The Box Office is open from 14:30 till 20:30 (will open in 06:26).

The Birthday Party The Birthday Party

Miguel Ángel Jiménez / Greece, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom / 2025 / 103 min / English, Greek, Spanish

A lavish birthday party thrown by a ruthless Greek tycoon for his daughter exposes the dark underbelly of the super-rich.

festivals, awards Locarno 2025

IMDb

An exclusive Mediterranean island in the late 1970s. Marcos Timoleon, a powerful, Onassis-like tycoon, hosts an extravagant birthday celebration for Sofia, his daughter and sole heiress. Marcos, accustomed to controlling everyone and everything around him, has a hidden agenda for the evening, planning a life-altering decision on Sofia's behalf. As the night unfolds and the festivities spiral into decadence, Sofia reveals news that challenges her father's authority. The gathering of guests, including the young writer Forster, the principled doctor Patrikios, General Marquis, and Marcos's ex-wife – each with their own motives – adds to the tension, leading to an explosive confrontation that shatters familial bonds and exposes deep-seated rifts.

The Birthday Party is a film about power, legacy, love mistaken for possession, and the quiet violence within privilege – set on a paradise island that slowly reveals itself as a prison.” (Miguel Ángel Jiménez)

Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Born in Madrid, in 1979. After a few cinema summers in Valladolid, he abandoned law to study camera and photography. He made his first short film, Las Huellas, in 2001 with the assistance of Aki Kaurismäki and Jose Luis Cuerda. He founded Kinoskopik Film Produktion in 2007.

Kinodvor. Newsletter.

Join our mailing list and receive details of upcoming films and events!

What's On

Hamnet Hamnet

Chloé Zhao

Tuesday, 03. 03. 2026 / 15:30 / Main Hall

Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) imagines how a tragedy from Shakespeare’s real life might have inspired the creation of his timeless masterpiece Hamlet. Starring the exceptional Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, the film is a moving story about love, loss, and the healing power of art.

Ungrateful Beings Nevděčné bytosti

Olmo Omerzu

Tuesday, 03. 03. 2026 / 18:10 / Main Hall

Slovenian director Olmo Omerzu (Family Film), based in the Czech Republic, returns with an original drama about a family in crisis, infused with subtle humour and unexpected narrative turns. The film had its world premiere in the main competition at the San Sebastián Film Festival.

Late Shift Heldin

Petra Volpe

Tuesday, 03. 03. 2026 / 20:30 / Main Hall

Shot with the pacing and tension of a thriller, Late Shift follows a single night in the working life of a nurse in an overcrowded Swiss hospital. Both gripping and compassionate, the film is a tribute to the extraordinary people who stand by us in the most vulnerable moments of our lives.