The Thessaloniki Film Festival began in 1960 , during the golden era of Greek cinema, when many of the movies and actors where nominated and even awarded in international film events, including the Oscars and the Cannes Festival. In 1992, it acquired an international character,including in the competition section foreign productions, and offering distinctions and awards to artists that excelled in the art of Cinema.
It is held every year in the Fall, it is a premier cultural event for Thessaloniki and Northern Greece and the great prize of the Festival is called "Golden Alexander". Apart from its main events, the Festival also hosts numerous other activities with an educational , cultural, informational and commercial character , attracting every year more and more moviegoers , who now have made it not only the premier film festival in Greece , but and one of the most important in the wider region of Eastern Europe.