With a celebratory Closing Ceremony, the 11th Peloponnisos International Documentary Festival lowered its curtain on Sunday, November 30th, at the "Theodoros Angelopoulos" Amphitheater. During the 10 days of the Festival, Kalamata and 15 other cities in the Peloponnese were transformed into a cradle of culture, education, and creativity, with the attendance of viewers and participants exceeding all expectations. During the Closing Ceremony, awards were presented to the films distinguished by the Juries.

The awards ceremony was preceded by a special screening of the documentary Daniel by Pavlos Vissariou, accompanied by live music from the Music School of Tripoli. This performance was the fruit of an extremely significant collaboration between the Festival and the city of Tripoli—a partnership that not only strengthens the bonds of culture and education but also creates fertile ground for new artistic pursuits.

Through this collaboration, the composer and the students of the Music School had the opportunity to create an original musical composition, offering a unique experience to the audience. Composition - Orchestration: Giorgos Panagiotopoulos. Musicians: Paraskevas Mourlas (violin), Georgia Mourla (violin), Davina Golegou (violin), Athanasios Manos (bouzouki), Paris Mourlas (bouzouki), Vasilis Dempegiotis (electric guitar), Nina Giannika (electric bass), Spyros Manos (davul/traditional drum), and Kallisti Pantazi (drums).

THE AWARDS

Equality Award – Alexandra Skordaki

This award honors cinematic creations that focus on promoting gender equality and combating gender discrimination. The jury, consisting of Lefteris Fylaktos (cinematographer, Head of the Cultural, Educational, and Children's Program Department of the TV Programming Directorate - ERT), Elektra Venaki (editor, researcher, and academic), and Anja Reiß (director, writer), awarded the prize to the film "The Lost Season" by Mehdi Ghanavati.

Jury Statement: "A thorough documentation, over the course of five years of filming, that captures the life of a young girl, Kosar, in a remote village on the border between Iran and Afghanistan. With exceptional storytelling, the film records Kosar's path alongside the drying up of Lake Hamun and the destruction of any quality of life in the region. A film that manages to highlight the problems of a region and make them universal."

The Lost Season, by Mehdi Ghanavati

The jury also awarded two Special Mentions to the films "Marching in the Dark" by Kinshuk Surjan, and "The Day Iceland Stood Still" by Pamela Hogan.

Best Greek Documentary Award – Feature Length

This category highlights the dynamic voices of Greek documentarians and stories that illuminate aspects of contemporary society, history, and our culture. The winning film is subsidized by EKOME with the amount of €1000.

The jury, consisting of Becca Bond (director, lecturer at Bournemouth University), Robert Rombout (director, photographer, educator), and Rajesh James (director, researcher), awarded the prize to the film "’48 | Resisting The Big Settlement" by Team 218.

Jury Statement: "This moving and powerful film transports us into the homes, streets, markets, and cultural spaces of people living under the constant pressure of the 'big settlement.' There are scenes and accounts of terrible violence, but mostly we see a quieter, more insidious form of destruction of domestic and cultural life. The power of the film lies in the portrayal of its subjects with their dignity, resilience, and strength, as well as in the empathy it evokes in its audience."

'48 | Resisting The Big Settlement, by Team 218.

The jury also awarded a Special Mention to the film "Delta" by Vivian Papageorgiou.

Best Greek Documentary Award – Short Length

The jury, consisting of Eleni Zafeiriou (lawyer, writer), Dimitris Sarris (educator), and Abdullah Harun İlhan (director), awarded the prize to the film "The Outlaws" (Oi Epikirigmenoi) by Ionas Efthymiou.

The Outlaws by Ion Efthimiou

The jury also awarded two Special Mentions to the documentaries "Between a Rock And a Hard Place" by Thanos Lymperopoulos and "Anaklisis" by Giannis Pothos.

Overall Jury Statement: "The jury wishes to state that this was a truly difficult process, as all the films were very interesting, significant, and many of them worthy of the final award. We wish and hope that in the future there will be more awards and 'mentions.' The jury's reasoning included technical issues, aesthetics, and the content of the films in the criteria that led to the result. Thus, the films were judged overall as works, but also in their parts. Importantly, we would like to congratulate and encourage all participants to continue their 'good work.' Art always illuminates reality and helps us understand reality better."

"Solidarity" Tribute Award

Solidarity is the cohesive thread running through this year's films, acting as a beacon of resistance in an era of deep crises and division. The jury was staffed by students of the Postgraduate Program "Creative Writing, Theatre, and Cultural Industries" of the University of the Peloponnese. The jury awarded the prize to "Free Leonard Peltier" by Jesse Short Bull and David France.

Jury Statement: "With exemplary storytelling, a blistering pace, in-depth research, excellent management of evidence used in court, and their harmonious connection with experiential narratives, this artistic result presents some dark moments of modern history. The creators of the film find the golden mean between art and activism."

The jury also awarded two Special Mentions to the films "The Day Iceland Stood Still" by Pamela Hogan, and "Thelisis" by Petros Sofikitis and Thanasis Spyropoulos.

Social Awareness Award

Continuing the long-standing cooperation of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens with the festival, 67 third-year students of the Department of Digital Arts and Cinema (under the supervision of professors Panos Anestis and Ioannis Skopeteas) evaluated the international social documentaries of this year's festival and awarded the Social Documentary Award to "Innocence" by Guy Davidi.

Jury Statement: "The tragic side of military conscription in a society where joining the army is considered a one-way street becomes a poetic reflection on innocence, which insists on being sacrificed in the name of 'national security'."

Innocence by Guy Davidi

Environment Award

Recognizing the climate crisis as the paramount challenge of our time, the Art of documentary meets the imperative need for sustainable action in this festival tribute. The jury, consisting of  Andreas Hartmann (director, producer), Angeliki Antoniou (director) and Stratos Kentakis (environmentalist), awarded the prize to the film "Sheep" by Ruud De Keyser.

Jury Statement: "This original documentary, with its unique approach, allows us to step directly into the perspective of a sheep's life. The film stands out for its technical excellence, apt cinematography, and inventive editing, as well as the imaginative use of music and sound design, which reveal a fascinating and unknown world to us. At the same time, it manages to make us identify with the animals—with their lives, their needs, and their unspoken emotions, which we often ignore. With elements of a thriller, the director skillfully balances between humor and drama, creating a film that is simultaneously moving and politically charged."

Sheep by Ruud De Keyser

The jury also awarded a Special Mention to the film "Off The Mark" by Wera Uschakowa.

Best International Documentary Award – Short Length

Within the framework of the course "Elements of Directing and Acting" of the undergraduate curriculum of the Department of Audio and Visual Arts of the Ionian University, taught by Assistant Professor Dr. Iakovos Panagopoulos, a group of 18 students was formed to select this specific award. The group chose the international documentary "Free Words: A Poet From Gaza" by Abdullah Harun İlhan.

Group Statement: "This is a work that stood out for the power of its storytelling and its deep emotional intensity, combining narrative completeness with emotional truth. The direction impressed the Committee with its technical excellence, careful cinematography, and the subtlety of the editing. The discreet but essential use of animation enriches the poetic and emotional dimension of the work with artistic sensitivity. The creative combination of authentic footage from Palestine with visual elements and the voice of the poet himself composes an experience that transcends the boundaries of documentary, touching the realm of art and reflection."

Free Words: A Poet From Gaza by Abdullah Harun İlhan

Audience Awards

Throughout the festival, viewers voted upon exiting the screenings for the Audience Awards.

Audience Award – Greek Documentary – Feature Length "Edo Milane gia Latreia" (Here We Are Talking About Worship) by Vyron Kritzas.

Audience Award – International Documentary – Feature Length "Free Leonard Peltier" by Jesse Short Bull and David France.

Audience Award – Greek Documentary – Short Length "Beware Of The Southern Stars" (Na Fovasai t' Astra tou Notia) by Christos Karteris.

Audience Award – International Documentary – Short Length "Free Words: A Poet From Gaza" by Abdullah Harun İlhan.