Kastellorizo 2026

Motivation: “By taking a personal cinematic journey, the author skillfully balances archive and art as well as creatively approaches intertwining disciplines like history, politics, ecology or ethnography with family memories. The awarded film manages to transcend its specific topics into universal themes of curiosity, exploration and love for the cinema. In addition, for the filmmakers’ audacity to be experimental in the cinematic language without sacrificing the understanding of the narrative layers while researching the unique story of her uncle, the FIPRESCI award goes to Yrupe by Spanish filmmaker Candela Sotos”.

Set on the remote island of Kastellorizo — the easternmost edge of Greece, where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean — Beyond Borders is a boutique international documentary festival that prioritizes quality, dialogue, and human connection over scale. Now on its 11th edition, the festival features three sections: International competition (feature-length documentaries with a strong focus on sociopolitical issues, human rights and history), International competition (short documentaries), Panorama Section (non-competitive screenings). The Country of Honour for 2026 will be Switzerland, featuring a spotlight on Swiss documentary cinema.