Educational Programs

A series of educational activities focusing on issues of equality, rights, and social justice, supported by the Office for Gender Equality of the Region of Crete.

These activities use cinema as a starting point for reflection, dialogue, and critical understanding of key social phenomena, in line with the Festival’s thematic identity and mission. Through selected film screenings and structured discussions, students of different age groups are given the opportunity to explore fundamental topics related to human rights, forms of discrimination, and the social and cultural conditions connected to gender inequality.

Fil(m)osophy for Children

Ιssues of equality will be addressed through the programme Fil(m)osophy for Children, designed for 5th and 6th grade primary school students, in collaboration with Philosynthesis and the Department of Philosophy of the University of Crete. The programme is coordinated by Dr. Maria Kasmirli (5th grade), Dr. Stelios Gadris and Dr. Anna Ntinti (6th grade).

Collaboration Onassis Culture

Screening of the short film Girlhood (2021) by Vania Turner and Maria Sidiropoulou. The activity is aimed at high school students, with a post-screening discussion led by educator and member of the Scientific Committee on Sexuality Education of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), Dr. Margarita Gerouki.

Collaboration ANIMASYROS

Screening of award-winning animated films À cœur perdu (France, 2022), Cafuné (Spain, 2024), and Asiunia (Poland, 2023), which sensitively address themes such as displacement, the experience of war, memory, and loss. Through diverse aesthetic and narrative approaches, the films provide an opportunity for meaningful dialogue on human rights, identity, and the importance of empathy.

CINEMATHERAPY by ΕΚΚΟΜΕD

Screening of the short film Greek School Prayer (2014) by Thanasis Neofotistos. The film Prayer centers on two middle school students who, in their search for identity, test each other’s boundaries. The film, which has been awarded the Golden Dionysus at the Drama International Short Film Festival, highlights issues of gender identity within the school environment.

educational * programmes * *