AGORA (Nov 3-11), the industry section of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, has selected for the Crossroads Co-Production Forum 15 projects from 14 countries from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.
AGORA is supported by the Creative Europe-MEDIA programme and offers a variety of networking and co-production opportunities for the global film industry. As an international meeting and networking event, AGORA operates in a hybrid format and offers a variety of industry activities, which focus on the countries of the wider Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.
In 2023 we introduce a new collaborative bridge between the South and the North by hosting each year a different guest country from the Baltic and Scandinavian region. Bridge to the North is exploring new opportunities in financing and artistic collaborations and is creating fertile ground for co-productions, synergies and cultural exchange.
We are happy to announce that the first country to participate in Bridge to the North is Lithuania. In partnership with the Lithuanian Film Centre, a Lithuanian delegation of producers, directors, distributors and film programmers will be attending all AGORA activities and be also participating with their own projects and talents giving us the opportunity to diversify the project selection further and allowing us to open to new stories and genres coming from a completely different territory.
The 19th edition of Crossroads Co-production Forum (Nov 5-9) will be taking place mainly on site with additional online networking opportunities. The participants are taking part in a preparatory online and onsite workshop for their overall best possible presentation to the industry, mentored by Amanda Livanou (Neda Film).
This year’s selection lineup brings us 15 diverse projects, from 14 countries in various stages of development from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region including one project from Guest Country, Lithuania.
The 2023 selection features debut and sophomore feature films as well as more experienced directors presenting their third and even fifth film projects. A common theme among the projects is nature, love, war, female emancipation and ghosts presenting several genre films or genre elements. The selection also features 10 female directors of different ethnic backgrounds.
AGORA and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are taking steps towards a more ecological sustainable film event and are supporting green initiatives in the film industry. It is with great pleasure that we introduce the new Greener Screen Consultancy Award granted by Greener Screen, offering 7,000-euro services for the elaboration of a tailored green production best practices plan for the project, virtual training for the eco-manager on this plan, continuous support for the eco-manager during prep-stage and production and optional “Greener Script” consultancy sessions for the writer, director and the creative producer.
The Crossroads Co-production Forum Awards, also, include:
The jury is composed of:
Bassam Alasad, producer, Creative Media Solutions - Jordan, Britta Rindelaub, producer, Alva Film - Switzerland, Lina Yannopoulou, producer, Argonauts Productions - Greece and Rémi Burah, CEO, Arte France Cinéma - France.
Selected Crossroads Co-production Forum projects 2023:
40 MARIA LUISA BOULEVARD – In collaboration with Sofia Meetings
Director / Scriptwriter: Kristina Spassovska, Production: Maya Vitkova-Kosev - Viktoria Films, Bulgaria
AND ME TOO - In collaboration with Mediterranean Film Institute
Director / Scriptwriter: Sondos Shabayek, Production: Kesmat Elsayed - SEERA FILMS Gmbh / See Media Production, Germany, Egypt
BLACK WATER
Director / Scriptwriter: Isabella Margara, Production: Kyriaki Virou - AbFab Productions, Greece
FRIENDS, BIRTHDAYS, MURDER, ETC
Directors / Scriptwriters: Lida Vartzioti, Dimitris Tsakaleas, Production: Ioanna Bolomyti - Atalante Productions SA, Greece
GOD BREAK DOWN THE DOOR - In collaboration with MIDPOINT Institute
Director / Scriptwriter: Vojtěch Novotný, Producer: Tomáš Pertold - Perfilm, Czech Republic
THE GRAND INQUISITOR
Director / Scriptwriter: Marat Sargsyan, Producer: Klementina Remeikaite - afterschool production, Lithuania
I MATTER
Director / Scriptwriter: Alina Serban, Producer: Ada Solomon - microFILM, Romania
LADY SUNSHINE
Director: Anna Korom, Scriptwriters: Anna Korom, András Soós, Producer: Anna Szijártó - Kinomoto Kft., Hungary
PETROL STATION
Director / Scriptwriter: Yuliia Hontaruk, Producer: Elena Saulich - BABYLON13, Ukraine
SINGING HORSES
Director: Luka Papić, Scriptwriters: Luka Papić, Vladimir Vulević, Producer: Srđa Vučo - Ranč production, Co-producer: Julia Cöllen - Fünferfilm, Serbia, Germany
SO THE LOVERS COULD COME OUT AGAIN
Director / Scriptwriter: George Peter Barbari, Producer: Christelle Younes - Bee On Set Productions, Lebanon
STRINGA
Directors / Scriptwriters: Maria Hatzakou, Alexandra Matheou, Producer: Maria Hatzakou - Merricat Film, Greece
SYDNEY SMILE FUTURE PERFECT
Director: Gregoris Rentis, Scriptwriters: Gregoris Rentis, Nikolas Kouloglou, Pauline Wolff, Producers: Myrto Stathi, Mando Stathi - Byrd, Greece
TETHYS OCEAN
Director / Scriptwriter: Anna Jadowska, Producer: Maria Blicharska - Blick Productions, Co-producer: Damien Mc Donald - Blick Productions International, Poland, France
YIANNIS
Director: Kyros Papavassiliou, Scriptwriters: Yiannis Gaitanides, Kyros Papavassiliou, Producers: Kyros Papavassiliou, Maria Varnakkidou - dryTree films, Co-producer: Konstantina Stavrianou - Graal, Cyprus, Greece
Recent Crossroads Co-production Forum alumni projects include: BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY - Switzerland, Germany, Georgia (Cannes FF - Quinzaine des Cinéastes 2023), INSHALLAH A BOY - France, Jordan, KSA, Qatar (Cannes FF - Semaine de la Critique 2023), THE SEA AND ITS WAVES - France, Lebanon (Cannes FF - ACID Cannes 2023), 20.000 SPECIES OF BEES - Spain (73rd Berlinale International Competition 2023 - Silver Berlin Bear/Best Leading Performance), NIGHTSIREN - Slovakia, Czech Republic (Locarno FF - Cineasti del Presente 2022 - Golden Leopard), HOW IS KATIA? - Ukraine (Locarno FF, Cineasti del Presente 2022 - Special Jury Prize, Best Actress), THE LAND WITHIN - Switzerland, Kosovo, France (Black Nights Tallinn -Best Film - Best First Feature) LUZZU - Malta, USA (Sundance - World Cinema Dramatic Competition 2021 - Best Actor), ZUHAL - Turkey (Black Nights Tallinn - International Competition 2021), 200 METERS - Palestine, Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Jordan (Venice Days 2020 - People’s Choice Award), GHOSTS - Turkey, France, Qatar (Venice FF International Film Critics Week - Grand Prize).
