{"id":21710,"date":"2025-08-26T08:57:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T06:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/?p=21710"},"modified":"2025-08-26T09:04:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T07:04:03","slug":"the10th-anniversary-edition-of-beyond-borders-kastellorizo-international-documentary-festival-opened-as-a-true-celebration-of-documentary-filmmaking-coexistence-and-the-festivals-remarkabl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/the10th-anniversary-edition-of-beyond-borders-kastellorizo-international-documentary-festival-opened-as-a-true-celebration-of-documentary-filmmaking-coexistence-and-the-festivals-remarkabl\/","title":{"rendered":"The10th Anniversary Edition of Beyond Borders | Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival opened as a true celebration of documentary filmmaking, coexistence and the festival\u2019s remarkable ten-year journey."},"content":{"rendered":"

10\u03bf\u00a0BEYOND BORDERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

KASTELLORIZO INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL<\/strong><\/p>\n

24 \u2013 31 AUGUST 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This year\u2019s Opening Ceremony carried a particularly festive atmosphere. In the packed Heroe\u2019s Square of the picturesque Kastellorizo, more than 700 guests and visitors from Greece and abroad \u2014 island residents alongside international representatives of the film world \u2014 gathered to launch this milestone edition. As always, the festival\u2019s heartbeat lies with its people.<\/p>\n

Strategic Partner<\/strong> of Beyond Borders is PPC (Public Power Corporation<\/strong>), the leading energy company in Southeastern Europe, which actively supports art and culture. As an integral part of the country\u2019s social and economic fabric, PPC fosters dialogue with culture and the arts, standing behind everything that leads us to a brighter future \u2014 one in which culture takes center stage.<\/h3>\n

In her welcome address, Irini Sarioglou<\/strong>, Artistic Director and Founder of the Festival, offered a moving retrospective on the ten-year course of Beyond Borders. She recalled how the Festival began as a dream and has since grown to be recognized by FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics) as one of the three most distinguished film festivals worldwide, alongside Venice and Locarno.<\/p>\n

\u201cI come from a small island near Istanbul, Antigoni. Perhaps that is why, from an early age, I have been deeply concerned with values such as justice, solidarity, humanity and truth,\u201d Ms. Sarioglou noted. \u201cBeyond Borders is now aiming at even greater growth, following this year\u2019s record-breaking 907 film submissions.\u201d During her address, audiences were shown the landmark short film by the Manakia Brothers (1905), featuring women weavers \u2014 the first-ever cinematic recording in the Balkans. \u201cJust as these women wove their present with their hands, today\u2019s documentary filmmakers weave with images and sound the complex tapestry of our reality,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n

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Michel Noll<\/strong>, Founder of Ecrans des Mondes and Director of International Development at Beyond Borders, reminded the audience that at the very heart of every festival are the filmmakers, who invest immense time, energy, and resources to share their ideas with the world. Stressing the critical role of history and cinema, he stated: \u201cWe are living through dangerous times. Never before has it been so urgent to stop and truly observe what is happening around us. The world is engulfed by violence and wars. From my 40 years of experience in documentary, I can say with certainty that there is no more effective response to violence than dialogue. And for dialogue to be meaningful, it must be grounded in evidence. That is precisely what documentary does.\u201d Noll concluded: \u201cBeyond Borders reminds us never to rest on our laurels, but always to seek the bigger picture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stratos Amygdalos<\/strong>, Deputy Mayor of Culture of the Municipality of Megisti, welcomed the audience by underlining the shared conviction that Beyond Borders has now secured its own unique place on the global cultural map. \u201cThe Festival invites us to delve deeper, to understand, to remember. It is a shining example of how a cultural institution can serve as a tool for education, dialogue, and collective memory,\u201d he said. A long-standing friend of the Festival, Mr. Amygdalos expressed heartfelt gratitude to Artistic Director Irini Sarioglou for her love of the island, ever since her very first visit to Kastellorizo three decades ago. He emphasized that Kastellorizo, with its rich cultural heritage, historical weight, and contemporary significance, continues to carve its own path, standing as a point of reference not only for Greece but also for the world.<\/p>\n

In her address, Cristina Caputo<\/strong>, Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Greece, emphasized that through Beyond Borders, Kastellorizo has evolved into a true meeting point of ideas, cultures, and narratives. \u201cItaly is proud to share with Greece not only a passion for Mediterranean culture, but also the conviction that cinema serves as a bridge between societies, past and future,\u201d<\/em> she noted. Ms. Caputo also congratulated the Festival for honoring the Italian broadcaster RAI<\/strong> as this year\u2019s International Media Partner of Honour, in recognition of its longstanding and significant contribution to the documentary genre. \u201cContinue to inspire us with creative voices,\u201d<\/em> she concluded.<\/p>\n

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Alexis Papachelas<\/strong>, Executive Editor of Kathimerini<\/em>, which is this year\u2019s Greek Media Partner of Honour of the Festival, highlighted the essential role of memory and history in a time of deep uncertainty. He underlined that Beyond Borders is yet another testament to the extraordinary resilience of Kastellorizo, an island that has endured, been reborn and continues to inspire through the survival stories of its people. \u201cThe Festival is an integral part of this recent renaissance,\u201d<\/em> he remarked. Mr. Papachelas also expressed his admiration for the fact that, despite challenges and adversities, the Festival has, within only its first decade, managed to establish itself as a cultural institution of international scope. He referred to Kathimerini<\/em>\u2019s special feature on Kastellorizo, produced in collaboration with the Festival, and emphasized that the newspaper\u2019s Sunday edition, with its dedicated supplement on the island, was exceptionally delivered to Kastellorizo to mark the occasion. \u201cToday, Kathimerini is Kastellorizo,\u201d<\/em> he concluded.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s edition also honors, alongside Greece and the two featured media outlets, the GrecDoc Festival of Greek Documentary in Paris<\/strong> as the Honored Festival, while the \u00c9cole Alsacienne (Paris)<\/strong> has been selected as the Honored Academic Institution.<\/p>\n

The Opening Ceremony further introduced the Juries<\/strong> of this year\u2019s Festival:<\/p>\n