09 Oct PRESS RELEASE 08/10/2025 – 16th BRIDGES – PELOPONNESUS INTERNATIONAL MULTI-THEMATIC FESTIVAL 20–25 Οctober 2025
16th BRIDGES – PELOPONNESUS INTERNATIONAL
MULTI-THEMATIC FESTIVAL
20-25 October 2025
8 October 2025
Press Release
Since its establishment in 2008, the Bridges – Peloponnesus International Multi-Thematic Festival has become a leading cultural institution that unites creators, artists, and audiences from Greece and around the world — bridging cultures, ideas, and artistic visions.
This year, the Festival will take place from October 20th to 25th, 2025, at the Municipal Theatre of Corinth, with free admission for the public, under the Auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Corinth, and the Region of Peloponnese.
Organized by the non-profit Cultural Company Cine@Art, under the artistic direction of filmmaker Petra Terzi, the Festival has evolved into a multidimensional celebration of cinema and culture.
Theme of 2025 Edition
“The human struggle against fate, injustice, loss, and the quest for identity or dignity.”
This unifying theme reflects the Festival’s ongoing commitment to socially conscious storytelling and cinematic diversity.
Program Highlights
The Bridges Festival actively promotes gender equality, ensuring that at least half of the program features films by female directors and producers, creating balance and harmony in artistic expression.
In addition to screenings of recent short and feature films from around the world, this year’s parallel events include:
- Screenwriting Workshop – Adapting Literary Works for Film
In collaboration with secondary education institutions.
Speakers: Yiannis Voliotis (Porto Leone, Sasmos, Storgi) and Alexandros Kakavas, President of the Greek Screenwriters’ Guild (Thessaloniki Film Festival Award for End of an Era). - Educational Seminar – The Stages of Documentary Film Production and Crowdfunding, by Nurdan Tekeoglou, producer and academic associate professor.
- Lecture – The 3D illusion in film “How 2D elements enable recreating the sense of space and lightsources”, led by Dr. Alexis Chaviaras, director.
- Acting & Directing Workshop,
with award-winning actress and director Inessa Kraft, and the Pegasus Film Lab. In collaboration with Women in Film and Television – Cyprus, the workshop will produce a short film to premiere at the Golden Pegasus Awards Ceremony.
(Open to teens and adults; registration until October 15th at bridgescorinth@gmail.com . Minors must be accompanied by a parent.) - Animation Workshop for Children, in collaboration with Global Arts School.
- Virtual Reality Film Screenings using dedicated VR equipment.
- Art Exhibition – “Art and Technology: A Holistic Approach”, at the Municipal Theatre of Corinth.
- Bridges of Poetry – “Women, Environment, and Peace”,
hosted at the Petra Terzi International Cultural Center – Petrosophy in Agioi Theodoroi, featuring internationally awarded poet Neşe Yaşın (My Homeland).
The event includes a musical program inspired by major Greek poets, performed by Sounds from the Harbor, with Aristea (guitar/vocals), Stamatis and Argyro (violins), and the Fantasy Choir. - Symbolic Tree Planting at the site of the Asia Minor Refugee Museum of Corinth (date to be confirmed).
- Opening Ceremony: Performance by the Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra of Corinth.
- Golden Pegasus Awards Ceremony:
Featuring a vibrant artistic triptych:
- Urban Echoes – jazz ensemble with Gino Arrigoni: Drums, Konstantinos Stouraitis: Guitar, Panagiotis Smarnakis: Organ and Finite is Karagiannis: Saxophone
- Contemporary Dance by Global Arts.
- Fantasy Choir – the first and only Greek choir dedicated to fantasy films-inspired music.
International Juries
The Festival’s juries include distinguished professionals and award-winning creators from around the world:
Feature Film Jury
Mary Vidali (Actress) | Tiffany Boyle (Producer & Financier, USA) | Vivek Singhania (Producer, India) | George F. Roberson (Screenwriter & Producer, USA – Queer Lion, Venice FF) | Nurdan Tekeoglou (Director, Producer) | Anita Nagypal (Celebrity & Brand Photographer) | Konstantinos Bisdas (Director)
Short Film Jury
Avraam Papadopoulos (Actor) | Dimitris Kannavos (Journalist) | Alexis Chaviaras (Director) | Anna Christofini (Photographer) | Bejay Browne (Journalist, Director & Producer) | Anna Nikolaidi (Producer) | Nikos Ventouratos (Composer)
Awards
The Festival’s grand prize, the Golden Pegasus, honors the legendary emblem of Corinth — the mythical horse of the Muses carrying poets toward stardom, symbolizing artistic inspiration and fame.
It is awarded by the international jury to a feature film of exceptional artistic quality, with the winning works continuing their journey across global festivals, representing Greece abroad.
Special Awards include:
- “Nostimon Imar” Award – for a film by or about members of the Greek diaspora.
- Technical Award “Phaedon Papamichael” – for excellence in cinematography or production design, honoring the Festival’s first Artistic Director and his son, the acclaimed cinematographer and Festival Advisor.
- “Katerina Chelmi” Acting Award – for an outstanding female performance in a feature film, in memory of the great Greek actress and Vice President of the Festival.
- “We Can” Award – for a film by or about people with disabilities.
About the Festival
Since 2008, the Bridges International Film Festival has been held in Corinth, Loutraki, and Nafplio under the Peloponnesus – Bridges initiative.
The name “Bridges” reflects the Festival’s mission: to connect people, cultures, and societies through the power of cinema, and to foster international cooperation with festivals and cultural organizations worldwide.
The Festival has been honored with the EFFE Label, Europe’s quality seal recognizing festivals with outstanding contributions to the arts, local community, and cultural diversity.
Through collaboration with local authorities, the Festival strengthens the cultural, touristic, and economic profile of Corinth and the Peloponnese, promoting artistic exchange, cross-cultural understanding, and creative growth.
With respect and artistic vision,
Petra Terzi
Director – Producer
Artistic Director
Bridges – Peloponnesus International Multi-Thematic Festival
Cultural Company Cine@Art