“I’ll Be Gone in June”, the debut feature by Katharina Rivilis, has been selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival 2026.

Katharina participated and developed the project in MFI’s Script2Film Workshops 2021, is a German-Swiss co-production by Road Movies, Wolfskind Films and 8horses. It is produced by Léa Germain and Wim Wenders alongside Clemens Köstlin, Andrea Kuehnel and Vincent Savino. Co-produced by Katharina Rivilis, Olga Lamontanara and Simon Jaquemet.

The film was also recently acquired by sales company Luxbox and is distributed in Germany and Switzerland by DCM.

The story follows Franny, a sixteen-year-old German student in search of freedom and the American dream. Assigned to a small town in the New Mexico desert, her stay unfolds against the backdrop of the September 11 attacks, in a context shaped by both personal and collective transformation.

 

Congratulations to Katharina and everyone involved in the creation of the film!

Since its inception in 2000, the Μediterranean Film Institute, through its international program MFI Script 2 Film Workshops, has supported the development of over 500 film projects. We are especially proud that the Doc Lab, introduced just six years ago, has already made a significant impact on documentary development. This year, five films in the festival’s lineup had participated in the MFI’s Doc Lab the previous years.

Many thanks to the Thessaloniki International Film and Doc Festival and especially Agora for our warm and fruitful collaboration over the last 18 years and for their great work in the film industry.

Our scholarship award from now on is called George Kalogeropoulos award, in memoriam of the founder of the Mediterranean Film Institute.
Recognizing its distinctive storyline, unique characters, profound social relevance, and poetic filmic approach, We are honored to present our scholarship award “George Kalogeropoulos” to the documentary project “The Last Class” by Italian filmmaker Michele Fornasero (SmoKings) currently in late production. The project, pitched at this year’s Thessaloniki Pitching Forum, is produced by Epica Film and Indyca.

The second residential workshop of the European script-development programme will bring international participants together for a week of intensive work and networking

The MFI Script 2 Film Workshops, organised by the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI), will return to the island of Astypalea for their second residential session from 7-14 October. Following the successful summer edition on Nisyros, the autumn workshop offers screenwriters, directors and producers the opportunity to revisit their projects within the collaborative environment established earlier in the year.

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For the 26th consecutive year, the island of Nisyros will be once again flooded with inspiration and creativity. From June 20 to July 2, 2025, more than 70 screenwriters, directors, and producers from 24 countries will meet on the island to develop their scripts and ideas as part of the international script development program MFI Script 2 Film Workshops,
organized by the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI).

Through intensive group workshops and individual meetings with experienced film professionals, participants will have the opportunity to work in depth on their projects. The program is complemented by lectures and masterclasses, offering a well-rounded training experience. The energy of Nisyros — a landmark location for MFI since its foundation — the hospitality of locals, and the expert team of trainers create a unique environment, ideal for creativity and inspiration.

The Mediterranean Film Institute returns to Nisyros for its 26th year. From June 20 to July 2, over 70 screenwriters, directors, and producers from 24 different countries will meet on the island to develop their ideas and scripts, taking part in the international script development programme, MFI Script 2 Film Workshops, organised by the Institute.

Through intensive group workshops and personalised meetings with experienced film professionals, participants will have the opportunity to work in-depth on their projects. The programme is complemented by lectures and masterclasses, offering a comprehensive and demanding educational experience. Participants will take part in two on-site workshops — the first in Nisyros and the second in October in Astypalea — as well as two online workshops.

The European MFI Script 2 Film Workshops, organised by the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI), are returning for their 26th edition on the island of Nisyros. From 20 June-2 July, over 70 screenwriters, directors and producers from 24 countries will gather on the volcanic island to develop their scripts and ideas through a combination of group sessions, individual consultations and master classes.

This year’s edition attracted nearly 250 applications from more than 50 countries, ranging from Kazakhstan and Peru to Finland, Palestine and Tunisia. A total of 24 feature-length scripts, six documentaries, three series projects and seven story-editor trainees were selected to participate. The programme includes two residential workshops (in Nisyros in June and Astypalea in October), as well as two online sessions.

Since its inception in 2000, the Μediterranean Film Institute, through its international program MFI Script 2 Film Workshops, has supported the development of over 500 film projects. We are especially proud that the Doc Lab, introduced just six years ago, has already made a significant impact on documentary development. This year, five films in the festival’s lineup had participated in the MFI’s Doc Lab the previous years.

Many thanks to the Thessaloniki International Film and Doc Festival and especially Agora for our warm and fruitful collaboration over the last 17 years and for their great work in the film industry.

Our scholarship award from now on is called George Kalogeropoulos award, in memoriam of the founder of the Mediterranean Film Institute.
Recognizing its distinctive storyline, unique characters, profound social relevance, and poetic filmic approach, we are honored to present the award to “Oh, Heart Don’t Be Aftaird” by Ana Kvichidze and Avtandil Khorava.

The documentary project THE FREEDOM OF FIERRO by Santiago Estreinou, developed in the MFI Script 2 Film Workshops 2023, has been selected for Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2025 and will be screened in the presence of its director, and César Fierro, its main character. The film originally premiered at Toronto Film Festival.