3-5 OCTOBER 2025
HYDRA ISLAND GREECE

OUR 2025 FILM PROGRAM

We’re still finalizing films through August, fresh from the Venice Film Festival, but here’s a selection of our film program so far. Screenings will take place under the stars at Hydra’s beloved open-air Gardenia cinema, as well as at other cherished locations across the island.

(SO FAR)

SURPISE OPENING FILM

We’re thrilled to open with a striking new film by an auteur independent director, fresh from its Venice Film Festival debut, brought to life by an acclaimed producer and cast - an inspiring start to our celebration of bold voices, cinematic innovation, and a Q&A with the artists.

  • More details to come.

Bun Tikki is a coming of age film about embracing your own unique identity, and learning to love others for theirs.

Sanu is a child learning to navigate the challenges of identity and belonging as he struggles to fit into society's norms and build a loving relationship with his father. Meanwhile, his grandmother, harboring secrets of her own, teaches him to embrace his uniqueness.

    • Director/Screenwriter: Faraz Arif Ansari

    • Producers:
      Jyoti Deshpande, Dinesh Malhotra, Marijke deSouza, Manish Malhotra

    • Cinematographers:
      Raghav Ramadoss

    • Editor:
      Sayunkta Kaza

    • Music:
      Abhin Joshi, EK Pahadi Ladka, Faraz Arif Ansari

    • Cast:
      Shabana Azmi, Zeenat Aman, Abhay Deol, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Rohaan Singh

    • Country:
      India

    • Language:
      In Hindi with English subtitles

    • Running Time:
      123 minutes

    • Primary Company:
      Jio Studios

FROM HAPLESS POET TO MENTOR

For this exclusive private screening, the film follows an aging, erratic mentor who finds renewed purpose in guiding a talented young student. As he becomes more involved in her growth, he begins to question whether introducing her to his challenging and uncertain world is truly the right path.

  • More details to come.

ArtCinema will present a fully restored 4K screening of the 1957 classic Boy on a Dolphin in an open-air theatrical setting at the stunning Mandraki Bay - one of the film’s original shooting locations. This special, community-wide celebration will be an immersive seaside evening, evoking the glamorous 1950’s era with fashion, music, and dance, culminating in a sit-down taverna dinner at the beloved Lefterakis Taverna.

We are delighted to announce the world premiere of Hydra & Sophia: Echoes of a Dolphin - ArtCinema Hydra’s first original production. This 30-minute experimental short documentary, filmed entirely on Hydra and uses AI technology to enhance archive. By combining personal stories, archival material, and live performances from Hydra residents, it is a work shaped by the community itself.

Dirty Boy is a haunting psychological thriller that delves into the fractured mind of its protagonist and the depths of a deeply corrupt system. This indie debut marks the first feature from writer-director Doug Rao, and is executive produced by Hydra local Derek Colloredo-Mansfeld. Shot with striking visual flair in Austria’s Ausseerland–Salzkammergut region - famously known as a backdrop for The Sound of Music.

    • Director/Screenwriter : Doug Rao

    • Producers: Giles Alderson, Sarah Ann-Grill, Marek Lichtenberg, Doug Rao

    • Executive Producers: Derek Colloredo-Mansfeld, Klemens Kreuzer, Thomas Angermair, Katja Angermair

    • Cast: Graham McTavish, Stan Steinbichler, Susie Porter, Honor Gillies, Alice Lucy

    • Cinematographer: Ross Yeandle

    • Editor: Will Honeyball

    • Music: Matthias Jakisic

      For more information visit our Local Filmmakers Page

The documentary explores the epic saga of the Sacred Band of Thebes - an elite ancient Greek military unit formed by 150 pairs of male lovers - presented by its acclaimed Greek director and Hydra local Lefteris Charitos, with a Q&A to follow.

    • Director: Lefteris Charitos

    • Writers:  Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof, Ρέα Αποστολίδη, Danielle Proskar

    • Narration: Jean-Marc Barr
      Animations: Effie Pappa, Pan Pan, Benjamin Swiczinsky

    • Cinematography: Carlos Muñoz Gómez-Quinter, Harald Staudach, Alexandros Stigas
      Editing: Yuri Averof

    • Music composer: Christof Unterberger
      Consulting Producer: James Romm

    • Producers: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof, Heinrich Mayer-Moroni

      For more information visit our Local Filmmakers Page

Oscar-winning Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski (Ida, 2013) directs Muse, a striking six-minute short film edited by Yannis Sakaridis and shot at Hydra’s historic Old Carpet Factory. Starring Małgosia Bela and Marcin Masecki, the film explores the charged dynamic between a master pianist and his fearless, fashion-forward muse.

    • Director: Pawel Pawlikowski

    • Writers: Malgorzata Bela, Jose Louis Padula, Mitchell Parish

    • Running Time: 6 minutes

    • For more information visit our Local Filmmakers Page

Vassilis Karamitsanis, founder and President of the Animasyros International Animation Festival, will present a selection of animated films specifically curated for local children, providing an engaging and educational introduction to the art of animation while inspiring the next generation of storytellers and creatives on the island.

MEET CREATIVE GREECE

ArtCinema is delighted to welcome Creative Greece - the nation’s leading creative industry body that oversees Greece’s 40% film tax rebate. Last year, CEO Leonidas Christopoulos joined us and praised ArtCinema for its “passion for the new” alongside founder Amanda Palmer. This year, they return with fresh insights from the world of film, and an exciting new focus on fashion and music.