The 20th edition of Athens International Film Festival - Opening Nights is taking place on September 17-28, featuring over 100 films from around the globe, 3 competition sections, special tributes, documentaries and more than 60 Greek shorts. It's worth noting that the festival is one of the few in the world to feature a "Music & Film" competition section.

The Official Competition Section will feature long awaited films, such as "10.000km" by Carlos Marques-Marcet, a disarmingly honest depiction of long-distance romance, and "71," a political thriller by Yann Demange that debuted at this year's Berlinale. It is noted that this year the Opening Nights is hosting a tribute to Robert Altman with some of his most influential 70s classics, "Nashville", "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and "M.A.S.H."

The Festival will screen two Greek documentaries on the sensitive subject of the ritual of the female genital mutilation (FGM). Both films are directed by aspiring Greek female directors and offer realistic insights on a practice that is internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

“Bref” by Christina Pitouli is a 30-min documentary that approaches FGM through conversations with people from Africa who live in Spain and presents their opposed opinions and realities, thus, revealing the complexity of this controversial issue, in which the limits of human rights and cultural heritage are intersected.

"Excision" by V. Velopoulou is a 52-min documentary that focuses on the FGM practices in Kenya and aspires at encouraging every victim of genital mutilation to stand up for their rights.