CROSSROADS OPENING
The start of the 8th Crossroads Co-Production Forum, which is part of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s Agora Industry section, took place on Wednesday, November 7, at the Electra Palace hotel, in the context of the 53rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Festival Director Dimitri Eipides attended.
In his opening speech, Mr. Eipides said: “We thank you for being here with us this morning. Every year, I see more and more people joining us and this is for me a particularly positive and promising sign. The Festival’s purpose is not restricted to screenings; it is also to help films reach the production stage, particularly independent films made by new producers who are trying to find their place in the cinema industry. Thank you for being here today; I will not take any more of your time, since I know you have a full day ahead of you”. Mr. Eipides added: “By the way, Barack Obama, you may have heard, won the election; so I think we start on a positive note. I wish you good luck. You can feel at home here - the Festival belongs to you, feel free to make use of everything it has to offer - screenings, discussions, everything is for you. Again, thank you, and good luck”.
The Head of Crossroads, Marie-Pierre Macia, thanked Mr. Eipides and the participants and presented the members of the team behind Crossroads. She then called participants to introduce themselves, thereby commencing the programme of the 8th Crossroads Co-Production Forum, which will conclude on November 10. The Agora awards will be presented on Friday, November 9, during a ceremony that will take place at 6 p.m. at the Electra Palace hotel.
The Crossroads Co-Production Forum is an integral and important part of the Agora section. It features 17 film projects, selected after an evaluation of the quality of the script, of the creative team behind them and of the projects’ potential to come to fruition.
The projects are either productions or co-productions from a Central European and a Southeast European or Mediterranean country or entail script elements connected to the aforementioned regions. The projects selected this year come from the following countries: Egypt, Algeria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Jordan, Italy, Cyprus, the Lebanon, Romania and Turkey.
The producers and directors participating have the opportunity to present and discuss their projects in formal and informal meetings with other producers, distributors, sales agents and distinguished production specialists.
Crossroads is supported by the MEDIA European program and also collaborates with:
· The Greek post-production company 2|35 Inc, which will present the co-production award (visual and audio) to the winning project.
· The CNC (Centre National du Cinema et de l’ image animee), which will provide 7,000 euros for the development of the project.
· The Producer’s Network of the Cannes Film Festival, which will grant an accreditation to the winning producer to participate in the upcoming Producer’s Network 2013.
· The Sofia Meetings section of the Sofia Film Festival, which will select one project to be presented in next year’s edition, in March 2013.
· The Mediterranean Film Institute Script 2 Film Workshops, which is awarding a scholarship for script development of one cinema project.
· The French consulting firm Initiative Film, which will provide its expertise to one cinema project.
Crossroads is part of the Agora Industry, which is the developmental section of TIFF, bringing together an international network of professionals and providing the space and the conditions for meetings, discussions and professional agreements in an informal, warm and professional environment.
The Agora section is one of the 53rd Thessaloniki Film Festival events financed by the European Union – European Regional Development Fund, in the framework of the Central Macedonia Regional Development Program 2007-2013.
