EXCLUSIVE: Twelve new works, including God Will Not Help, the buzzy feature from Croatian filmmaker Hana Jušić, will screen as part of the Meet The Neighbors+ competition sidebar at this year’s Thessaloniki Film Festival.
The jury for this year’s Meet The Neighbors+ comp will feature filmmaker The Apprentice filmmaker Ali Abbasi, actress Sofia Kokkali, and film funding expert Kirsten Niehuus.
The top prize in the Meet The Neighbors+ comp is the Golden Alexander “Michel Demopoulos” for Best Full-length Feature Film. The award comes with a 10,000-euro cash prize, which is shared equally between the producer and film director. The Silver Alexander – Best Director Award comes with a 5,000-euro cash prize. The jury will also hand out the Best Actor Award, the Best Actress Award, and the Best Screenplay Award or Best Artistic Achievement Award.
God Will Not Help debuted at this year’s Locarno Film Festival. The film follows a Chilean woman, Teresa, who comes into a firmly structured and isolated mountain community of Croatian shepherds in the early 20th century, claiming to be the widow of their émigré brother. Her arrival changes the dynamics between the members of the community and brings unrest, but also inspiration for other women.
Jušić’s credits include Quit Staring at My Plate (2016), which won the FEDEORA for Best European film at Venice Days and the Best Director award at Tokyo International Film Festival. Her screenwriting credits also include the TV series The Last Socialist Artefact (2021). The series premiered at Series Mania, winning the Best Series Award before screening on ARTE and Filmin.
The 2025 Thessaloniki International Film Festival will run from October 30th to November 9th.
Check out the full 2025 Meet The Neighbors lineup below:
● Another Man, David Moragas, Spain, 2025, 100΄
● Don’t Let Me Die, Andrei Epure, Romania-Bulgaria-France, 2025, 108΄
● Fantasy, Kukla, Slovenia-North Macedonia, 2025, 98΄
● Feels Like Home, Gábor Holtai, Hungary, 2025, 124΄
● God Will Not Help, Hana Jušić, Croatia-Italy-Romania-Greece-France-Slovenia, 2025, 137΄
● In the Land of Arto, Tamara Stepanyan, France-Armenia, 2025, 105΄
● Roqia, Yanis Koussim, France-Algeria-Qatar-Saudi Arabia, 2025, 94΄
● Sweetheart, Margherita Spampinato, Italy, 2025, 93΄
● The Last One for the Road, Francesco Sossai, Italy-Germany, 2025, 100΄
● Life in a Beat, Amerissa Basta, Greece-Cyprus-Bulgaria-North Macedonia-Montenegro-France, 2025, 93΄
● Novak, Harry Lagoussis, Greece-Switzerland, 2025, 110΄
● Smaragda – I Got Thick Skin and I Can’t Jump, Emilios Avraam, Cyprus, 2024, 99΄
The post Thessaloniki: Ali Abbasi Set For Meet The Neighbors+ Jury, ‘God Will Not Help’ By Croatian Filmmaker Hana Jušić Among Competition Titles appeared first on Deadline.
