Larissa International Film Festival (Artfools IFFL)
From School Cinema to the International Stage
The Larissa International Film Festival is co-organised by Artfools, a non-profit civil society organisation, and the Region of Thessaly. Now in its 18th consecutive year, the festival has established itself as one of the most significant cultural institutions in the Thessaly region.
Founded in 2009 by a group of people with a deep passion for the seventh art, the festival began as a student film festival. Over the years, it has evolved into an outward-looking international event, attracting hundreds of submissions from around the world across its International and Greek Short Film Competitions, Animation and Documentary sections. At the same time, it remains committed to nurturing student and school filmmaking through annual screenings and educational activities in schools.
Since 2025, the festival has been officially included in the Thessaly Programme under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF/ESPA), securing co-funding to support its further development and strengthen its cultural impact.
Education, Innovation & Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Film literacy is at the heart of the festival’s mission. Its educational activities include the summer Artfools Academy workshops, specialised masterclasses and pitching labs led by distinguished industry professionals, including Tasos Boulmetis, Varvara Douka, Antonis Ntousias and Theodoros Vournas.
Embracing cutting-edge technologies, the festival has pioneered new ground by organising Greece’s first AI Film Festival, Larissa Lumina, which attracts hundreds of international submissions. It also explores emerging opportunities and challenges in Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), as well as environmentally sustainable filmmaking practices.
International Collaborations & Social Issues
Through its established National Cinemas programme, the festival builds cultural bridges by presenting special tributes to countries such as South Korea, Norway, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy, under the auspices of, and with the participation of, ambassadors and diplomatic delegations.
At the same time, the festival connects cinema with contemporary social realities, highlighting issues such as the climate crisis, the refugee experience, gender equality and film tourism.
Distinguished Guests & Special Appearances
Throughout its long history, the festival has had the honour of welcoming leading filmmakers, directors, actors, composers and other prominent figures from Greek and international cinema, including:
Roviros Manthoulis, Nikos Koundouros, Pantelis Voulgaris, Tasos Boulmetis, Nikos Perakis, Kostas Kazakos, Sotiris Goritsas, Kostas Kapakas, Alexandros Avranas, Silas Tzoumerkas, Theodoros Marangos, Alexis Alexiou, Evanthia Reboutsika, Nikos Kypourgos, Giorgos Oikonomidis and many others.
Today, the festival’s screenings and parallel events take place across six venues and cultural spaces in the region, including JOIST Innovation Park, Victoria Cinemas, Circus, the French Institute of Larissa and the Hatzigianneio Cultural Centre, as well as municipal cinemas in Thessaly, including those in Trikala, Karditsa and Tyrnavos.
Through its screenings, educational initiatives and diverse cultural collaborations, the Larissa International Film Festival continues to inspire and empower the next generation of filmmakers.