We receive surprisingly few old-school fantasy film submissions to the festival, possibly due to costs of such productions compared with what can be achieved on a low budget for a sci-fi or horror film.

However, from the land renowned for its mythological heroes and sagas, and more recently for its financial woes, comes this epic feature film, based on a comic book series of the same name. A new indie film movement has risen, almost phoenix like, from the embers of Greece’s burnt-out economy, and this crowdfunded fantasy tale is one of its successes.

In an Age of Darkness, the mighty Dragonphoenix Empire rules the World of Elebros with an iron fist. Dragar, a mighty warrior from the North, is held captive, taking part in brutal combat for the amusement of the Empire’s noblemen. Despite his success in the arena, he longs for his homeland and the wife he left behind.

When Dragor escapes his captors, he takes as his hostage the General’s spoilt daughter Valeria. Dragor’s way back home will be filled with dangers as he is not only pursued by mercenaries and the soldiers of Dragonphoenix, but he also has to face his past and the dark future that lies ahead.

Made for around the same cost of a day’s catering on Game of Thrones, it still has all the adventure and drama inherentto the genre, with production values that belie its budget.

If you’ve been longing for some swords and sorcery at the festival, then this delivers.