Santorini Film Festival 2026 Returns with “Once More, With Feeling”

The 9th edition of the Santorini Film Festival brings together independent cinema, animation, documentaries, and educational activities in one of Greece’s most iconic island settings.

From 3 to 5 July 2026, the Santorini Film Festival (SFF26) returns for its ninth edition, presenting a rich programme of film screenings and educational activities under the theme “Once More, With Feeling.” With strategic sponsor Ferryhopper, this year’s festival invites audiences to reconnect with cinema as a space for emotion, imagination, memory, and encounter.

Bringing together filmmakers, local communities, and visitors from around the world, SFF26 showcases films that construct their own versions of reality, explore relationships and identities, and open new ways of seeing and feeling. Some are tender, others unsettling, playful, or deeply moving, but all share a commitment to storytelling that lingers beyond the screen.

Screenings will take place at the beloved Open Air Cinema Kamari, one of Santorini’s most atmospheric cultural venues, while educational activities will be hosted at the D. Nomikos Tomato Industrial Museum, a landmark that connects the island’s industrial heritage with contemporary artistic expression.

A Weekend of Independent Cinema

Throughout the three-day festival, audiences will have the opportunity to discover a carefully curated selection of feature films, documentaries, short films, animation, experimental works, and contemporary Greek productions from Greece and abroad.

This year’s programme explores themes of family, memory, identity, loss, community, and transformation, highlighting both emerging voices and established filmmakers. International productions featured in the wider programme include The Great Massacre of Alimos, Summer Teeth, White Wash at Ninety, Cat’s Cry, Kikuyu Land, Jason’s Box, Pictures in Mind, and Comparsa, alongside short films from more than nine countries. Greek productions also occupy a prominent place in the programme, reflecting the vitality of contemporary Greek filmmaking.

Animation Workshop for Children

A key part of this year’s festival is the educational workshop “The Disappearance and Inspector Ketchup!”, designed for children aged 8–12. Taking inspiration from a playful mystery set around the Tomato Industrial Museum and the unique landscape of Vlychada, participants will be introduced to the world of animation through pixilation and sand animation techniques.

From scriptwriting and story development to frame-by-frame shooting, sound recording, and editing, children will create their own short animated film while also learning about the island’s geological and cultural heritage through a hands-on creative process. The workshop will take place on 3 and 4 July at the D. Nomikos Tomato Industrial Museum.

With its combination of independent cinema, creative education, and the distinctive landscape of Santorini, SFF26 once again transforms the island into a meeting point for stories, ideas, and shared cinematic experiences.