About Us
Pharos Beyond Images Short Film Festival is an international competitive film festival created by filmmakers and dedicated to the short form. In 2025, PBISFF celebrate its 5th annual edition. The festival screenings will once again take place at the Cine Eleusis in Elefsina.
PBISFF is a competitive festival with winners in each of nine categories: Best Short, Best Animation Short, Best LGBTQ Short, Best Director Award, Best Actor Award, Best Actress Award and Best Screenplay Award, Best Student Award. The audience votes for its favorite film in each screening. Filmmakers in attendance from the Greece, US, UK, Australia, Germany, South Africa, Israel, Canada, Italy and more. Attending filmmakers participate in a post-screening Q&A and network with other filmmakers and industry guests at our after-party.
We are anticipating your films to be shown in our festival in the picturesque city of Elefsina.
The qualifying committee consisted of:
ART DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME SELECTION - MICHAEL TIGKIRIDIS
Michael Tigkiridis was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and grew up in Elefsina, Greece. He studied History, Film Practices, and the Fundamentals of Cinema at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and later attended specialized programs in cinematic storytelling and television series development in the United States under the mentorship of Bobby Roth. Throughout his professional career, he has worked across film, theatre, advertising, and audiovisual content, creating short films, music videos, commercial productions, and theatrical works. He has written and directed nine short films and six original stage plays. His films have been officially selected and awarded at international film festivals, receiving distinctions both in Greece and abroad. He is currently developing the drama television series Lafina, for which he serves as both writer and director, while also working on the development of two feature-length films. He has been honored with two awards in international screenwriting competitions in Prague and the United States. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Pharos Beyond Images Short Film Festival (PBISFF), an international short film festival held in Elefsina, Greece, and the Co-Founder of Triptolemos Pictures. In parallel with his creative work, he conducts workshops in acting for camera and cinematic storytelling, while developing new film, television, and theatre productions. His work places particular emphasis on connecting contemporary dramaturgy with Greek mythology, history, and cultural memory.
VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY & COMMUNICATIONS - KIMON KARAKOS
Kimon Karakos was born in 1986 in Elefsina and currently lives in Athens. He is the Vice President of Strategy & Communications at Pharos Beyond Images, where he plays an active role in shaping the creative direction of the team’s festivals and audiovisual productions. With experience in the institutional sector—where he also serves as Director of Communications & Public Relations at the Union of Enterprises and Industries of Western Attica, he combines strong organizational skills with artistic sensibility. His long-standing involvement in music, poetry, and video creation further enriches his creative profile, while his ongoing social and volunteer work highlights the human dimension of his journey.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME SELECTION - AMALIA MAVRIDOU
Amalia Mavridou was born and raised in the city of Athens in 1999. She is a film critic and graduated from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – School of Physical Education and Sports Science. 2015 - Participated in the innovative high school play ''We Say No" in the context of the European Program Comenius Regio with the title Bullying in Adolescents: Ways of prevention and dealing with bullying in the school environment of Greece and Cyprus.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME SELECTION - PANAGIOTIS BOUGIOURIS
Panagiotis Bougiouris is an acclaimed Greek actor with an extensive career spanning theatre, television, and film. Born in Piraeus on November 20, 1976, he graduated from the Department of Physics at the University of Athens before pursuing professional acting studies at the Kostas Kazakos Drama School and the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama in London. From 2001 to 2004, he was a permanent member of the Experimental Stage of the Greek National Theatre, where he further developed his craft. Throughout his career, he has appeared in numerous acclaimed stage productions, including King Lear, Dogville, Don Juan, and Uncle Vanya, while also collaborating with the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC). Widely recognized by television audiences, Bougiouris has starred in several successful Greek and Cypriot television series, including Min Psaroneis (Don’t Freak Out), The Return, Stolen Dreams, and Oath of Silence, establishing himself as one of Greece’s most respected and versatile actors.
