International Meeting of Archaeological and Cultural Documentary
(since 1996)
THE FESTIVAL
The idea of an Archaeological Film Festival—long absent from Greece, a country inseparably linked to the very concept of archaeology—was born in 1995 by director Memi Spyratou, following a series of awards her films had received at similar festivals abroad.
Thanks to the active support of journalist Lena Savvidi and archaeologist Anna Lambraki, publisher of the magazine Archaeology & Arts, the First International Meeting of Archaeological Film, titled “AGON,” was held in 1996. This landmark event paved the way for the involvement of numerous cultural and institutional bodies, including the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, the Municipality of Athens, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the Greek Film Centre, the Bank of Greece, the Piraeus Bank Cultural Foundation, universities, foreign archaeological schools, museums, and more.
Until 2016, the Festival was funded mainly through the personal support of Lena Savvidi and was organized as a biennale every two years. In 2022, however, it was forced into silence due to financial constraints.
In May 2022, after a six-year hiatus and for the first time with the decisive support of the Ministry of Culture and Minister Lina Mendoni, the 11th edition of AGON was successfully held under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, with funding from the Ministry of Culture and Sports and support from the Region of Attica, the Greek National Tourism Organization, and the Municipality of Athens, in collaboration with the Greek Film Archive and the Greek section of ICOM.
In May 2024, once again with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Lina Mendoni, the 12th edition of AGON took place.
By 2026, marking 30 years of continuous presence, AGON has evolved into an institution of not only national but also international recognition. This is reflected in its collaborations with distinguished figures and institutions from the fields of culture and science, both in Greece and abroad, as well as in the strong and loyal response of audiences who have followed the Festival’s events throughout the years.
This year we are organizing the 13th Biennale, once again with the support of the Ministry of Culture, and we look forward to AGON’s continued longevity.
IMAGE AND NUMBERS
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In AGON’s case, it is the thousand—and more—figures that reflect both the participation of filmmakers and the audience turnout that has responded from the very beginning.
Over the years, thousands of films have been submitted, from which more than 500 Greek and international productions have been selected and screened.
More than 100 films have received monetary awards through AGON’s established prizes (Best Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Originality of Concept, Educational Film, Audience Award, and JUNIORS of Agon).
Honorary distinctions have also been granted by institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Aegean, the Greek Film Centre, the Greek Film Archive, MEDIADESK, the Cultural Organization of the Municipality of Athens, the Lambrakis Research Foundation, the magazine Archaeology & Arts, and OTE TV.
Throughout its journey, AGON’s films have been watched by thousands of viewers across Greece. In non-biennale years, the Festival organizes touring screenings of award-winning films under the title “AGON Travels… and Takes You with It.” In this initiative, the awarded films “travel” throughout Greece and are screened in collaboration with local cultural and educational institutions in non-profit events (museums, schools, universities, cultural associations, etc.). These screenings are usually introduced by the Festival’s President, director Memi Spyratou, along with the Festival’s Production Director, Rachel Manoukian.
Indicatively, AGON has traveled to municipalities of Athens, archaeological schools in Athens, the Association of Greek Archaeologists, Chios, Kavala, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Thessaloniki, Skyros, Syros, Cyprus, and more.
Each edition hosts approximately 60 participants, including international directors, creators, scientists, festival directors, archaeologists, journalists, and other distinguished guests.
It is no coincidence that films from France’s CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the largest research organization in Europe, regularly participate in the Festival, alongside major international productions.
Notably, from its very first edition, AGON was honored by directors of corresponding European festivals for its exemplary organization.
The Festival “AGON” serves as an essential instrument of cultural diplomacy, outreach, and international promotion for Greece. Archaeology and cultural heritage constitute the country’s strongest global brand, and through AGON not only Greece’s archaeological sites but also its contemporary cultural activity are showcased internationally.
Restoring the celebratory spirit that every festival should embody, AGON also ensures the entertainment of its participants by collaborating with distinguished artists who deliver outstanding performances featuring selected music, songs, theatrical acts, and exhibitions.
ACTIVITIES – NAMES – TRIBUTES
Throughout its thirty-year journey, AGON has hosted distinguished artists and personalities, including:
• Lakis Pappas, the renowned interpreter of Manos Hadjidakis, who was honored with an Ethics Award presented by Eleni Arveler.
• Alicia Kayaloglou, who, in an event titled “Alicia in the Land of Documentary,” took us on a musical journey around the world with her voice.
• The music-theatre performance “Black Yemeni,” directed by Memi Spyratou, which explored traditional Greek songs. (The production was also successfully staged in France, invited by Gérald Barbet, director of the Besançon Archaeological Festival.)
• Anastasia Kapantae and Stavros Niforatos, who performed selections from Greece and around the world, including Griko songs in tribute to Magna Graecia.
• A presentation of the ancient Greek hydraulis by musician Panos Vlagopoulos, who performed ancient Greek music, while Anna Alexopoulou, accompanied by a quartet, interpreted choral excerpts from Helen by Euripides, set to music by Michalis Christodoulides.
A landmark moment in AGON’s history was the concert by George Dalaras, featuring poems by Eleni Arveler set to music by Nikos Platanos. Dalaras offered his participation pro bono, accompanied by a ten-member ensemble.
The performance, titled “The Hidden History,” took place on November 15, 2004, during the 5th International Meeting of AGON at the Kotopouli–REX Theatre, in collaboration with the National Theatre of Greece. Direction of both the musical performance and the short films that accompanied it was undertaken by Memi Spyratou, President and Artistic Director of the Festival.
- In May 2022, AGON was dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis. Costa-Gavras served on the International Jury, and Maria Farantouri performed songs by Mikis Theodorakis at the closing ceremony following the awards presentation of the 11th edition, held at the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre Maria Callas, with the support of the Athens Municipality Youth and Sports Organization.
• In May 2024, at the closing ceremony of the 12th edition—again at the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre “Maria Callas”—George Dalaras performed, once more on a voluntary basis and accompanied by a large orchestra, songs by major Greek composers.
Shortly before completing 30 years of continuous presence, AGON celebrated its anniversary with a two-day event at the Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall on November 10–11, 2023, in the Music Library Teaching Hall of the “Friends of Music Society.”
The two-day event included screenings of award-winning films from 11:00 in the morning until 22:00 in the evening, with free admission for all!
During the two-day events, an open discussion was held on the theme: Archaeology and Cinema – Science and Art in a Fascinating Convergence.
The discussion was moderated by the President and Artistic Director of the International Archaeological Film Festival AGON, director Memi Spyrou, and featured distinguished directors and archaeologists (in alphabetical order): Dimos Avdeliodis, director / Ioanna Asmeniadi-Foka, director / Anastasia Gadolou, archaeologist, General Director of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki / Petros Themelis, archaeologist / Vassilis Karamitsanis, President of ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival / Dionysia Kopana, director / Manolis Korres, architect, civil engineer and Professor of the History of Architecture in postgraduate studies at the National Technical University of Athens, Head of the Acropolis Monuments Restoration Service (YSMA) and full member of the Academy of Athens since 2017 / Nina Kyparissi, PhD in Prehistoric Archaeology, Honorary Director of the Ministry of Culture / Christina Merkouri, archaeologist, Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica / Yiannis Metaxas, Emeritus Professor of the University of Athens, author, full member of the Académie Européenne Interdisciplinaire des Sciences / Pedro Olalla, director / Angeliki Simosi, archaeologist, Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands / Eliza Soroga, director / Haris Tzalas, writer, historian, President of the Hellenic Institute for the Study of Ancient and Medieval Alexandria, President of Experimental Archaeology and Shipbuilding (construction of the “KYRENIA II”) and, of course, the audience!
COMMITTEES
The Pre-Selection and International Jury Committees of AGON are international in composition and bring together professionals from a wide range of disciplines capable of assessing the individual merits of each film—directors, archaeologists, editors, screenwriters, musicians, cinematographers, producers, visual artists, university professors, historians, educators, and even linguists.
Among those who have served on AGON’s Committees over the years (in alphabetical order) are:
Dimos Avdeliodis, Director
Marc Azema, Archaeologist, Director, Head of the Narbonne Archaeological Film Festival (France)
Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler, Byzantinist, former Rector of the Sorbonne
Ioulia Velissaropoulou, Professor of Legal History, University of Athens
Anastasia Gadolou, Archaeologist, General Director of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
Nazim Guveloglu, Producer–Director (Turkey)
Dario Di Blasi, Director of the International Archaeological Film Festivals of Rovereto, Florence, and Naples (Italy)
Costa-Gavras, Director (France)
Tony Coe, Head of Educational Films, BBC Open University (UK)
Despina Evgenidou, Byzantinist
Dimitris Danikas, Film Critic and Journalist
Philippe Dorthe, Director of the Bordeaux International Archaeological Film Festival (France)
Anne Fenton, Head of Audiovisual Services, UNESCO (UK)
Manos Zacharias, Director
Nikos Kaltsas, Archaeologist, former Director of the National Archaeological Museum
Evangelos Karamanes, Director of the Research Centre for Greek Folklore, Academy of Athens
Paraskevi Katimertzi, Journalist
Nikos Koundouros, Director
Giorgos Kouroupos, Composer, Artistic Director of the Orchestra of Colours
Lada Laura, Director of the Split International Archaeological Film Festival (Croatia)
Peggy Lagiou, Producer
Anna Lambraki, Archaeologist, Founder of Archaeology & Arts magazine
Eugenia Lyroudia, Script Analyst, Greek Film Centre
Giorgos Mouzakitis, Director
Nikos Bakounakis, Journalist
Christos Boulotis, Doctor of Prehistoric Archaeology, Academy of Athens
Konstantinos Bourazelis, Historian, former Vice Rector of the University of Athens
Anna Dalaras, Publisher and Concert Producer
Zeta Xekalaki, Archaeologist, Editor of Archaeology & Arts
Dionysis Petroutsopoulos, Director of Photography
Tahar Ben Redjeb, Director of the Amiens International Archaeological Film Festival (France)
Tzella Skoura, Archaeologist
Giovanna Ruscito, Film Specialist, Archeologia Viva magazine (Italy)
Alexis Eudald Sola y Fares, Hellenist, University of Barcelona (Spain)
Georgia Salampasi, Audiovisual Artist / Art Psychotherapist
Memi Spyratou, Founder, President and Artistic Director of AGON
Nikos Stambolidis, Professor of History and Archaeology, University of Crete – Director of the Acropolis Museum
Maria Stoffella, Painter (Italy)
Giorgos Triantafyllou, Editor
Haris Tzalas, President of the Hellenic Institute for the Study of Ancient and Medieval Alexandria and of the Hellenic Centre for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition
AGON COMPETITIONS & PRODUCTIONS
In May 2000, two screenplay competitions were announced in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organizing Committee. The themes were: “The Aegean Region and the Prominent Role of its Islands from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day” and “Olympism.” The selected screenplays were awarded 20,000,000 drachmas for the production of documentaries, resulting in the films “Elaia Kallistefanos” by Nikoleta Goulis and “The Aegean through the Words of the Poets” by Loukia Rikaki.
COLLABORATIONS – LECTURES – SCREENINGS (selected highlights)
Selected AGON films were screened as part of the exhibition “Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture in the Hellenistic World” hosted at the National Gallery of Art (December 2015 – March 2016).
In 2012, AGON presented the first Greek screening of the rare film “Four Men on a Raft” (1942) by Orson Welles, depicting a remarkable true episode in maritime history.
In collaboration with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and Fairfield University, an archaeological film evening was organized (March 2013), featuring selected AGON films alongside American university productions dedicated to the Parthenon.
In cooperation with the French Embassy, the French Archaeological School at Athens, and under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the First International Conference (20–22 February 2004) was held on the theme: “Scientific Publications in the Fields of Archaeology, the Arts and Folk Traditions,” chaired by Professors Olivier Picard and Christos Doumas, with distinguished Greek and international speakers presenting their work.
In collaboration with the ERT Archive Museum, two films were produced especially for AGON: Cinematic Documents from the History of Crete and Archaeological Sites of Greece from the Inter-war Period to Liberation, both screened within the Festival program.
Together with the Greek Film Centre, AGON organized the event “Image and Word: Cinema and Archaeology,” featuring thematic screenings followed by lectures by prominent speakers (in alphabetical order):
Manolis Korres – Architect, Head of the Parthenon Restoration Project
Christos Boulotis – Doctor of Prehistoric Archaeology, Academy of Athens
Yannis Sakellarakis – Archaeologist, University Professor
Stefanos Sinos – Professor at NTUA, Head of the Throne Hall Restoration Committee at Mystras
Nikos Stambolidis – Professor of History and Archaeology, University of Crete; Director of the Acropolis Museum
Haris Tzalas – President of the Hellenic Institute for the Study of Ancient and Medieval Alexandria and the Hellenic Centre for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition
Michalis Tiverios – Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2001)
Panagis Psomopoulos – Architect and Urban Planner, President of the Athenian Urban Planning Centre
TRIBUTES
Tributes have been dedicated to:
• Takis Kanellopoulos, with a screening of his film “Macedonian Wedding” (1960), in collaboration with the Greek Film Archive.
• Vasilis Maros, for “The Sponge Divers of Kalymnos” (1963).
• Francesco Alliata, with screenings of “Tuna Fishing” (1947), “Vulcano” (1949), and “The Golden Coach,” alongside Manos Zacharias’s “Spongers” (1960), highlighting shared themes and mutual influences. The films by Alliata and Zacharias were introduced by critic Kostas Georgousopoulos, and the Russian protagonists of “Spongers” attended as special guests.
Tribute to the Filmmaker of Occupation Angelos Papanastasiou, with the documentary “From the Tragedy of Enslaved Greece 1941–1944,” curated by Memi Spyratou.
• A special tribute to Francesco Alliata as a pioneer of underwater cinematography and producer of “Vulcano” starring Anna Magnani, including screenings of “The Children of Panaria” and “The Golden Coach,” directed by Jean Renoir and produced by Alliata. The latter was screened for the first time in a Greek cinema, subtitled in Greek by AGON.
• Costa-Gavras, with a screening of his film “Amen.” and the presentation of an Honorary Award for his overall contribution to cinema.
He further honored the 11th International AGON Festival through his participation on the International Jury and his personal presence and support.
EXHIBITIONS
• A photography exhibition by Francesco Alliata on the birth of underwater cinematography, of which he was a pioneer, having constructed the first underwater motion picture camera.
• A photography exhibition from the filming of “Spongers” by Manos Zacharias.
• A painting exhibition by Italian artist Maria Stoffella, inspired by themes from Greek mythology.
• An exhibition of original sketches by Fokion Dimitriadis from the Occupation period, accompanied by the film “Fokion Dimitriadis: The Wide-Angle Eye,” directed by Memi Spyratou.
• A painting exhibition by Kaiti Mavrommati titled “Alexandria–Athens.”
