Greek Guide

The 30th Greek Film Festival (GFF), celebrating three decades of Greek cinema in Melbourne. Running from 14 – 26 October 2025, this year’s festival promises an unforgettable lineup of new feature films, documentaries, and a curated retrospective of iconic films from the Festival’s 30-year history.

Festival Highlights:

Opening Night: Kapetan Mihalis, a powerful historical drama directed by Kostas Haralambous and based on the beloved novel by Nikos Kazantzakis.

Tribute: Renowned Greek actor, screenwriter, and director Renos Haralambidis is celebrated for his distinctive performances and enduring contribution to Greek cinema.

30-Year Retrospective: A curated selection of classic Greek films from the Festival’s catalogue, offering audiences the chance to revisit or discover iconic stories spanning three decades.

Opening and Closing Night events
Launches with Kapetan Mihalis as its opening night gala.
The closing night will feature the latest film from director Renos Haralambidis, Athens Midnight Radio.
Film Retrospectives
Best of the Past 29 Years: Revisit iconic films like A Touch of Spice, Rebetiko, and Dogtooth, as well as classics from renowned directors like Pantelis Voulgaris. The retrospective will also include a special screening of The Flea, the very first film to open the GFF in Australia.
Sydney Filmmakers: A tribute to local talent, this retrospective will showcase the contributions of Sydney-based directors and writers like Kosta Nikas, Alex Lykos, Billy Cotsis and Kay Pavlou.
Renos Haralambidis: A celebration of the iconic Greek actor and director’s entire body of work, featuring screenings of his films, including Cheap Smokes, 4 Black Suits, The Heart of the Beast and the iconic No Budget Story.
Contemporary Greek Cinema
A selection of the latest Greek, Cypriot, and Greek-themed independent films, documentaries, and cinematic masterpieces. Highlights include:
The Return with Ralph Fiennes.
Maria with Angelina Jolie.
Cypriot films like Diversion and Smaragda.
The iconic film Stelios and remarkable documentaries such as Super Paradise, Memento & Dourgouti Town.
Guest of Honour: Renos Haralambidis

Following its successful return, the Canberra community will have the opportunity to attend five screenings of the most important Greek films from the 2025 festival lineup.

The festival will open with the epic film "Kapetan Mihalis" by Kostas Haralambous on Thursday, October 30, at the Palace Electric Cinema. Screenings will continue on Friday, October 31, with the acclaimed drama "Brides," followed by the powerful biopic film "Stelios" on Saturday, November 1.

Don't miss out on the family film "Santa's Snow Candy" on Sunday, November 2 at 1.00pm before the festival's closing film at 4.00pm with the iconic "Roza of Smyrna."