My dear friends,

The “International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra & Awards”, together with the “International Film Festival of Crete & Awards”, return for their 12th and 6th year respectively, from August 2 to August 22, 2025, in a radiant summer celebration that transforms Eastern Crete into a destination of global appeal.

The historic city of Ierapetra, a significant geopolitical crossroads of the Mediterranean, has for centuries been a meeting point of civilizations and was the inspiration behind the creation of our Festivals. In 2014, we began with a small group of devoted individuals from the Arts and Letters, bringing to life the “International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra & Awards”, which attracted creators from every corner of the globe, offering them a platform for their work, the warmth of Greek hospitality and the opportunity to win our iconic and coveted award, the “Snake Goddess”. In 2019, we founded the “International Film Festival of Crete & Awards”, opening the doors to fiction films and welcoming the finest domestic and international productions.

Our Festivals proudly bear the EFFE Label (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe), have been recognized as a Gold Festivals by FilmFreeway and participate in the world’s leading international film festivals. A rare honor and culmination of our institution’s quality is our participation for the second consecutive year in the “Cannes International Film Festival”, within the “Marché du Film” section, where we showcased award-winning Greek films from our Festivals, highlighting both Greek creators and contemporary international artistic trends.

The goal of our cultural diplomacy throughout these 12 years has been the establishment of international networks and creative partnerships, such as the top Greek-Chinese collaboration “China Dream”, the co-organization with the Greek Diaspora “Greek Icons”, the partnership with “Best for Fest” of the Cannes Festival and the founding of the “Connected Festivals Network”. On a national level, we have cultivated partnerships with the “Chania Film Festival” and the “Amorgos International Tourism Film Festival”, aiming at the exchange of ideas, human resources and cultural products.

The development of the local community and Tourism remains firmly at the core of our strategy. Valuable supporters over the years include public and private entities: the Ministry of Culture, the Region of Crete, the Regional Unit of Lasithi, the Regional Development Fund of Crete, the Municipalities of Ierapetra, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia and the Lasithi Plateau, EKKOMED, ERT, KRITI TV, the University of Crete, the Hellenic Red Cross of Ierapetra, the Union of Hoteliers of Ierapetra & Southeastern Crete, Aegean Airlines and Minoan Lines.

In our multidisciplinary 2025 Program, our top priority is to further strengthen our connection with the audience and the local community. Our Festivals will make use of the most important venues in Ierapetra, as well as multi-purpose spaces across the entire region of Lasithi. At the heart of our activities is the Ierapetra Mosque and the outdoor Summer Cinema in the Mosque Square, a heritage monument of the city that each summer hosts the Competition Screening Sections. Our events will focus on Climate Change and will emphasize Music, Dance, Poetry, Visual Arts, Archaeology, Gastronomy, Education, Sports, Young Creators and Lost Traditions, across a multitude of venues: the Seaside Cultural Square, the Venetian Fortress of Kale, the Minos Amphitheater, the Melina Mercouri Hall, the Youth Center, as well as ancient and Byzantine monuments – from the evocative Roman Granary to the impressive Archaeological Site of Gournia and the enchanting Church of Panagia Mesochoriani in Kavousi. Maintaining our regional identity, our activities will travel throughout the Lasithi Prefecture: to the Lake of Agios Nikolaos, the coastal front of Sitia and the mountainous Lasithi Plateau.

With a dedicated Organizing Team and our Volunteer Teams “Ariadne’s Thread” and “Messonas”, we will work tirelessly to bring our screenings and events to life, always offering free admission, equal access for persons with disabilities and full participation for every social group, regardless of gender, race, or religion. Our events will also be broadcast via live streaming on our official website www.festivalierapetra.gr.

In an era when international festivals are called to play a vital role in preserving cultural identities and fostering social development, the “International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra & Awards” and the “International Film Festival of Crete & Awards” invite you to the greatest summer celebration of Culture. For a summer full of sounds, images, dreams and colors, from here in the South – so we may all travel together across the world.

With honor,
Eleni Vlassi
Founder & Artistic Director