16th AOAFF powered by DEI: Willem Dafoe in Athens for the nationwide premiere of "The Birthday Party"
The Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by DEI, together with Rosebud.21 and Heretic, invite you to a glamorous cinematic evening: the official Greek premiere of "The Birthday Party", attended by acclaimed actor Willem Dafoe, director Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and Panos Karnezis, author of the novel on which the film is based.
ATHENS OPEN AIR FILM FESTIVAL powered by DEI
June – August 2025 | FREE ADMISSION
This special open-air pre-festival screening will take place as part of the 16th Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by DEI on Monday May 18 at Aigli Zappeiou Open-Air Cinema, at 8:30 PM.
For the third consecutive year, DEI continues its partnership with the Athens Open Air Film Festival, offering audiences unique cinematic experiences against the backdrop of Athens’ most iconic landmarks, transforming summer nights into moments of art, imagination, and light.
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY (2025, 103’)
Director: Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Screenplay: Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Giorgos Karnavas, Nikos Panagiotopoulos
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Vic Carmen Sonne, Joe Cole, Emma Suárez, Christos Stergioglou, Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos, Elsa Lekakou, Francesc Garrido
A Greek tycoon. One wild night. Countless secrets.
Willem Dafoe stars in this international production filmed in Greece, directed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez and based on the acclaimed novel by Panos Karnezis.
Set in the late 1970s somewhere in the Ionian Sea, the story follows the powerful tycoon Markos Timoleon, who hosts an extravagant birthday celebration on his private island for Sophia, his only daughter and heir. The event draws friends, business associates, and old acquaintances, many of whom see the occasion as the perfect opportunity to get close to Markos and advance their own interests.
Accustomed to exercising absolute control over everyone and everything around him, Markos has secretly devised a plan of his own: he intends to make a life-changing decision about his daughter's future—with or without her consent.
However, Sophia arrives on the island determined to reveal a truth that will upset the balance of power. As more guests arrive and the night unfolds, the party becomes increasingly explosive and uncontrollable. Amid an atmosphere of luxury and rising tension, the inevitable clash between the all-powerful father and his rebellious daughter builds toward a dramatic climax.
Based on the novel The Birthday Party by Panos Karnezis, published in Greece by Ellinika Grammata.
INFORMATION
Date: Monday, May 18, 2026
Arrival Time: 8:00 PM
Screening Starts: 8:30 PM
Venue: Aigli Zappeiou Open-Air Cinema
Admission by invitation and seat reservation:
https://forms.gle/SbHVjjKBd95ViiQM8
The screening will be followed by complimentary drinks courtesy of Jameson and a DJ set by Spyros Pagiatakis (En Lefko 87.7).
The film will be released in Greek cinemas on July 2 by Rosebud.21.
