‘Bearcave,’ ‘Pillion,’ Milk Teeth’ Among Competition at Thessaloniki

The Thessaloniki Film Festival, which runs Oct. 30 to Nov. 9, has revealed its International Competition lineup, which showcases 12 films by up-and-coming directors.

The jury is composed of Elegance Bratton, director, screenwriter, producer, and actor; Thania Dimitrakopoulou, head of sales at the Match Factory; and Fred Elmes, cinematographer.

The Golden Alexander for best feature film is accompanied by a 10,000 euro cash prize, while the Silver Alexander for best direction award is accompanied by a 5,000 euro cash prize. The jury will also bestow awards for best actor, actress and screenplay or artistic achievement.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FILMS
“A Light That Never Goes Out,” Lauri-Matti Parppei, Finland-Norway
In the aftermath of a personal crisis, unable to manage the weight of expectations placed upon him, 29-years-old Pauli, a talented and successful flutist, returns to his family home in a small town in Finland. There, almost unwillingly, he connects with a group of young musicians, pariahs in the suffocating, provincial environment, who, fueled by wonderful madness, compose experimental music through improvisation.

“Bearcave,” Krysianna B. Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos, Greece-U.K.
Argyro and Anneta are two best friends living in the Greek mountain village of Tirna. Once Anneta reveals that she’s pregnant and planning to skip town with her cop boyfriend, Argyro, devastated, dares her to embark on a hike into the legendary Bearcave.

“Beachcomber,” Aristotelis Maragkos, Greece
Elias dreams of building a boat from scrap metal, chasing the shadow of his sailor father’s legacy. But as his creation crumbles, so does the myth he’s built around himself – forcing him to confront the fragile truth of who he really is.

“Cotton Queen,” Suzannah Mirghani, Germany-France-Palestine-Qatar-Saudi Arabia-Sudan
Young Nafisa lives in a village in Sudan, on the banks of the Nile. The granddaughter of the so-called “Cotton Queen,” an elderly woman – seemingly centuries old – who has taken on legendary dimensions due to her resistance against the British and her alleged ability to see the future, is of marriage age. Currently, Nafisa works in her grandmother’s fields picking cotton, diving into the river, and falling in love with a young man. But the arrival of a wealthy entrepreneur from London upends everything, and everyone (including her parents and her grandmother) makes plans for her, without her knowledge.

“Gorgonà,” Evi Kalogiropoulou, Greece-France
In a timeless dystopian future, in a patriarchal city-state plagued by violence and environmental pollution, two women rebel and fight for their freedom and identity, transforming themselves into symbols of resistance and transformation.

“Karla,” Christina Tournatzès, Germany
Munich, 1962. In a society bound by silence and shame, 12-year-old Karla makes a remarkable yet unusual decision: she brings her abusive father to court. Refusing to be silenced, she insists on telling her story in her own way, choosing what to reveal and what to leave unsaid.

“Maysoon,” Nancy Biniadaki, Germany-Greece
A relationship falls apart, a passport expires – and suddenly everything is at stake: Egyptian archaeologist Maysoon lives in Berlin with her partner Tobi and their two children when her past catches up with her: once politically active before the Arab Spring, returning to Egypt could cost her freedom. As she fears the loss of her home, her family, and her sense of control, Maysoon begins a battle.

“Milk Teeth,” Mihai Mincan, Romania-France-Denmark-Greece-Bulgaria
Romania, 1989. During the last days of Ceaușescu’s dictatorship, in a small, isolated town, 10-year-old Maria becomes the last witness to her sister’s mysterious disappearance. Torn apart by the loss, she is trying to make sense of a new, terrifying reality. She withdraws into herself and refuses to speak. Has she lost her voice – or is it that she can’t find the right words?

“On the Sea,” Helen Walsh, U.K.
In a village on the mist-shrouded coast of Wales, where life is dictated by the same centuries-old conservative, patriarchal values, a man abruptly finds himself at odds with a small-minded community and, most importantly, himself: at 48, married, and a father to a defiant teen, Jack, a mussel farmer upholding the family legacy, will connect with an attractive young man arriving in the region as a seasonal worker. Whatever follows will unearth unuttered, suppressed desires, thus changing himself and his family forever.

“Pillion,” Harry Lighton, U.K.
Lighton adapts Adam Mars-Jones’s novella “Box Hill” into a film, delivering a queer coming-of-age story as unexpected as it is disarmingly romantic. Colin (Harry Melling), a timid young man in the British countryside, leads an almost insignificant life up until he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a mysterious biker who introduces him to a relationship of dominance and submission.

“Satisfaction,” Alex Burunova, U.S.-Greece-Ukraine-Italy
The relationship between Lola and Philip, two young British composers, is falling apart. While spending their holiday on Antiparos, the two struggle to regain their footing as a couple, and revive their lost creativity. However, despite the enchanting Cycladic landscape and the idleness of summer, something imperceptible yet heavy looms in the horizon. And when Lola meets a mysterious, dark, and beguiling Greek woman, the equilibrium is thrown off, bringing to light repressed trauma – and the hope of overcoming it.

“Strange River,” Jaume Claret Muxart, Spain-Germany
Two boys and their parents start off their summer vacation by cycling along the Danube River. The eldest, already a teenager for some time, unexpectedly meets a mysterious boy in an encounter that will prove decisive for the trip’s outcome, whilst the youngest merely observes from the sidelines.