“Agora enables the discovery of new cinema projects and supports their completion, as well as the process of reaching out to their audience. Moreover, it continues its efforts to make its actions greener, reducing its environmental imprint,” write organisers of the Agora market of the 26th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, which will be held March 8 to 16, 2024.
Features of the 2024 Agora are:
- Agora Doc Market: Featuring more than 350 documentaries in its digitized library (teaming up with Cinando), Agora Doc Market is available solely online for Agora’s guests and accredited journalists.
- Agora Docs in Progress: A total of 11 films currently at the final stage before their completion will be presented.
- Thessaloniki Pitching Forum: A total of 12 projects will be presented in the co-producing and co-financing platform for creative, TV and new media documentaries at the development stage.
- Agora Lab: A total of 5 projects from Greece will take part in this year’s Agora Lab, where documentary specialists will offer guidance to directors of films from all development stages.
- Meet the Future: Each year 5 up-and-coming documentary filmmakers from the wider geographical regions take centre stage. This year, filmmakers from the Czech Republic are featured.
And as previously reported:
- Agora Talks & Talking Heads: Every year Agora invites documentary experts to share practical advice and personal experiences with the Festival’s accredited guests.
- Doc Counseling: One-on-one counseling meetings offered to filmmakers from Greece and abroad.
- AGORA Workshop: Paths to Funding Your Documentary. A comprehensive workshop on documentary funding models and the distribution landscape.
“As an international meeting and networking event Agora offers a variety of networking and co-production opportunities for the global film industry,” organisers add. “It’s a dynamic force in the European audiovisual sector, committed to fostering collaboration, innovation, and cultural exchange targets around 500 industry professionals: producers, filmmakers, distributors, broadcasters, sales agents, film consultants, festival programmers and financiers from all over the world, and focuses on innovative tendencies in documentary filmmaking of South eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region while at the same time discovers and presents the worldwide documentary trends.”
THESSALONIKI PITCHING FORUM
The Thessaloniki Pitching Forum is the co-financing and co-production Forum for documentaries in the development phase, highlighting the countries of the wider South eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region (including the Visegrad countries, part of the Black Sea region, North Africa and Mediterranean Middle East).
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum has secured 3 new awards for 2024. The IEFTA Award for Best Documentary in Development 10,000-euro cash prize, the Eurodoc Award of 1,000 euros along with a VIP membership and the Sunny Side of the Doc Prize of 2 industry passes and 500 euros towards travel expenses.
Long term partnerships include the Onassis Foundation who present the Onassis Film Award of 5,000 euros to a Greek filmmaker; the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) which presents the ERT Award of 2,000 euros to a Greek project; the Mediterranean Film Institute Script2Film granting a Scholarship for the Doc Lab participation; the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE) Consultancy Award with a bespoke consultation on a project with an industry expert; Aylon Digital Services who offer a Digital transfer of archival material; the Beldocs Networking Award to attend the next edition; and the Dok Leipzig Award which includes 2 industry passes and accommodation.
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum Projects:
- Dark Blue River by Sergej Kreso. Producer: Harmen Jalvingh – Doxy Films, The Netherlands
- If These Stones Could Talk by Hana Elias. Producer: Asmahan Bkerat. Palestine
- Kafka in Belgrade by Maša Nešković. Producers: Maja Medić, Ena Bajraktarević – Marienbad Film. Serbia. In collaboration with CIRCLE Doc Women Accelerator
- Lake by Nikos Ziogas. Producers: Konstantina Stavrianou & Rena Vougioukalou – Graal Films, Antigoni Papantoni – rawDOCS. Greece
- Mountain Cries by Lavinia Xausa. Producer: Sam Godfried – Yalla docs, Τhe Netherlands
- Operation “Champion” by Mariam Nikolaishvili. Producer: Irina Gelashvili – Radium Films. Georgia
- The Secret Hand by Valerio Valente. Producer: Paolo Maria Spina – Revolver, Co-producers: Enrico Cannizzo – Filmine, Boris Despodov – Arthouse Blockbusters, Wojciech Karubin – Movie Mates. Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland
- Survivors by Nina-Maria Paschalidou. Maria Louka. Producers: Mina Dreki, Iro Aidoni – Marni Films. Greece
- While Our Sun Burns by David Krøyer. Producer: Anna Marina Skouros – Onomamono, Co-producer: Rea Apostolides – Anemon Productions. Denmark, Greece
- Why the F*** Am I So Sad? by Nela Märki. Producer: Martin Rattini – Helios Sustainable Films. Italy
- Women Of 1922 (working title) by Aris Kaplanidis, Elias Roumeliotis. Producer: Ioanna Soultani – Soul Productions, Co-producer: Tonia Mishiali – Bark Like A Cat. Greece, Cyprus
- Woman Walk Home by Stephanie Andreou. Producer: Adrián Gutiérrez – Astarte Films. Cyprus
AGORA DOCS IN PROGRESS
The Agora Docs in Progress showcases films from the wider Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region that are nearing completion with an industry screening of selected excerpts.
The participants are mentored by international documentary expert Anna Glogowski, and the project holders are presenting to industry professionals whi can provie for gap financing, sales representation, festival premieres and distribution (theatrical or digital).
The films are eligible for the following awards: The Two Thirty-Five (2|35) Post-Production Main Award, the 119 Marvila Studios Award for sound mixing services, the Greek Film Centre Award of 3,000 euros and the Neaniko Plano Subtitling Award.
The Agora Docs in Progress films:
- Dark Waters by Marianna Economou. Producers: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof – Anemon Productions, Co-producers: Paul Cadieux, Danae Elon – Filmoption International. Greece, Canada
- Don’t Worry Sari! By Sari Haragonics. Producers: Sára László, Inez Mátis, Marcell Gero – Campfilm, Co-producer: Boris Despodov – Arthouse Blockbusters. Hungary, Bulgaria
- Dream Collector. Director/Producer: Sonja Djekić – KEVA, Co-producers: Tamara Babun, Matija Drniković – Wolfgang & Dolly. Serbia, Croatia
- Eduard by Sophie Shevardnadze. Producers: Archil Gelovani, Sergei Yahontov – Independent Film Project. Georgia
- The First Lady by Udi Nir, Sagi Bornstein. Producer: Udi Nir – udiVsagi production, Co-producer: Georg Tschurtschenthaler – Beetz Brothers Film Production. Israel, Germany
- Happy You’re Here by Lucas Habte. Producer: Isidore Bethel – Alice Films, Co-producers: Lucas Habte, Juan Carlos Malavé. France, United States, Puerto Rico, Ethiopia
- LO by Thanassis Vassiliou. Producer: Orlane Dumas – Les Films de l’Aube Sauvage, Co-producer: Konstantinos Vassilaros – StudioBauhaus. France, Greece
- Mailin by María Silvia Esteve – HANA Films, Co-producers: Alejandra López – IKKI Films, Radu Stancu,Cristina Haneș – deFilm. Argentina, France, Romania
- Ms. President by Marek Šulík. Producer: Barbara Janišová Feglová – HITCHHIKER Cinema, Co-producers: Ivo Andrle – Aerofilms, Marek Šulík – Filmotras. Slovakia, Czech Republic
- The Secrets of the Owl by Eirini Vourloumis, Producer: Leonidas Liambeys – Long Run Productions, Co-producer: Eirini Vourloumis – Boulis Films. Greece
- Super Paradise by Steve Krikris, Producers: Dafni Kalafati, Paul Typaldos – Filmiki Productions, Co-producer: Titus Kreyenberg – unafilm. Greece, Germany
AGORA LAB
Agora Lab is a “bespoke consultancy workshop dedicated to empowering filmmakers at all stages of development, offering expert guidance and advice.” Focused on projects from Greece, selected through the application process of Thessaloniki Pitching Forum and Docs in Progress, Agora Lab explores themes of international significance.
Agora Lab bestows two awards to chosen projects: The Guidance Award by Paradiddle Pictures (Denmark) and the newly introduced Crew United Prize, entailing a complimentary 5-year Premium membership to the premier online networking platform for audiovisual professionals in Europe, now accessible in Greece. Additionally, in partnership with Pitch the Doc, an online hub nurturing the documentary film industry, Agora Lab provides an exclusive digital showroom and dedicated space for participating projects.
Agora Lab projects:
- Exile(s) by Giorgos Iliopoulos. Co-producer: Sofia Exarchou. Greece
- Little Paradise Street by Christos Adrianopoulos. Producers: Antigoni Kapaka, Vassiliki Patrouba – Alipnoos. Greece
- My Daughter by Smaro Papaevangelou. Producers: Mina Dreki, Iro Aidoni – Marni Films. Greece
- The Stuff We Are Made. Director/Producer: Siamak Etemadi – Aegos Films. Greece
- Voices by Persefoni Miliou. Producer: Eleni Kossyfidou – Blackbird Productions. Greece
MEET THE FUTURE
Looking ahead, AGORA “extends its vision to uncover and showcase emerging documentary talents from across our broader geographical scope through the Meet the Future initiative.” This year, the focus shifts to the rising talents from the Czech Republic, with support from the Czech Film Fund and in partnership with East Doc Platform.
The directors taking part in this year’s Meet the Future are:
- Jana Andert. Project: Shadows Of The Mountains
- Marie-Magdalena Kochová. Project: The Other One
- Anna Kryvenko. Project: This House is Undamaged
- Pepa Lubojacki. Project: If Pigeons Turned to Gold
- Viktor Portel. Project: Between Us
The presentation is overseen by Nadja Tennstedt, an expert in the field and the director of DOK Industry at DOK Leipzig, Germany.
