Onassis Culture at the 32nd Athens International Film Festival
This year’s Athens International Film Festival ended with awards, premieres, and memorable cinematic moments, with Onassis Culture making its presence felt. The Onassis Film Award was presented to the film “Holes” by Petros Kalfamanolis, while “Free Eliza” by Alexandra Matheou, co-produced by Onassis Culture, won the Best Director Award. Meanwhile, “Wheel to Live” by Vicky Anastasiadou received the “Silver Athena” Award, and “Do You Love Me” by Lana Daher had its Greek premiere at Onassis Stegi.
Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou
This year’s Onassis Film Award at the Athens International Film Festival went to the short film “Holes” by Petros Kalfamanolis, which premiered in September 2026 at the Drama International Short Film Festival.
“The Onassis Film Award goes to an original film with an unconventional perspective, exploring the profound existential anguish that comes with the absence of meaning, certainty, and salvation. An unexpected take on ‘Waiting for Godot,’ reflecting on the challenge of waiting and the joy of being together. ‘Why do you keep going?’ ‘For the sunsets and the company.’”
– Onassis Film Award Jury
Films that received production support from Onassis Culture or had already been honored with the same award at the Drama International Short Film Festival were excluded from consideration for the Onassis Film Award.
Photo: Kyriaki Fragkiadaki
The granting of the Onassis Film Award to Petros Kalfamanolis
After its success at the Drama International Short Film Festival, where it won the Best Female Performance Award and the European Film Academy Award, the Big Short Film “Free Eliza,” co-produced by Onassis Culture, went on to win the Best Director Award at the Athens International Film Festival.
Alexandra Matheou’s film was selected through the Onassis Culture “Open Call: Big Short Films,” which invites Greek and international filmmakers to submit their proposals for short films.
Photo: Kyriaki Fragkiadaki
The Athens International Film Festival and Onassis Culture presented the Greek premiere of Lana Daher’s award-winning documentary “Do You Love Me,” made entirely from archival material, at Onassis Stegi.
“Do You Love Me” is a personal journey through Lebanon’s audiovisual memory. A love letter to Beirut, spanning 70 years of film, television, video, and photography, it explores a country marked by joy, intimacy, destruction, and loss.
The documentary was screened on October 2, 2026, on the Onassis Stegi Main Stage, to a sold-out audience. The screening was followed by a discussion with director Lana Daher and Afroditi Panagiotakou, Artistic Director of the Onassis Foundation.
