International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra & Awards (12)

Festival start: 02 August 2025      Festival end: 24 August 2025

Submit your entry now!

The 12th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra & Awards, offers you the opportunity to submit your documentaries now, in order to compete in the monthly awards of the Festival for February. Winners will automatically qualify to compete for the annual Festival awards, taking place from August 2nd to 24th, 2025.

This year the IDFI, is dedicated to Climate Change. It is worth noting that films from all thematic sections will be eligible at the end of each month to compete for the annual awards in August. The rich thematic sections of the Festival include: human rights, recordings of memory, docudrama, young directors, true stories, climate change, environment, the role of women, Greek Panorama, views of the world, human portrait, violence, war threat, diversity, socio-political discrimination, religious conflicts, racism, migration, as well as themes related to all forms of art and culture, such as folklore, customs, mythology, history, biographies, ethnographies, journeys, and travel-tourist documentaries.

The 12th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra & Awards, promotes the best documentaries from Greece and around the world for screening in its’ competitive section. Ierapetra, the southernmost city in Europe, a crossroads of cultures and continents, will once again host a plethora of films and artists from the ends of the earth. The judging panels consist of international recognition personalities.

The film files must be in mp4 format and must have embedded English and Greek subtitles (in case of foreign dialogue).

Our 5-star and Gold-rated festival holds the EFFE quality seal.

Trailer of the 11th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra & Awards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZAQStCWPFA&t=27s

1st International Feature Award
2nd International Feature Award
3rd International Feature Award
1st International Short Award
2nd International Short Award
3rd International Short Award
1st Feature Greek Award
2nd Feature Greek Award
3rd Feature Greek Award
1st Short Greek Award
2nd Short Greek Award
3rd Short Greek Award
Special Jury Award
Directing Award
Photography Award
Festival Awards
Audience Awards

The International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra (IDFI) is organized by Xrysea nonprofit corporation, from August 2nd to 24th, 2025.

Film viewing has been scheduled at theaters and amphitheaters (Inner hall “Tzami”, Amphitheater “Steki Neolaias”) and at external places (“Tzami Square”, “Amphitheater Minos”, “Steki Neolaias Square” ).

AIM OF THE FESTIVAL

IDFI’s main purpose is the promotion of Art of Documentary making, presenting a multifaceted universal film program during the event. One of the important aims of the festival is the promotion and the diffusion of documentary production, as well as the cooperation and the development of esprit of friendship amongst the artists. However, equally important is highlighting the local civilization and especially the Minoan one and its contribution to Universal Culture. The aim of IDFI is, therefore, the qualitative upgrade of cultural and intellectual life in local, national and international levels, because we believe that culture and cultivation of the intellect are indispensable requisites of our lives.

The IDFI is an annual institution and is divided into the Competition Section of Awards and also the Panorama where international or national documentary productions (awarded or not), are viewed.

TERMS OF PARTICIPATIONS

a. Production Year of All the Contest Section films should be 2022‐2025.

b. All Greek and foreign Directors have the right to participate, irrelevantly if they live and work in Greece or abroad.

c. Participation right to the Competition Section have all Documentaries with subjects under the following topics:

Human Rights Environment
Recordings of Memory Climate Change
Docudrama Role of Women
Views of the World Violence
True Stories War Threat
Greek Panorama Migration
Human Journeys Racism
Human Portrait Diversity
Young Directors Socio-Political Discrimination
Religious Conflicts Folklore
Customs Mythology
History Biographies
Ethnographies Travel-Tourist Documentaries

d. The Documentaries are divided into short films (duration up to 45 minutes) and feature films (duration from 45 until 120 minutes).

e. The festival accepts the following film formats for viewing: mp4 file with HD resolution or Vimeo link or link with HD resolution.

f. Special attention will be given to the film’s artistic quality as a total. Also to the Documentary theme and to the direction’s exclusivity and originality. Films which do not fulfill the above features will be excluded from the IDFI.

g1. The films will be viewed with original dialogues and the foreign films must have Greek subtitles in mp4 file. The films will be screened in their original language, with Greek subtitles in mp4 file.

g2. If dialogues are Greek, the film must have English subtitles.

g3. Film copies for the pre-selection process will be submitted with Greek subtitles in mp4 file (if they are in foreign language).

g4. At the Competition Section only one film per participant and film category will be accepted.

g5. IDFI is strictly a cultural institution. Viewing fees will not be given to any film.

PARTICIPATION REGULATIONS

Film Directors and Producers are obliged to complete and submit the participation form, in which technical data of the documentary will be stated. They are also obliged to comply with the terms and rules of the festival.

a. Deadline for submissions is July 7th, 2025.

b. The same deadline (July 7th, 2025) applies also in case an application form has been e-mailed by the director or producer. In this case the signed hard copy of the application form and the copies of the film (mp4 file in HD Resolution) should be sent by registered mail to the festival address:

International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra Secreteriat
Stratigou Samouil 22 Ierapetra Greece, 72200,
Tel. 2842110938, Mob. 6948541393
or
Astrous 100, Kolonos, Athens, 10442
info@festivalierapetra.gr

c. The festival will contact only the selected film directors/ producers until July 14th 2025.

d. After submitting the application, the director or producer have no right to withdraw their application for any reason.

e. Participation details and application form can be found at the festival site:
www.festivalierapetra.gr/en
www.facebook.com/festivalierapetra

All applications should include:
Application form properly filled in and signed by the director and the producer plus accompanying material consisted of:

1. Mp4 file in HD resolution.

2. Vimeo link in HD resolution to download it.
The above mp4 files should have embedded Greek subtitles (in case of English dialogues) or English (in case of Greek dialogues).

3. Film Summary (up to 140 words) in Greek (optional for foreign participants) and in English in digital format.

4. Director’s Biography (up to 70 words) in Greek (optional for foreign participants) and in English in digital format.

5. Four (4) snapshots of the film (horizontal) and one (1) director’s photo, preferably 10Χ15 cm. at 300 dpi or corresponding size.

6. Director’s Filmography as a column from latest to oldest (Date, Title, Genre) in Greek and in English in digital format

7. Trailer / DEMO of the film in DVD disk for viewing.

8. Supplementary advertising material (posters, brochures) if available.

9. Organizers have the right to arrange accordingly any issue not covered by these terms and regulations.

10. Scenes from the documentary (less of 10% of total duration) can be used for publicity purposes (internet, TV etc.)

11. The Festival has the privilege to show the selected Documentaries in other affiliated Festivals, strictly for cultural and social purposes.