Awarded the 2nd Prize in La Cinef, at
77th Cannes Film Festival, 2024.

Distributed by ARTE TV

“…it’s a European and universal film, with a remarkable pair of actors, a tense production, and writing full of finesse…”

Jury Review at La Cinef Awards, 77th Cannes Film Festival, 2024

The Chaos She Left Behind, Nikos Kolioukos’ debut short film, is a rare example of a student production that, beyond its domestic recognition, combines top-tier festival distinction with substantial international reach, securing distribution on VOD platforms as well as theatrical screenings in over 40 countries worldwide.

The film premiered at the 77th CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, where it was awarded the 2nd PRIZE in LA CINEF, and subsequently secured a deal with ARTE TV (France & Germany), generating revenues multiple times its original production budget. It remained available on ARTE’s VOD platform for the international audience for 18 months without geoblocking and was broadcast on French and German television.

Ιn Greece, the film received strong recognition, winning awards for its direction and performances, as well as the Iris Award for Best Student Film from the Hellenic Film Academy. It was screened at all major national festivals (Thessaloniki IFF, Athens IFF, etc.), with all screenings consistently sold out.

The film was also officially selected by the French Academy of Cinema (Les César) for the Les Nuits en Or 2025 program, an international showcase presenting award-winning short films from national film academies around the world (César, Oscars, BAFTA, Goya, Iris, etc.). The film was chosen by Les César as the Greek entry representing the country internationally, screening alongside 36 other award-winning films from national academies of over 30 countries. Nikos Kolioukos is among the 37 directors of the official program.

The film was well received by audiences in Asia through digital platforms and curated online screenings, from South Korea to China. Also, the film surpassed 70,000 views internationally in only 10 days during an online screening at the Panorama Film Festival, a curated program by the Film School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece, 2026).

The film was embraced by audiences and recognized by festival juries for the intensity of its story, the sensitivity of its characters, and the remarkable performances.

Cast: Marina Siotou, Yiannis Tsortekis,
Eleni Karagiorgi, Danae Skiadi, Maria Filini, Vassilis Kanakis

Written and Directed by: Nikos Kolioukos

Director of Photography: Alexandra Riba

Editor: Yorgos Zafeiris

Original Music Composer / Sound Design: Pélagie Hadzinikitas

Set Design: Elena Koutsou

Costume Design: Konstantina Mardiki

Costumer: Nelly Gontika

Key Make Up Artist: Voula Chourtsidou

Sound Recording: Maria Pasvanti, Angeliki Saint

Sound Mix: Kostas Fylaktidis, Tone Studio

Color Correction: Dimitris Manousiakis, Frenel Post Lab

1st Assistant Director: Silva Tsoumana

Production Manager: Stefanos Evagelopoulos

Producers: Nikos Kolioukos, Alexandra Riba, Pélagie Hadzinikitas

Film Department, School of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

DCP / Color / Aspect Ratio: 1:1
Original Language: Greek
Subtitles: English / French

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Supported by Greek Film Centre: