The 5th International Documentary Festival of Epirus or as it became known WEST SIDE MOUNTAINS DOC FEST started in 2017 with its first edition in 2018 and the second in 2019 in the Municipality of Karaiskaki of Orini Arta. The main thought and intention of those of us who were involved in the establishment of the Festival, was the creation of an important cultural event, in one of the poorest, but also most inaccessible areas of Europe. An area of incredible natural beauty, which starts from Agrafa and the valley of Acheloos and reaches almost to Arta. The festival completely achieved its goals and so its third edition in 2020 was the one that established it, that developed spatially and spread throughout almost all of Epirus. A spread that became a reality with the participation of the Municipalities of Karaiskaki, Central Tzoumerka, North Tzoumerka, Pogoni, Preveza and Arta. The support of the Society of Greek Directors, many associations, Brotherhoods, local Federations, the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, but also other organizations contributed to this, with the most important development being the granting of the Ministry of Culture for this fourth period.
So we can be proud that in four seasons our Festival has managed to attract more than a thousand films from more than 120 countries. And we still have a lot to do. Finally, it should be noted that with hard work and minimal resources we managed to make the festival loved by the people and every day more and more, to be established as an internationally renowned cultural event, away from the big urban centres. We have managed to strengthen the view that even the most remote areas could appropriate and integrate the culture of cinema and especially documentaries. We managed to prove that on the occasion of this festival, opportunities can be created for the development of cultural institutions, as well as alternative tourism in our country. A place that needs to take a step forward and free itself from the degraded cultural "status" that haunts it and holds it hostage to bad taste and the commercialization of absolutely nothing.
