ΒΒΒ Cine Forum IV – «The Power of Cinema to See the Unseen»
17th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival – «Shift Your Gaze to the Unseen»
13-16 November 2026 | Greek Film Archive
How can cinema create space for stories and experiences that often remain unseen? How can emerging technologies shape filmmaking, and what is the role of the creator in this new reality? How can we foster a more accessible and inclusive cultural environment?
The 17th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival, titled «Shift Your Gaze to the Unseen», organises for the 4th consecutive year the BBB Cine Forum IV, titled «The Power of Cinema to See the Unseen» at the Greek Film Archive (Tainiothiki tis Ellados) from November 13 to 16. The BBB Cine Forum is a space for filmmaking development, networking, exchange of ideas, and creative dialogue among emerging filmmakers, exploring cinema and its relationship with society and new technologies. Through four thematic activities, including open discussions, workshops, and masterclasses, the BBB Cine Forum IV turns the spotlight on stories, identities, and experiences that often remain out of frame, while exploring the challenges and new possibilities shaping the future of filmmaking.
Date: Friday, November 13, 2026
Time: 17:00
Venue: Greek Film Archive, Athens
The discussion will be accompanied by simultaneous sign language interpretation
The discussion will focus on cinema’s potential to forge new representations of disability, to challenge existing stereotypes and contribute to shaping a more inclusive and accessible cultural environment.
In the panel they will participate: Siamak Etemadi (film director and producer), Eleni Efthymiou (director), Dimitris Zachos (director), Andriana Theochari (film producer and impact campaign producer), and Patricia Toska (actress). The moderator will be Katerina Zampeli, Head of Translations, Neaniko Plano. Through their unique personal and professional backgrounds, perspectives and visions, the speakers will share experiences and insights regarding disability in art, the requirements for equal access in cultural life and the role of a targeted impact campaign. The objective of the discussion is to help create space for diverse voices and lived experiences.
Free admission / Please register here/ The discussion will be held in Greek
Open Discussion: Cinema in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Role of the Creator
Date: Saturday, November 14th, 2026
Time: 17.00 – 18.00
Venue: Greek Film Archive, Athens
As Artificial Intelligence radically influences the way we write, shoot and experience cinema, creators and industry professionals gather to discuss new artistic possibilities, emerging challenges and ethical dilemmas. What is the role of the creator into this new era and how can we make sure that technology remains a tool for human expression and creation?
The panel will host Dr. Nikolaos Aletras, PhD in Film Studies from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, independent producer, director, screenwriter, and author of the book AI-Assisted Filmmaking; Evi Stamou, director; Bettina Enigl, Creative Video Editor, as well as Taxiarchis Deligiannis and Vasilis Tsiouvaras, directors and screenwriters. The discussion will be moderated by Dimitris Argyriou, director, festival programmer, and head of the BBB Filmexploring AI competition programme.
After the discussion there will be a screening of the festival’s special competition programme, BBB Filmexploring AI, featuring films from the Balkans and beyond that stand out for their creative perspective, competing for the BBB Creative AI Award.
*Free entrance / Registration form: Register your participation here. / The discussion will be held in Greek
ΒΒΒ in the Neighborhood: Queer Survival and Parallel Worlds: Ethno-graphing Kaliarda (the queer greek argot)
Ημερομηνία: Sunday November 15th, 2026
Ώρα: 12:00 – 16.00
Χώρος: Greek Film Archive, Athens
As part of the 17th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival, the experiential workshop “Queer Survival and Parallel Worlds: Ethno-graphing Kaliarda” explores the spoken idioms, history and meeting places of queer communities in Greece, bringing to the fore stories that often remain invisible in the collective memory.
Kaliarda is not just an argot but a way of crypto-language that was connected to the need of queer people to express themselves, to recognise each other and to create communities in a time of social exclusion and repression. Through social anthropology, the workshop examines how language became a means of communication and survival, but also how the streets, squares and social places of Athens shaped queer life from the 1960s onwards.
The workshop combines discussion, references to Greek pop culture and creative activities, exploring how urban spaces are connected to local queer histories, and is divided into 3 parts:
1. Introduction to Kaliarda and Greek queer history
2.Photo walk
3.Creation of a digital collage
Participants will use cameras or mobile phones to capture images of the city through their own unique perspectives. They will then combine their photographs with images from Greek pop culture and words or expressions from Kalliarnta, creating digital collages that tell personal stories and bring to light what often remains unseen.
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An informal group of young anthropologists and (visual) artists that bring social anthropology closer to everyday life through experiential workshops and creative activities.
The workshop will be led by JimTsakiris, a social and cultural anthropologist and founder of the group, and Konstantinos Giatras, a social researcher with an interest in visual anthropology, gender, and queer studies.
*Admission with kind contribution / Registration form: Register your participation here. / The discussion will be held in Greek
Masterclass with Thanasis Neofotistos: Cinema that doesn’t fit in boxes – From Personal Stories to Modern Myths
Date: Monday, 16 November 2026
Time: 17:00–18:00
Venue: Greek Film Archive
Admission: Free / Please register here
How can queer identity, cultural heritage, superstitions, and social stereotypes become tools for cinematic storytelling?
Drawing on his own creative journey, from his award-winning short films to his first feature film, ‘The Boy with the Blue Eyes’, director Thanasis Neofotistos invites us to a masterclass on a kind of cinema that refuses to be confined by genres and categories and transforms personal stories into contemporary myths.
Through this discussion, the masterclass will explore creative freedom, the challenges of moving from short to feature-length filmmaking, the experience of Balkan co-production, and the importance of remaining committed to stories that do not easily fit into predefined frames.
The conversation with Thanasis Neofotistos will be held by Dimitra Kyrillou, editor at Antivirus magazine.
*Admission with kind contribution / Registration form: Register your participation here. / The discussion will be held in Greek
Through these events, BBB Cine Forum IV connects cinema with contemporary social issues, encourages the exchange of knowledge and experiences, and invites audiences to look beyond what is already visible, embracing new perspectives, diverse narratives, and creative possibilities.
Those interested in attending individual activities or the full programme of BBB Cine Forum IV are welcome to fill in the registration form.
For more information visit the website of the festival and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.