Sundance Winners Blerta Basholli and Myrsini Aristidou Compete in Thessaloniki’s Meet the Neighbors+ Competition (EXCLUSIVE)

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The 67th Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 5 to 15, has revealed the lineups of its Meet the Neighbors+ and >>Film Forward competition sections.

Among the films in the Meet the Neighbors+ section are Blerta Basholli, who won at Sundance with “Hive,” and comes to Thessaloniki with Kosovan War coming-of-age drama “Dua,” winner of the SACD Award at Critics’ Week in Cannes. Also competing is Myrsini Aristidou’s “Hold Onto Me,” winner of the Audience Award in the World Cinema – Dramatic section of Sundance Film Festival. The film was described in its Variety review as “a heartfelt drama” that “follows a plucky young girl smitten with her long-absent, scoundrel father.” Pierre Le Gall’s gay trucker love story “Flesh and Fuel,” which won best film at Zurich, is also competing.

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The section consists of debut or sophomore films of upcoming film directors that “intend to offer us a deeper understanding on life, the human condition and the state of things in our wider geographical region or cast a glance at the world ‘beyond our neighborhood’ through a unique and innovative artistic prism,” the festival said.

The jury is composed of Cristina Cassano, head of Contemporary Italian Cinema Promotion at Cinecittà, filmmaker Sofia Exarchou and Anne Østerud, a film editor.

The films will compete for the Golden Alexander – Michel Dimopoulos Award, accompanied by a 10,000 euro ($11,240) cash prize, and the Silver Alexander for best direction, which comes with a 5,000 euro ($5,620) cash prize. The jury will also bestow the best actor and actress awards, and may also award a screenplay award or an artistic achievement award.

“Chronicles From the Siege,” Abdallah Al-Khatib, Algeria-France-Palestine
“Dua,” Blerta Basholli, Kosovo-Switzerland-France
“Flesh and Fuel,” Pierre Le Gall, France-Poland
“Furies,” Rami Kodeih, Lebanon-Brazil
“The Lost Son,” Darko Stante, Slovenia-Greece-Croatia-Italy-North Macedonia
“Until the Day Ends,” Jelena Maksimović, Serbia-Bulgaria-Slovenia-Montenegro-Germany-Croatia
“Where Giants Sleep,” Arthur Michel, Belgium-Kosovo (world premiere)
“Elena’s Shift,” Stefanos Tsivopoulos, Greece
“Recrucified,” Theo Papadoulakis, Greece-Italy-Luxembourg-Cyprus (European premiere)
“Hold Onto Me,” Myrsini Aristidou, Cyprus-Greece-Denmark
“The Lion at My Back,” Tonia Mishiali, Cyprus-Luxembourg-Greece

Film ForwardThe jury of the >>Film Forward competition section, which hosts 10 “boundary-breaking” films, is composed of Carlos Rodríguez Ríos, D’A – Barcelona Film Festival director; Ana Vujanović, researcher, writer, dramaturg and lecturer; and Yorgos Zois, filmmaker.

The films are competing for the Golden Alexander >>Film Forward – Best Feature Film Award, accompanied by a 10,000 euro cash prize, the Silver Alexander – Best Direction Award, accompanied by a 5,000 euro cash prize, and the best actor and actress awards. The jury may also award a best screenplay award or a best artistic achievement award.

“Chronovisor,” Jack Auen, Kevin Walker, U.S.
“Filipiñana,” Rafael Manuel, Singapore-U.K.-Philippines-France-the Netherlands
“I Plant My Hand in the Garden,” Boris Hadžija, Hoda Taheri, Germany-Serbia-U.S.
“Objet A,” Ann Oren, Germany-Luxembourg-Greece
“Ponderosa,” Rob Rice, U.S.
“Promised Spaces,” Ivan Marković, France-Germany-Cambodia-Serbia
“Snapshot,” Joseph Archer, U.K.
“The Golden Age,” Bérenger Thouin, France-Italy
“Particles of Dust,” Argyris Germanidis, Greece-Germany (world premiere)
“Under the Judas Tree,” Christos Manson Chouliaras, Greece-Cyprus