Summary
- Bearcave was scheduled to be screened on August 16 in the village of Paraskevi, Aigialeia.
- The Aigio Film Club attributed the cancellation to extreme homophobic reactions from a small minority.
- The organizers stressed that those reactions do not represent the village as a whole.
- A new date and a different location will be sought for the screening.
- The award-winning film has already received distinctions in Venice and at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
A scheduled screening of the award-winning Greek film Bearcave in Paraskevi, Aigialeia, has been cancelled, with the Aigio Film Club citing extreme homophobic reactions from a small minority.
The film by Krysianna Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos was due to be screened on Sunday, August 16, 2026, in the mountain village of Paraskevi in the Municipality of Aigialeia. On August 14, the Aigio Film Club announced the cancellation, attributing it to “extreme homophobic reactions from a small minority,” while making it clear that this attitude did not represent the village or its residents as a whole.
The case matters because this is not simply a change to a cultural program. When pressure from a small group is enough to cancel a public film screening because of a work’s subject matter, it creates a deeply troubling precedent for artistic freedom and for the public’s ability to access works that do not conform to everyone’s beliefs.
What the Aigio Film Club announced
According to the Film Club, the screening was cancelled because of the reactions that had emerged, but the organizers have not abandoned their intention to show the film. They said they would seek a new date and a different venue so that what they described as an attempted silencing of cinema would not succeed.
The Film Club also deliberately avoided identifying the reactions with the local community as a whole. It explicitly referred to a minority and stressed its longstanding good relationship with the residents of Paraskevi.
Is this censorship?
The information made public so far does not describe an official ban imposed by a state or municipal authority. The cancellation was announced by the Aigio Film Club itself, which attributed the decision to the pressure generated by homophobic reactions.
That does not make the development any less serious. Censorship does not always arrive in the form of an official prohibition. Social pressure can also lead organizers, cultural institutions or creators to withdraw a work before the public even has the opportunity to see it and judge it.
The case is particularly troubling because, according to the organizers themselves, the reactions came from a small minority. In other words, a limited group appears to have been able to influence whether a screening intended for the wider public could take place.
What is Bearcave?
Bearcave is a feature film by Krysianna Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos, a Greece-UK production with a running time of 127 minutes. At its center are Argyro and Anneta, two close friends living in a mountain village whose relationship changes dramatically when Anneta reveals that she is pregnant and plans to leave.
The film explores desire, women’s experience, queer identity, life in rural Greece and the conflict between personal freedom and social expectations. The natural landscape is not merely a backdrop but an integral part of the narrative.
Cinematography is by Arsinoe Pilou, while Chara Kyriazi and Pamela Oikonomaki play the leading roles. The film was produced by Pame Ligo Collective and Pucci Productions.
From the Golden Dionysus to Venice
The story of Bearcave began as a short film. The 2023 version won the Golden Dionysus at the 46th Drama International Short Film Festival, as well as an award for female performance. It was filmed in Elati, Trikala, and its creators had already spoken about their desire to explore a queer story outside the more familiar urban setting.
The feature-length Bearcave later had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori section of the 2025 Venice Film Festival and received the Europa Cinemas Label for Best European Film in that section.
At the 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the film received several distinctions, including the FIPRESCI award for a Greek film, the WIFT GR award and the Youth Jury Special Award, while Chara Kyriazi received the FOS Award.
Why the case matters to creators
For filmmakers, photographers and creators more broadly, the incident goes beyond this specific film. Local screenings, film clubs, festivals and independent cultural events are often the places where works outside the mainstream can reach audiences that might otherwise never have access to them.
If every work first has to pass an informal approval test imposed by the loudest group in a community, the result is not dialogue but self-censorship. That can affect anything from a queer film to a photographic project, documentary or exhibition dealing with social, political or historical issues.
The response to a work someone considers bad, offensive or contrary to their values can be criticism, discussion or simply choosing not to watch it. Preventing everyone else from having access to it is a fundamentally different matter.
What we think
The cancellation of the screening is a dark development, particularly if, as the organizers say, it resulted from the reactions of a small minority. No one needs to agree with a work of art in order to defend its right to be shown.
At the same time, the case should not turn into a blanket condemnation of an entire village. The Aigio Film Club itself stresses that the reactions do not represent the local community as a whole.
The real question is whether a minority should be able to exercise a veto over art. In an open society, the answer cannot be yes.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the Bearcave screening cancelled?
The Aigio Film Club said the screening was cancelled following extreme homophobic reactions that it attributed to a small minority.
When and where was the screening due to take place?
It was scheduled for Sunday, August 16, 2026, in the mountain village of Paraskevi, in the Municipality of Aigialeia.
Has the film’s screening been cancelled permanently?
Not according to the organizers. The Aigio Film Club said it would seek a new date and a different location.
Has Bearcave won awards?
Yes. Among other distinctions, the feature film received the Europa Cinemas Label at the Giornate degli Autori section of the 2025 Venice Film Festival and was also honored at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
