November Events & Festivals in Greece

Cultural Events

Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF)

The TIFF, the most important film festival in Greece  attracts world-class film-makers and film lovers
to an annual 11-day celebration every November in the northern city of Thessaloniki. Launched as a national film festival in 1960, the TIFF took its current international character in 1992, with the financial support of the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Thessaloniki and other local institutions. It is now is one of the Balkans’ primary showcases of new and emerging filmmakers.

Leading filmmakers that have attended TIFF include  Abbas Kiarostami, Bernardo Bertolucci,  Francis Ford Coppola, Wim Wenders,  Jim Jarmusch, Alexander Payne. Acclaimed actors, actresses and artists who visited TIFF either as guests or as member of the festival juries include Catherine Deneuve, Harvey Keitel, Faye Dunaway, Isabelle Huppert, John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe.

Other cultural events also take place in parallel to the Film Festival, such as concerts and art exhibitions, which contribute to the cultural character of Thessaloniki. The TIFF also holds the annual Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TDF) every March.

TIFF (Credit: Filmfestivalgr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Sports

Athens Classic Marathon

The Athens Classic Marathon The Authentic is an annual marathon road race held in the Greek capital in early November since 1972. It is inspired by the Ancient Greek legend of Pheidippides, an Athenian messenger who is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to bring news of the Greek victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon 2,500 years ago. The iconic route begins at the small town of Marathon. The finishing point is inside the magnificent Panathenaic Stadium, in Athens, the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games. The length of the route is exactly 42.195 kilometres. The marathon brings together athletes from around the world and continues to captivate participants and spectators alike, showcasing the enduring spirit of this historic race.