role-playing game about governance, corruption, justice, and the environment.

  • Drama Queen: She’s Just Difficult | Director: Nele Mohrbach (Germany)

Although hysteria was removed as a clinical diagnosis in 1980, the underlying mindset persists. This documentary exposes systemic medical gaslighting across Europe regarding gynecological conditions (PMDD, endometriosis) and women’s struggle simply to be believed.

  • Boundless in 3.5 m² | Directors: Sevinç Baloğlu, Maryam Sadat Bahrololumi & Niki Tsilingiroglou (Turkey/Iran/Greece)

Three female filmmakers capture the daily lives of three female taxi drivers in Tehran, Istanbul, and Athens. Within the cramped 3.5 square meters of their vehicles, these women carve out ultimate independence and resilience against patriarchy.

  • Whispering to Anahita | Director: Saeed Nasiri (Iran/France)

The journey of an Iranian fashion designer from artistic rebellion against the mandatory hijab in Tehran to imprisonment and exile in Paris. A hybrid documentary with animation invoking the ancient Persian goddess Anahita.

  • Fragments of Memory (Θραύσματα Μνήμης) | Director: Vivian Papageorgiou (Greece)

A director returns to the mountains of Trikala and the plains of Karditsa to uncover the story behind her grandfather’s execution during the Greek Civil War. Through home VHS tapes, local songs, and dreamlike imagery, she delves into intergenerational trauma.

  • Olympians Unbreakable | Director: Oleksiy Chychkan (Ukraine)

An observational documentary following high jump Olympic gold medalist Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Olympic canoeist Liudmyla Luzan as they train for the 2028 Games, capturing the physical and psychological toll of elite sports amid ongoing war.

Masterclasses, Panels & Special Events

FIPRESCI Panel: “The Future of Film Criticism”

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 19:30 – 20:15 | Poseidon Square

In a media landscape flooded with self-proclaimed social media reviewers, specialized film criticism demands rigorous knowledge, critical thinking, and experience. Distinguished members of FIPRESCI discuss the future of the profession.

Panelists: Nino Kovačić, Robenson Exél, and Paola Casella (Vice President of the International Federation of Film Critics – FIPRESCI).

Masterclass by Claudia Schreiner: “German Public Broadcasting & Green Production: Rules, Requirements, and Best Practices”

Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 12:40 – 13:20 | Santrapeia Civic School

An in-depth look at the financing frameworks of Germany’s public broadcasting system (ARD/ZDF) — the largest documentary market in the EU — along with an introduction to mandatory European green producing guidelines in line with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Masterclass by Lefteris Fylaktos: “Window, Mirror, Bridge: Finding the Meeting Point”

Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 19:30 – 20:15 | Poseidon Square

An exploration of documentary as a “Third Space” — a shared relational ground between filmmaker and subject. Utilizing the triad framework of Window (an authentic gaze), Mirror (the filmmaker’s presence), and Bridge (the camera as connection), this masterclass offers practical tools for translating personal perspective into deliberate narrative choices.

Special EKKEY Presentation: “The Greek Audiovisual Ecosystem: Upskilling, Networking, and Training Opportunities”

Friday, August 28, 2026 | 19:00 – 19:30 | Poseidon Square

An informative session for Greek and international professionals highlighting institutional updates, funding programs for international strategy, talent development initiatives, audience building, and global partnerships designed to strengthen Greece’s presence in the global film industry.

Masterclass by Christian Frei: “Magnification That Will Endure”

Friday, August 28, 2026 | 19:30 – 20:15 | Poseidon Square

Oscar-nominated and Sundance award-winning Swiss director Christian Frei breaks down how compressing the complexity of reality leads to a deeper, enduring truth without falling into clichés. Topics include the director-cinematographer relationship, the challenges of Direct Cinema, and balancing meticulous preparation with raw cinematic authenticity.

Festival Photos can be found HERE and stills from this year’s films HERE. The trailer for the 11th edition can be found HERE.

For more information you can visit the website www.beyondborders.gr or contact the Festival at info@beyondborders.gr.

Stay tuned for all actions and news of Beyond Borders, by following the Festival on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Organization: Hellenic History Foundation (IDISME).

Under the Auspices of The General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main Institutional Partner Greek Film Center, Audiovisual Media and Creation (EKKOMED)

Supporters Hellenic Parliament, Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), Latsis Foundation

Award Sponsors ERT, ZDF, GGAEDD

Technical Coverage & Catalog Sponsor Ministry of National Defence (YPETHA)

Subtitling Sponsors Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Athens Embassy of Spain in Athens Embassy of Slovakia in Athens Embassy of Norway in Athens, French Institute of Greece.

No products in the cart.