Athens, March 10, 2026 – The ‘Positively Different’ Short Film Festival (PDSFF26) is set to return for its seventh edition, taking place from March 18 to 22 at Cinobo Patision in Athens. This year’s festival will feature a compelling program of screenings, discussions, and events, all organized around the pertinent themes of urgency and resistance.
A Platform for Unheard Voices and Oppressed Dreams
The organizers of the festival emphasize their enduring commitment to providing a space for critical discourse and artistic expression. “For six years now, we have been presenting our concerns and hopes, giving voice to the voices of the unheard and the dreams of the oppressed,” the festival’s organizers stated. “Entering our seventh year, we remain committed to building a space where the personal is political, and vice versa. Together, we dream of a world worth fighting for.” This sentiment underscores the festival’s foundational ethos of fostering solidarity and challenging conventional narratives.
“The Urge”: Exploring Resistance Through Cinema
This year’s edition, subtitled ‘The Urge’, will showcase a diverse selection of short films, meticulously grouped into thematic program sets. Each screening will be complemented by insightful Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, offering audiences a unique opportunity to engage directly with the creative minds behind the works. A highlight of the festival is an open discussion titled ‘Resistance at the limits of legality’, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, at 18:30. This discussion aims to delve into critical questions surrounding political organizing in an environment of escalating state repression, providing a platform for vital dialogue on contemporary societal challenges.
Awards and Recognition
The festival will culminate on Sunday, March 22, with an awards ceremony. Prizes will be presented for Best Film, Best Greek Production, and Audience and Curatorial Team Prizes, recognizing excellence and innovation in short filmmaking. The esteemed jury for this year’s festival comprises producer and director Silas Michalakas, ethnographic filmmaker and National University of Athens professor Eva Stefani, and director, writer, and translator Panagiotis Evangelidis. Their collective expertise ensures a thorough and discerning evaluation of the submitted works.
Festival Programme Highlights
The five-day festival offers a rich and varied schedule of screenings and events:
- Wednesday, March 18:
- 19:00 | Neighbouring Lives (105′)
- Thursday, March 19:
- 19:00 | Conversations with Memory (95′)
- 21:30 | Trapped (101′)
- Friday, March 20:
- 19:00 | Eat the Rich (100′)
- 21:30 | Building on the Ruins (89′)
- Saturday, March 21:
- 16:00 | Life in the Shadows (96′)
- 18:30 | Open discussion: Resistance at the limits of legality
- 20:30 | Taking What Belongs to Us (96′)
- 22:30 | Your Body Is a Battlefield (93′)
- After-party
- Sunday, March 22:
- 16:00 | Toolkit of Subversion (97′)
- 18:30 | Leaving Half of Ourselves Behind (93′)
- 21:00 | Love in the Storm (88′)
- Awards ceremony
Practical Information for Attendees
The festival will be held at Cinobo Patision, located at 28th October Street 79, Athens. The event dates are from March 18 to 22, 2026. Inter Alia is the organizing body behind this significant cultural event. Tickets are priced at €6 per screening set, with concessions available for €4. Daily passes for Thursday/Friday are €10 (€6 concessions), and for Saturday/Sunday, they are €15 (€8 concessions). A five-day pass can be purchased for €35 (€20 concessions). Concessions are applicable to students, jobseekers, and disabled attendees with a companion. For accessibility, a lift will be in operation throughout the festival, and wheelchair users are kindly requested to email [email protected] in advance to ensure arrangements. Tickets are conveniently available for purchase at more.com.
This festival serves as a crucial platform for independent cinema and critical thought, inviting both local residents and international visitors to engage with pressing social and political issues through the powerful medium of film.
