This year’s annual Beyond Borders Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival is set to kick from August 25 to September 1, with cinephile audiences and creators from all over the world set to flock in.
The theme for this year’s festival is ‘twice a stranger’, and now over a century since the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, that saw the mass exclusion of people from both sides of the borders, Beyond Borders reflects on the people and lives that were left behind.
Asking questions on personal stories that could not, or did not want to, fit or be assimilated by dominant ideologies and perceptions and were forced into a ceaseless search for acceptance and reconciliation.
The ninth edition of the event, taking place in Kastellorizo of course, pays tribute through its film program, book launches, art exhibitions, educational programs, lectures and musical performances, and hopes to bring back the issue of defending all human rights at every corner of the world.
A look at this year’s poster, featuring a still from the documentary Scenes with my Father by Biserka Šuran, with its underlying message being “a natural consequence of immigration is the fusion of diverse cultures.”
“The exchange of opinions and ideas consist a palette, as unique as the people who make it up,” a media release stated.
“In the visual depiction of the poster we investigate the colour imprint of these stories.”
The aim of the festival is to highlight the work of experienced as well as emerging filmmakers, focussing on documentary films that deal with historical events and personalities, socio-political issues and the promotion of human rights.
Last year’s festival saw 835 films from 93 countries submitted and for this year, filmmakers from Greece and around the world have until April 30 to submit their films.
42 films will be showcased in the programme in two sections, with films having been released within the last three years (2022 to 2024).
Main Competition, for films of medium (31-60 min) and feature (61+ min), and the μicro (Micro) Competition Section for short (up to 30 min) length films.
For the μicro section, directors with up to three films are only eligible.
Interested creators can submit their films on the festival’s or the FilmFreeway website.
