Oxbelly Beach Greek nonprofit Oxbelly has announced in a press release the participants of the 2025 Oxbelly Retreat, taking place June 28–July 6 at Costa Navarino in Messinia, Greece.
The Oxbelly Retreat is an annual gathering of international storytellers, dedicated to the exchange of ideas, deepening of craft and broadening of artistic horizons through intercultural dialogue. Now in its tenth year, the 2025 Oxbelly Retreat includes programs for writers working in film and literary fiction. The Retreat is founded on the principles of embracing independence and risk-taking, as fellows move from early to mid-career and develop work they seek to bring to an international audience.
Every year programs are led by established writers in their respective fields – with the 2025 edition of the Screenwriters program led by Radu Jude (Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World) and the Fiction Writers program, now in its third year, led by Chigozie Obioma (The Road to the Country).
Screenwriters Program Director Radu Jude reflected on the spirit of this year’s retreat, citing the value of creative exchange among peers: “Many times Jean-Luc Godard expressed the idea that the American cinema was at its highest when filmmakers were meeting each other in the cafeteria of the studios. And it was also because they were talking to each other that the Nouvelle Vague or the New German Cinema filmmakers of the 60’s etc. became better: through exchanging ideas about the world and about cinema. This is the only spirit I can imagine for this year’s Oxbelly: a passionate and friendly exchange of ideas to make all of us — fellows, organisers, advisors — think better.
The 2025 Screenwriters program fellows: Fradique Hold Time For Me (Angola), Vatche Boulghourjian The Marches (Lebanon/USA), Ana Endara & Pilar Moreno Victoria in the Clouds (Panama, Spain), Amanda Nell Eu Lotus Feet(Malaysia), Yorgos Goussis & Vassilis Danellis African Grey (Greece), Federico Luis & Matías Fernández Burzaco The Dog Trainer (Argentina/Italy, Argentina), Christina Tynkevych All Clear (Ukraine), David Vajda Egon Buys Air Conditioning – Working Title (Germany/Austria).
The 2025 Fiction Writers program fellows: Kosoluchi Agboanike (Nigeria), Joshua Chizoma (Nigeria), Tomás Fleck (Brazil), Vida James (USA), Toby Lloyd (UK), Katerina Malakate (Greece), Ashni Mohnot (India), Naheed Phiroze Patel (USA), Sima Qunsol (Jordan), April Yee (USA).
The 2025 edition received over 2,300 applications from writers across 120 countries and nationalities, with a global network of 60 reviewers.
The two programs offer unique tracks for the fellows by day, followed by curated evenings where all fellows, advisors and special guests across programs come together for screenings, readings and conversations across disciplines. Special guests range from established professionals from film and literature as well as creatives from other disciplines, offering unique and widely varied perspectives on storytelling and the creative process.
“The writing from this year’s cohort of fellows is steeped in humanity, authorship and creative boldness, fearlessly pursued by these storytellers, in spite of, or perhaps because of, this time in our world. There is a feeling of collective power that comes through when nondominant narratives begin to transcend borders – physical, cultural, metaphorical,” added Oxbelly’s Executive Director, Caroline von Kuhn. “Oxbelly remains deeply committed to reinforcing independence of thought and an expansive approach to how the medium can serve story at a crucial moment in the lives of the fellows’ projects and careers.”
2025 Oxbelly Advisors and Special Guests (In alphabetical order):
Ali Abbasi (Iran/Denmark), Michael Almereyda (USA), Kenzie Allen (USA), Dimitris Athiridis (Greece), Ishmael Beah (Sierra Leone/USA), Jane Campion (New Zealand), Maura Delpero (Italy), Nicole Dennis-Benn (Jamaica), David Ebershoff (USA), Ben Frost (Australia/Iceland), Adrian Ghenie (Romania), Annemarie Jacir (Palestine), Radu Jude (Romania), Katie Kitamura (USA), Emilie Lesclaux (France), Richard Linklater (USA), Alexandra Matheou(Cyprus), Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil), Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria), Olivier Père (France), Fiammetta Rocco(France/UK), Emma Shercliff (UK), Tanya Seghatchian (UK), Namwali Serpell (Zambia/USA), Eva Stefani (Greece), Eskil Vogt (Norway), Emily Wilson (USA), Gaby Wood (UK).
Founded in 2015 by producer Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, the Oxbelly Retreat is made possible through the support of its founding partner Faliro House, hospitality partner Costa Navarino, and the Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation. Additional support for the 2025 Oxbelly Fellows was generously provided by Anonymous, Grace Lay of LinLay Productions, Greg Beauchamp of Bindery Films, Ann Lewnes, and Funa Maduka of palmtrees.
Dates for the 2026 Oxbelly Retreat will be announced in late fall during the Open Call. There is no fee to apply, and all expenses for selected fellows are fully covered.
ABOUT OXBELLY
Oxbelly, the non-profit founded in 2015 by Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, the producer and founder of Faliro House, serves international storytellers through its annual Retreat held in Costa Navarino, Greece, while helping shape a burgeoning Greek film industry through year-round offerings in Athens.
Each year the organization reflects on what barriers exist for storytellers in the current landscape and builds creative programs to address these inequities and open paths for the storytellers’ projects and careers.
By developing international writers’ programs and actively building bridges between the US and Europe through curated partnerships, Oxbelly’s mission is to foster creativity, to support the creative economy and to strengthen the Greek film industry through its ongoing initiatives.