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

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.

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