In the framework of the Agora of the 63rd TIFF, the presentation of the projects taking part in the Crossroads Co-production Forum took place, on Monday November 7. The Forum aims at bringing forth projects in development from countries of Southeastern Europe, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean region and gives producers and directors the opportunity to present their ideas to potential financial partners, receive feedback and expand their professional network. At this year's Agora Crossroads Co-production Forum, 14 projects from the following countries were presented: North Macedonia, France, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Lebanon, Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Angeliki Vergou, Head of the Agora, was the first to take the floor and welcomed the producers and directors. Elise Jalladeau, General Manager of the Festival, followed by thanking the professionals for their presence at this year's Agora, as well as Mrs. Vergou's partners and team. "This year, for the first time, the Festival launches the new Agora Series section and dedicates a whole day, on Thursday, November 10, to the local and international television scene, also launching a series of Think Tanks on the future of film markets, carried out in cooperation with other European film markets", she said.
Mrs. Vergou, in turn, referred to the initiative of the Evia Film Project, held last June, towards a more sustainable festival, as well as the integration of practices adopted this year by the festival to reduce its environmental footprint, such as the collection of coffee residues for the manufacture of pellets, while another first for this year’s Festival is that Agora Talks take place at the MOMus- Museum of Photography. She then thanked her collaborators, Thanos Stavropoulos, coordinator, Errika Zacharopoulou, coordinator of the Crossroads Co-production Forum, Elena Gaitanarou, Works in Progress assistant, Dimitra Kapsala, responsible for the meetings, Melin Karaoglanian, member of the networking team and, finally, Niki Xenou, project manager of Agora Series”.
The following 14 projects were presented to international professionals and the film market:
ACHINOS
Director/Scriptwriter: Iris Baglanea, Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti - Atalante Productions SA, Greece
THE FIRST CYPRIOT ASTRONAUT
Director/Scriptwriter: Stavros Pamballis, Producer: Marinos Charalambous - Boycott Films, Co-producers: Joyce Pierpoline - Pierpoline Films, Inc., Bernhard Pucher - Iron Box Films, Cyprus, United Kingdom
FIVE MURDERS WITHOUT A CAUSE
Director/Scriptwriter: Kostas Gerampinis, Producer: Vasilis Chrysanthopoulos - PLAYS2PLACE, Greece
AN OLD MAN REPLACED
Director/Scriptwriter: Thanos Samaras, Producer: Romanna Lobach - AKRAN Creative Company, Greece
LIFE IN A BEAT
Director/Scriptwriter: Amerissa Basta, Co-writer: Dimitris Nakos, Producers: Ioanna Soultani - Soul Productions, Dimitris Nakos, Co-producers: Dejan Krajcevski - Krug Film, Panos Bisdas - Authowave, Greece, North Macedonia
RIEN NE VA PLUS
Director/Scriptwriter: Daniel Bolda, Producer: Nicholas Alavanos - Filmiki Productions, Greece
DOG DAYS
Director: Imanol Rayo, Scriptwriters: Imanol Rayo, Carlos Bassas, NereaLoiola, Producer: IkerGanuza - Lamia Producciones, Spain
HOLIDAY
Director/Scriptwriter: Wissam Charaf, Producers: Charlotte Vincent, Katia Khazak - Aurora Films, Co-producers: Marco Valeiro Fusco - Intramovies, Pierre Sarraf - Né à Beyrouth films, France, Italy, Lebanon
LOST YEARS
Director/Scriptwriter: Aron Horvath, Producers: Andraž Jerič - Temporama, Jerca Jerič, Slovenia
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR
Director/Scriptwriter: Siegrid Alnoy, Producer: Xénia Maingot - EauxVives Productions, France
LOVER, NOT A FIGHTER
Director/Scriptwriter: Martina Buchelová, Producers: Michaela Kaliská, Erika Paulinská - NINJA Films, Co-Producer: Julie Žáčková - Unit and Sofa Prague, Slovakia, Czech Republic
LOOSE
Director: Tudor Jurgiu, Scriptwriter: Anca Buja, Producer: Bogdan Craciun - Libra Film, Co-producer: Konstantina Stavrianou - Graal S.A, Romania, Greece
VATER
Director: Anna Morozova, Scriptwriter: Anna Chernivtsi, Anna Morozova, Producer: Kyrylo Nechmonia - Mir&Co Production, Ukraine
Y
Directors/Scriptwriters: Alexandru Baciu, Maria Popistașu, Producer: Anamaria Antoci - Tangaj Production, Romania
Later on, the presentation of Agora Works in Progress kicked off, showcasing a selection of films from the countries of Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea regions, giving the opportunity to the filmmakers to present their film, just before its completion, to potential financiers, sales representatives, distributors and festival developers. Eight films participated in the Works in Progress section of the Agora from the following countries: North Macedonia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Kosovo*, Croatia, Lebanon, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.
Prior to the presentation of the films, many of them being part of Crossroads co-production in the past, Mr. Andreadakis, Artistic Director of the festival, was given the floor: "I was thinking about the main theme of this year, resulting from Theodoros Angelopoulos' first film, Reconstruction, and which is the very essence of cinema. So I am very glad that I will be able to see your own reality, as well as its representation by you”, then Hakim Mao of Initiative Film, took the floor and prefaced the teams that presented the corresponding projects and presented an 8-minute clip of them.
The films presented are:
MEDIUM (Working Title)
Director: Christina Ioakeimidi, Producers: Louizos Aslanidis, Yorgos Noussias - Ekso Productions, Co-producer: Veselka Kiryakova - Red Carpet Films, Greece, Bulgaria
Crossroads Co-production Forum participant 2020
POLYDROSO
Director: Alexandros Voulgaris, Producers: Nicholas Alavanos, Christina Stavropoulou - Filmiki Productions, Greece
THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN
Director: Zacharias Mavroeidis, Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti - Atalante Productions SA, Greece
Crossroads Co-production Forum participant 2020
I'M HERE, I'M FINE
Director: Emine Emel Balci, Producer: Dilek Aydin - Heimatlos Films, Co-producers: Derya Turkmen, Jens Meurer – Egoli & Tossell Pictures,Turkiye, Germany
Crossroads Co-production Forum participant 2020
OBSERVING
Director: Janez Burger, Producers: Miha Černec, Jozko Rutar, Nina Robnik - Staragara Production, Co-producers: Igor Prinčič -Transmedia Production, Robert Jazadziski - Kaval Film, Boris T. Matic - Propeler Film, Slovenia, Italy, North Macedonia, Croatia
SILENCE OF SIRENS
Director: Gazmend Nela, Producers: Arben Shala - Frame, Valon Bajgora, YllUka - Ikonë Studio, Britta Rindelaub, Thomas Reichlin - Alva Film, Co-producers: Tomi Salkovski - Skopje Film Studio, Paskal Semini - AlbaSky Film, Kosovo*, Switzerland
SWEET SORROW
Director: Kosta Djordjević, Producer: Milos Ivanović - Kinematografskakuća, Co-producer: Ivana Marinić-Kragić - Marinis Media, Serbia, Croatia, Crossroads Co-production Forum participant 2018
THE SEA AND ITS WAVES
Directors: Liana & Renaud, Producer: Mathieu Mullier-Griffiths - Kafard Films, France, Lebanon
Crossroads Co-production Forum participant 2013
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
