Stavros Markoulakis

Stavros Markoulakis is a writer, director, and film programmer based between Greece and the Netherlands.

He studied Communication and Dramatic Arts in Athens and completed the postgraduate program "Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image" in Amsterdam. He serves as Artistic Director of Leiden Shorts, Short Film Preselector at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Forum Producer at IDFA, and Head of Programme at Anafi International Film Festival. His films, balancing between the real and the imaginary, aim to research the state of belonging, the different ways of perceiving time and reality, as well as the human relationships and non-human connections in our universe. His work has screened at international film festivals including Venice, Clermont-Ferrand, Sarajevo, and Palm Springs. His sophomore film, Pigeons are Dying, when the City is on Fire (2023), a poetic tale of urban love and cosmic fire, premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival. His latest short film, Tropic of the Mourning Gecko (2026), premiered in the Orizzonti Short Films Competition at the Venice International Film Festival. He is currently developing his debut feature film, Sunbruise.