Midnight Screenings with Midnight Express
2025-09-20 23:30 - 2025-09-21 05:30 (Europe/Athens) | Athinas Str., Athinas Street, Athens, Athens, 105 52, Greece
Back with another installment of midnight screenings, the concept of film aficionado Akis Kapranos returns, featuring three films, three unique worlds, and an unforgettable cinematic experience beneath the city stars.

The Love Bug, Robert Stevenson, 1968 (108′)

The lovable Herbie, the “Beetle with a soul,” brings laughter and action in this classic Disney comedy. A race car driver in a career crisis and a car with personality prove that friendship and dedication win every race. A light-hearted, feel-good film that continues to captivate both young and old.

Christine, John Carpent, 1983 (110′)

From Stephen King’s imagination and directed by John Carpenter comes one of the most iconic thrillers of the ’80s. A seemingly innocent red Plymouth Fury develops a life of its own, dragging its young owner into a dark obsession. A cult classic that explores the darker side of passion, uniquely capturing the atmosphere of the ’80s and still beloved by horror movie fans today.

Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, 1982 (117′)

More than just a science fiction film, Ridley Scott’s iconic futuristic noir transports us to the dark, rainy Los Angeles of 2019. “Blade runners” hunt down replicants, genetically engineered humans, in a story that goes beyond police procedural to explore deep existential questions about identity and humanity. A masterpiece that defined the genre.

Fantastic Party @ Varvakios
2026-05-03 18:00 - 23:00 | Central Municipal Market – Varvakios, 42 Athinas, Athens, 105 51, Greece
The grand comeback of Varvakios Market arrives with a disruptive transformation. The This is Athens City Festival 2026 invites us into a setting reminiscent of Blade Runner.

Starting at 18:00, Stefanos Konstantinidis’ FONOPTIKON project lands in Athens’ central market, presenting a live audiovisual experience where beats and visuals electrify the venue’s traditional aura.

In a thrilling artistic encounter, the iconic voice of Best 92.6, Maria Papidaki, comes “face to face” with FONOPTIKON, composing a soundscape that blurs the lines between reality and science fiction. Varvakios is reimagined as a hybrid of an underground club and sci-fi cinema, featuring free entry and a futuristic vibe.

Queer Movie Nights 2026
2026-05-06 18:00 - 23:30, 2026-05-07 18:00 - 23:30, 2026-05-08 18:00 - 23:30, 2026-05-09 18:00 - 23:30, 2026-05-10 18:00 - 23:30 | Trianon Cinema, Kodrigktonos 21, Athens, Athens, 104 34, Greece
Queer Movie Nights are bringing an open, vibrant, and inclusive celebration of LGBTQI+ cinema right to the heart of Athens. Through a curated selection of queer feature films, shorts, documentaries, and homegrown Greek productions, this event creates a vital meeting point where queer stories find visibility, a voice, and an audience. This initiative has already carved out a permanent spot on the city’s cultural map as a platform for expression, coexistence, and acceptance.

Beyond the silver screen, Queer Movie Nights act as a safe space for dialogue and connection where every viewer can truly be themselves, share experiences, and see the world through diverse, colourful perspectives. It’s a celebration of diversity, cinematic creativity, and the unique power of the big screen to bring people closer together.

SMCK ON REEL. Three Myths for Athens
2026-05-08 19:00 - 22:00 | Goethe-Institut Athen, 14-16 Omirou, Athens, 106 72, Greece
The Goethe-Institut Athen hosts an innovative encounter between contemporary jewellery and the moving image. The project SMCK ON REEL, curated by Loukia Richards and Christoph Ziegler, presents short films, documentaries and a video installation, in which international creators from Europe, Asia and the United States, as well as from conflict zones, use jewellery as a medium of activism and expression. Drawing on the foundational concepts of the ancient Greek city—struggle, justice and harmony—the videos freely reinterpret the myths of Orestes, Theseus and Oedipus, linking them to pressing contemporary issues such as climate change, gender identity and memory.

On Friday 8 May, design experts will introduce the screenings, while the video installation will remain open to the public until 30 May, offering a thought-provoking insight into the evolving values of a rapidly changing world.

Queer Movie Nights 2026
2026-05-11 20:00 - 23:00 | Goethe-Institut Athen, 14-16 Omirou, Athens, 106 72, Greece
Queer Movie Nights are bringing an open, vibrant, and inclusive celebration of LGBTQI+ cinema right to the heart of Athens. Through a curated selection of queer feature films, shorts, documentaries, and homegrown Greek productions, this event creates a vital meeting point where queer stories find visibility, a voice, and an audience. This initiative has already carved out a permanent spot on the city’s cultural map as a platform for expression, coexistence, and acceptance.

Beyond the silver screen, Queer Movie Nights act as a safe space for dialogue and connection where every viewer can truly be themselves, share experiences, and see the world through diverse, colourful perspectives. It’s a celebration of diversity, cinematic creativity, and the unique power of the big screen to bring people closer together.

The screening is in German with Greek subtitles.

Bookings open one week before the event, at 12:00 noon.

Midnight Express: '80s Night Out
2026-05-11 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-05-18 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-05-25 21:00 - 23:00 | Plato’s Academy Park, Monastiriou 138, Athens, Athens, 104 42, Greece
Midnight Express is the brainchild of film critic Akis Kapranos who, inspired by nostalgia for the magical midnight screenings at Alphaville and Cine Dexamenis, set out to revive them. It is a cinematic journey for older audiences to reminisce, for younger ones to share the experience, and for everyone to celebrate a common passion: the pure pleasure of the big screen.
For this edition, Midnight Express steps out of dark theatres and into the open, bringing the magic of cinema to the This is Athens City Festival.
Programme:
11/05: Out of Africa, Sydney Pollack, 198518/05: Labyrinth, Jim Henson, 198625/05: Big Trouble in Little China, John Carpenter, 1986

Music & Film: "Sunrise" with Manos Kitsikopoulos
2026-05-14 20:00 | Megaro Arsakeiou, 42-46 Stadiou, Athens, 105 59, Greece
Experience the magic of silent film paired with live music in the grand interior courtyard of the Arsakeio Mansion, an architectural “jewel” in the heart of Athens. The spotlight of the evening falls on “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” (1927), directed by the legendary F.W. Murnau.

Often cited as one of the greatest films in cinematic history, Sunrise tells the haunting story of a farmer lured by a mysterious woman into a dark plot against his own wife. What follows is a painfully lyrical journey of reconciliation set against a bustling urban backdrop, an eternal struggle between the shadows and the light of the human soul.

Bringing the images to life is the distinguished soloist Manos Kitsikopoulos. The Greek pianist provides the musical score and improvises on stage, drawing inspiration from great composers such as Chopin, Weill, Satie and Radiohead. His live piano improvisations do more than just accompany the film; they “translate” every frame into raw emotion, creating an immersive experience beneath the mansion’s iconic glass roof.

Gyaros: The Story of the Sea
2026-05-19 19:00 - 22:00 | Goethe-Institut Athen, 14-16 Omirou, Athens, 106 72, Greece
The documentary “Gyaros: The Story of the Sea” is presented in a premiere screening, giving voice to the sea itself to narrate the island’s journey from antiquity to its contemporary revival. Gyaros, a place historically charged as a site of memory, is also revealed as a crucial sanctuary of biodiversity. Through the lens of WWF, we follow a 12-year effort that led to the designation of the island as a Marine Protected Area, safeguarding the rare Mediterranean monk seal and the richness of its marine ecosystem.

After the screening, a discussion with experts will follow, addressing the challenges and importance of protecting our seas, offering a comprehensive perspective on the enduring relationship between humans and nature.

In Greek with English subtitles.

Free admission – registration required.

Athens’ Hispanic Film Festival (FeCHA) at Ellinis Europa Cinemas
2026-05-21 20:30, 2026-05-22 20:30, 2026-05-23 20:30, 2026-05-24 20:30, 2026-05-25 20:30, 2026-05-26 20:30 | Open Air Cinema “Ellinis”, Leof. Kifissias 29, Athens, Athens, 115 23, Greece
The finest moments of Spanish-language cinema return to the city for their 10th edition, filling an entire week in May with images, passion and emotion. Innovative directors, internationally acclaimed actors and inventive screenwriters come together with an enthusiastic audience, bringing to Athens an authentic atmosphere from Spain, Chile, Argentina, Cuba and other beloved countries of Latin America.

Through screenings that highlight both contemporary filmmaking and the rich cinematic traditions of these countries, Athens is transformed into a vast “cinema” celebrating the diversity and expressive power of Spanish-speaking culture.

Screenings will take place at the open-air cinemas Ellinis Cinemax and Aello Cinemax, as well as at the Instituto Cervantes and the Hellenic American Union.

The anniversary programme includes 23 feature films and 13 short films, offering a comprehensive look at contemporary cinema from Spain and Latin America.

Programme Highlights

Opening Film: The festival officially opens with the highly anticipated satirical comedy Homo Sapiens? (Homo Argentum), Argentina’s biggest commercial success of 2025.

Special Tributes: A tribute to the late director Fabián Bielinsky, alongside the Diversidad section featuring queer short films in collaboration with Athens Pride.

Closing Film: The festival concludes with A Poet (Un Poeta) from Colombia, presented in the presence of lead actor Ubeimar Rios.

International Guests: Distinguished filmmakers including Helena Taberna, Asier Urbieta and Albert Pintó will attend the festival, participating in masterclasses and audience discussions.

Information & Free Events

Masterclass: Saturday 23 May at the Hellenic Open University.

Free Events: 28 May at the Hellenic American Union (docuFeCHA & cortoFeCHA) and 29 May on the rooftop of the Instituto Cervantes.

Online Screenings: Available from 29 to 31 May via www.fecha.gr

Tickets: Advance sales begin on 8 May via more.com and from 14 May at the cinema box offices.

*Due to forecast late-afternoon rainfall on Friday 22 May, Saturday 23 May and Sunday 24 May, screenings at the open-air Ellinis Cinemax (29 Kifisias Avenue) will be transferred to the indoor theatres of Aello Cinemax (140 Patission Street) on the same dates and at the same times.

All tickets already purchased online or through advance booking, as well as invitations, will remain valid for the new venue without requiring any changes.

For the more adventurous cinephiles, a covered area with a capacity of 100 people will remain available at Ellinis Cinemax, where the films will also be screened for those who choose not to attend the screenings at Aello Cinemax.

*The presentations by the Spanish directors will take place at Aello Cinemax and not at Ellinis Cinemax.

In the event of rain, screenings at the open-air Aello Cinemax will also be transferred to an indoor theatre within the same venue, at the same times.

Athens’ Hispanic Film Festival (FeCHA) at Aello
2026-05-21 20:30, 2026-05-22 20:30, 2026-05-23 20:30, 2026-05-24 20:30, 2026-05-25 20:30, 2026-05-26 20:30 | Open Air Cinema “Aello”, Patission 140, Athens, Athens, 112 57, Greece

Interactive Experiences at the Museum of Philhellenism
2026-05-24 10:00 - 17:30 | Philhellenism Museum, 12 Zisimopoulou, Athens, 115 24, Greece
The Museum of Philhellenism, a unique landmark of its kind worldwide, opens its doors to the audience of the This is Athens City Festival for two special Sundays with free admission. Visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of the philhellenic movement through a comprehensive experience that combines cinema with a classic guided tour.
The programme includes:

Screening: “PHILHELLENES” (30’):A journey through the philhellenic movement, from its origins in the Renaissance to the liberation of Greece (in Greek with English subtitles).
Guided tour of the Permanent Collection:A tour across the Museum’s four floors, featuring more than 450 artefacts. Among the exhibits, visitors will admire rare personal belongings of Lord Byron, paintings and sculptures, intricate philhellenic clocks and porcelains, as well as period weaponry and historical documents that narrate the remarkable contribution of the Philhellenes to the rebirth of Greece.

Duration: 90 minutes

10:00–11:30
12:00–13:30
14:00–15:30
16:00–17:30

Free admission with advance booking required. Limited availability. To register, please send your full name, affiliation, mobile contact number, and email to info@phmus.org.
This activity is only available in Greek.

Greek Cinema Nights 2026
2026-05-25 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-05-26 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-05-27 20:00 - 23:00 | Eleftherias Park, Eleftherias Park, Athens, Athens, 115 21, Greece
The magic of the big screen comes to the lawns of Eleftherias Park, celebrating some of the finest moments of Greek cinema. For four consecutive nights, the park transforms into a refreshing open-air screening venue, inviting audiences to surrender to the charm of the seventh art.

Beneath the Athenian sky, with screenings beginning daily at 21:00, viewers will have the chance to enjoy stories that reflect both our present and our past through a selection of beloved films. Take your place on the grass and prepare for a unique cinematic journey that reminds us why summer in Athens is inseparably connected with watching a great film under the stars.

Programme:

Monday 25/05: Our Wildest Days, Vasilis Kekatos, 2025
A coming-of-age road movie for an entire generation, following people searching for freedom, connection and a sense of belonging. Through the wandering of a group of friends in contemporary society, themes of poverty, emotional growth and the quiet revolution born through solidarity unfold.

Tuesday 26/05; Isovites, Theodoros Maragos, 2008
A subversive political comedy that satirises the social dysfunctions of Greece. Through Maragos’ distinctive humour, the film follows its characters as they attempt to break free from their own “life sentences,” delivering both laughter and thought-provoking commentary.

Wednesday 27/05: Jack of All Trades, Master of None (Polytechnitis Kai Erimospitis), Alekos Sakellarios, 1963
A classic masterpiece from the golden age of Greek cinema. Thanasis Veggos delivers a legendary performance as a man struggling to survive by constantly changing professions, offering unforgettable moments of pure comedy that remain timeless to this day.

Thursday 28/05: Afterlov, Stergios Paschos, 2016
A post-romantic settling of accounts. A separated couple locks themselves inside a luxurious villa in order to resolve their differences. A fresh, funny and bittersweet story about what happens when love ends but the need for communication remains.

*All films are screened with English subtitles.
