The Girl Who Cried Pearls

For the second consecutive year, the Drama International Short Film Festival (DISFF) has reaffirmed its role as a global “antechamber” for major awards.  The film “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, extending an impressive string of successes for the Festival.

The film, a Canada’s National Film Board (NFB) production, was selected for the Animation Competition Section of the 48th DISFF, making its Greek premiere in Drama and marking the third stop around the world on its journey to the Academy Awards.

This year’s distinction confirms a tradition of quality, as last year the gold statuette also went to a film that competed and won in the Animation Competition Section of the 47th DISFF.

The Head of the Animation section and a festival collaborator, Spyros Siakas, stated: “I feel deeply vindicated that our team managed to pinpoint and present works of such significance. For two consecutive years, our selections have reached the Oscars, proving that Drama is now a reference point on the global map of animation.”

We warmly congratulate the filmmakers and Canada’s NFB on this great distinction. The Drama Festival remains committed to supporting the art of the short film, demonstrating that talent and creativity know no borders.

PITCHING LAB 2026

DISFF PITCHING LAB is an intensive workshop for presenting film projects (pitching), designed for directors, screenwriters and producers who wish to strengthen their presentation skills and promote their projects both in the Greek and International market. The Lab takes place during the Drama International Short Film Festival in September 2026.

Participants receive specialized training in pitching techniques, as well as guidance for presenting their film projects efficiently and networking in the framework of a film industry event. The workshop focuses on short fiction films, documentaries, and animation projects. The Festival covers accommodation and meals for all participants.

Upon completing DISFF PITCHING LAB, participants present their film projects to Greek and international industry professionals, such as producers, financiers, distributors, and festival programmers and engage in one-to-one meetings with DISFF’s Short Film Hub professional guests.

Additionally, cash prizes are awarded for at least two (2) of the participating projects.

Deadline for applications: April 20, 2026, 23:59 EET

TO APPLY CLICK HERE

Required info/materials

  1. Director’s, producers and screenwriter’s contact details (email & phone number)
  2. Project Title
  3. Logline (max. 40 words)
  4. Synopsis (max. 150 words)
  5. Screenplay with max. duration 20’ (for fiction projects) or film treatment with max. duration 30’ (for documentaries). The screenplay should be an advanced draft. Animation projects are accepted in both categories.
  6. Director’s note (min. 300 words)
  7. Genre, duration (approx.), confirmed production country/ies
  8. Director’s, producer’s and screenwriter’s CV (max. 150 words each)
  9. Financing plan with confirmed and pending funding sources

Additional materials (if available):

  1. Audiovisual material in support of the project (i.e. moodboard, teaser, shooting locations, cast etc.)
  2. Links from director’s filmography

All materials must be sent in a single PDF file, named as projecttitle_directorlastname. The attachment should not exceed 15MB in size.

The selection of the projects is made with an emphasis on the following:

– Originality and narrative virtues of the script
– Artistic approach
– Feasibility of the project

Terms & Conditions

– Applications are accepted for short film projects with a duration of up to 20 minutes for fiction or 30 minutes for documentaries. Animation projects are accepted in both categories.

– Applicants must have an excellent command of the English language, as the workshop is conducted entirely in English.

– The deadline for submissions is April 20, 2026, at 23:59 EET. Late submissions will not be accepted.

– Applicants are allowed to submit only one proposal. Proposals that have been resubmitted in previous years or different versions of them will not be accepted.

– The Festival covers accommodation costs, and applicants are responsible for their own travel expenses.

– Applicants must be the holders of the intellectual property rights for the proposal they submit. In case the submitted script is based on an existing source, they must have secured the relevant rights from the rights holder.

– Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

– The names of the participants will be announced by June 2026, on the DISFF website. The Festival may select up to ten (10) projects for participation in the LAB.

– By submitting the application, applicants agree to the use of their names and any promotional material related to their project for publicity purposes.

– The Festival reserves the right to alter the above terms if deemed absolutely necessary for the smooth running of the workshop.

TO APPLY CLICKHERE

For more information, please contact the Drama Film Festival Office:

info@dramafilmfestival.gr
Athens Office: +30 210 3300309
Drama Office: +30 25210 47575

DISFF-pass

A new initiative by the Drama Festival is being launched this year, as part of a broader effort to provide practical and ongoing support to the new generation of filmmakers. The Festival’s aim is not only to showcase the work of talented filmmakers through their participation in the Festival, but also to stand by them afterwards, thereby strengthening their artistic development and their engagement with cinema.

In this context, the DISFF PASS is being introduced.

The DISFF PASS is a personalised card offering directors who competed with a film at the DISFF 48 free admission to selected cinemas in Athens and Thessaloniki. In its first year of implementation, it will be valid until 31 December 2026.

We believe that films should be experienced in their natural environment, i.e. in a proper cinema hall and through the collective experience offered by the big screen. At a time when going to the cinema presents a financial challenge for many, especially young filmmakers, the DISFF PASS aims to facilitate access to more screenings, strengthen ongoing engagement with contemporary cinema, and provide new stimuli and inspiration.

The selection of films at the Drama Festival constitutes an important recognition of the filmmakers’ work.

With the DISFF PASS, we offer a symbolic yet meaningful reward.

This initiative has been made possible thanks to the generous participation and support of the cinema halls.

Participating cinemas:

ATHENS
Astor, Athenée, Zea, Mikrokosmos (Μonday – Thursday), Newman Cinema, Studio New Star Art Cinema, Greek Film Archive (Hall 1, Laïs), Trianon.

THESSALONIKI
Apollon, Vakoura, Makedonikon, Natali, Olympion and Pavlos Zannas (Thessaloniki Film Festival) also Cine John Cassavetes and Cine Stavros Torner.

DISFF49 - OPEN CALL for BALKAN YOUNG TALENTS

Beldocs and Drama International Short Film Festival Launch Joint Edition of Balkan Young Talents

Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival (Serbia) and Drama International Short Film Festival (Greece) are proud to announce a new partnership for the upcoming edition of Balkan Young Talents, expanding the program’s regional reach and strengthening collaboration between the Balkan film communities.

Through this collaboration, for the first time, the call is officially open to young filmmakers from Greece, alongside participants from the Western Balkans — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia.

Balkan Young Talents is dedicated to supporting emerging filmmakers aged 18–30 who wish to develop compelling and visually strong short creative documentary films. The program will select eight participants to take part in a structured development journey across Serbia and Greece.

The 2026 edition will unfold through four sessions:

– A physical opening session in May 2026 during Beldocs Industry Days in Belgrade

– Two online mentoring and development sessions during the summer months

– A concluding physical session in September 2026 at Drama International Short Film Festival in Greece, focused on intensive editing consultations

The program aims to foster creativity, knowledge exchange, and meaningful regional networking. Participants will benefit from lectures, panels, hands-on workshops, and one-on-one mentoring with experienced film professionals, supporting them in developing and refining their short documentary projects.

Completed films will premiere at Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival the following year.

Applications for Greek participants are open until March 31st, 2026.

TO APPLY CLICK HERE

(ONLY for Greek entries)

*All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.