With 14 films exploring the natural environment, humanity, interaction, and dialogue, this year’s film festival on the climate crisis, the “1st Rhodes Climate Film Festival,” will kick off.
The RCFF will take place from September 21–23 at an open-air cinema to be set up in front of the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Mandraki. With respect for the site and with the approval of the relevant authorities, a giant screen, a sound system, and chairs for the audience, so they can enjoy—and reflect on—the films against the backdrop of the Elafakia Hills, the Lighthouse, and the starry September sky.
The RCFF will open with the film “Solountrania” by Rhodian director Akis Stavropoulos, and the program includes both short and feature-length films from Spain, Norway, France, Iran, and, of course, Greece.
At the same time, a master class will be held on how to “read” films and understand the layers of meaning inherent in every cinematic production. The class will last three hours (completely free of charge) and will be taught by film theorist Dr. Irini Stathi, who is coming to Rhodes exclusively for this purpose. The master class will take place on Tuesday, September 22, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in the event hall of the Chamber of Commerce.
Please note that admission to the RCFF film screenings will be completely free.
The “Golden Phoebus” Award
The RCFF is establishing the “Golden Phoebus” Award, as “Phoebus” is the epithet of the god Apollo, whose figure is inextricably linked to the long history of Rhodes, its culture, the light that bathes it, and the radiance that surrounds it.
This year, as a tribute, the “Golden Phoebus” will be awarded in memory of Antonis Pachos, as the first person to dedicate his entire life to visually documenting daily life and significant events on the islands of the Dodecanese.
The Rhodes Climate Film Festival is an initiative of the environmental organization “For Nature / Common Nature” and is part of the events surrounding this year’s Tourism in Climate Crisis Forum (TCC Forum 2026).
Joining “for nature” as co-organizers are: the Region of South Aegean, the Municipality of Rhodes—Department of Culture, the Chamber of Commerce of Dodecanese, the Rhodes Hoteliers Association, and the Museum of Modern Greek Art in Rhodes. The RFCC & TCC Forum are held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Dodecanese Ephorate of Antiquities and with the active support of the Dodecanese Association of Travel Agencies and the Rhodes Hotel Managers Association.
Accommodation sponsors are: Mitsis Hotels and 10GR Boutique Hotel & Wine Bar.
The program for the Rhodes Climate Film Festival 2026
The detailed program for the film festival is as follows:
MONDAY
7:00 PM | RCFF Opening Ceremony
Evangelismos – Mandraki
Opening Remarks
Drums and Cheers (ensemble from the Rhodes Music School)
8:00 PM | Screenings Begin
Evangelismos – Mandraki
Solountrania — 24′
Akis Stavropoulos | Greece
A Rose Behind the Mask — 7′
Nacho Recio | Spain
Women Behind the Window — 3′
Yegane Nouri | Iran
The Man Who Watched the Ships — 16′
Takis Bardakos | Greece
Dolphin Man — 80′
Lefteris Charitos | Greece, France, Canada, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden
TUESDAY
4:30–7:30 p.m. | MASTER CLASS
Chamber of Commerce
Interpreting the Films
Dr. Irini Stathi
8:00 PM | Screenings Begin
Evangelismos – Mandraki
Songs of the Earth — 90 min.
Margrethe Olin | Norway
The Smyrniot — 30 min.
Yannis Delis | Greece
When Wagner Met the Tomatoes — 72 min.
Marianna Oikonomou | Greece
Mato — 34 min.
Nikos Zoiopoulos | Greece
WEDNESDAY
7:30 p.m. | Presentation of the Golden Phoebus Award
The Annunciation – Mantraki
Honorary Golden Phoebus Award
in memory of the Dodecanese’s first filmmaker, Antonis Pachou
8:00 p.m. | Screenings Begin
Rodini Park — 3 min.
George Tzedakis, Nikos Tzedakis, Anna Kazakidou, Voula Giordamni | Greece
The Delta — 4 min.
Giorgos Karabotakis | Greece
The Journey of the Marbles — 99 min.
Sean Wang | Netherlands, Hong Kong, France, Greece
A Story About Earth’s Regeneration — 70′
Nikos Pandermarakis | Greece
The Perfect Meal — 72′
Alexandros Merkouris | Greece
