As part of the Agora Talks of the 64th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, on Tuesday, November 7th, the presentation of the films participating in this year's Agora Works in Progress took place at the Tonia Marketaki Hall.
The event was introduced by Angeliki Vergou, Head of the Agora, who welcomed the producers and directors.Yorgos Krassakopoulos, head of the Festival's programme, then thanked the professionals for their presence in the Agora. “This is an amazing moment for us all. You are about to see the first clips of projects ready to hit film markets and festivals around the world, including ours. It may be Tuesday morning, but I urge you to imagine that you are not in a movie theatre, but at a night party at a bar by the sea, with people you don't know and you are about to have a drink. You start talking to a charming stranger next to you and suddenly you feel a spark. So I hope that you feel this same spark in a little while during the screening of the projects’ clips. Keep in mind that you might see a project that you'd gladly go on a date with or fall madly in love with. Be open to any possibility. Thank you very much, I hope you enjoy the event," she noted.
Haris Alexiou, iconic Greek singer and ambassador of the Agora, then took the floor and warmly encouraged the young professionals. "Good morning, my name is Haris Alexiou and I have been a performer for more than half a century. I am very happy to have after all these years an active role in art and to be next to young people, but also next to people I have influenced with my work. I accepted the invitation of the festival to be an ambassador of the Agora, fully aware of how important it is to be among people who are trying to create. I wish you luck and I want to urge you to be daring and have the conviction that you see yourself in what you have created. You don't have to be afraid, just keep fighting," Haris Alexiou said.
Angeliki Vergou then welcomed the young professionals from the Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy and briefly referred to the new initiative of the Launchpad, as well as the Agora Talks held every afternoon at the MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, while thanking the sponsors and partners of the Agora.
Thanos Stavropoulos, responsible for the coordination of the Agora, took the baton and presented the awards of AGORA Works in Progress as well as the jury consisting of Anna Germanidi, Director of Exhibition and Programming, Modern Films (UK), Rémi Bigot, Head of the Semaine de la Critique (France), Markéta Šantrochová, Head of the Czech Film Centre (Czech Republic).
This year, the Works in Progress section presents ten projects in the post-production stage also related to the wider Mediterranean region and South Eastern Europe. The projects bring to the light issues of modern reality and outline the human condition, demonstrating dazzling iconography, narrative prowess and creative cinematic language.
Agora Works in Progress - Awards:
It is noted that among the latest films first met at Agora Works in Progress, we find the films: The Sea and its Waves by Liana & Pachot (Cannes - ACID 2023), Have You Seen this Woman? by Dušan Zorić & Matija Gluščević (Venice - Critics' Week), Pelikan by Filip Heraković (Black Nights Tallinn), How is Katia? by Christina Tynkevych (Locarno - Creators of Today 2022 - Special Jury Award, Best Actress Award), Roc Bottom Rise by Fern Silva (Berlinale Encounters 2021 - Special Mention), Mother Lode by Matteo Tortone (Venice - Critics' Week 2021), Moon, 66 Questions by Jacqueline Lentzou (Berlinale Encounters 2021), Sweat by Magnus von Horn (Cannes - Cannes Label 2020).
The films of AGORA Works in Progress presented:
ΜΕΑΤ
Director/Scriptwriter: Dimitris Nakos, Producer: Thanos Anastopoulos - Fantasia Ltd, Co-producer: Foss Productions, Greece
LULA LEBLANC
Director/Scriptwriter: Stergios Paschos, Producers: Nicholas Alavanos - Filmiki Productions, Marni Films, Co-producers: Ready2Cast, Prosenghisi, Balthazar Films, Greece
MALDIVES
Director/Scriptwriter: Daniel Bolda, Producer: Nicholas Alavanos - Filmiki Productions
Co-producer: Daniel Bolda – Edelweiss, Greece
BEACHCOMBER
Director: Aristotelis Maragkos, Scriptwriters: Aristotelis Maragkos, Chrysoula Korovesi Producer: Konstantinos Koukoulis – ΠLANKTON, Greece
BONDS, ROOTS AND PASSIONS
Director: Sunay Terzioğlu, Scriptwriter: Ferit Karahan, Producer: Timur Harzadın - Denge Yapim ve Danışmanlık, Türkiye
CLEAR NIGHTS
Director/Scriptwriter: Paulo Filipe Monteiro, Producers: Pandora da Cunha Telles, Pablo Iraola - Ukbar Filmes, Portugal
GROWING DOWN
Director: Bálint Dániel Sós, Scriptwriters: Bálint Dániel Sós, Gergő Nagy V. Producer: Ádám Farkas – CineSuper, Hungary
HALISA
Director/Scriptwriter: Sophie Artus, Producers: Yochanan Kredo, Linor Lavi - July August Productions, Israel
HAPPY PEOPLE
Director: Filip Peruzović, Scriptwriters: Filip Peruzović, Nikolina Bogdanović, Producer: Tena Gojić - Dinaridi Film, Croatia
YOUTHFUL GRACE
Director/Scriptwriter: Yuval Shani, Producers: Efrat Cohen, Kobi Azran - Gaudeamus Productions, Co-producer: Dominique Welinski – DW, Israel, France
