AGORA (March 8-16), the industry section of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, in its ongoing commitment to strengthening the local and regional documentary filmmaking community, has introduced two new initiatives. These include the AGORA Lab, a bespoke workshop tailored for filmmakers based in Greece and a platform to showcase emerging talents from the broader region.
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. Continuously evolving, Agora Lab bestows two prestigious awards upon 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. Through these initiatives, Agora Lab aims to foster innovation and collaboration within the filmmaking community.
The counseling team consists of:
Konstantinos Aivaliotis, Producer, Festival Director - Ethnofest - Greece
Arkaitz Basterra | Member investor’s committee, Moby Dick Film Capital - Spain
Ieva Ūbele, Creative producer, Baltic Balkan Productions - Latvia
and guest speaker
Selin Murat, Markets Manager, IDFA - The Netherlands
Here’s the full lineup of the Agora Lab projects:
EXILE(S)
Director/Producer: Giorgos Iliopoulos, Co-producer: Sofia Exarchou, Greece
LITTLE PARADISE STREET
Director: Christos Adrianopoulos, Producers: Antigoni Kapaka, Vassiliki Patrouba - Alipnoos, Greece
MY DAUGHTER
Director: Smaro Papaevangelou, Producers: Mina Dreki, Iro Aidoni - Marni Films, Greece
THE STUFF WE ARE MADE OF
Director/Producer: Siamak Etemadi - Aegos Films, Greece
VOICES
Director: 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. The previous year's spotlight on up-and-coming filmmakers from Moldova garnered significant acclaim and enthusiasm from both industry professionals and audiences alike. This year, our focus shifts to the rising talents hailing from the Czech Republic, with generous 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 the following:
Jana Andert
Upcoming project: Shadows Of The Mountains
Marie-Magdalena Kochová
Upcoming project: The Other One
Anna Kryvenko
Upcoming project: This House is Undamaged
Pepa Lubojacki
Upcoming project: If Pigeons Turned to Gold
Viktor Portel
Upcoming project: Between Us
Τhe preparation for the presentation is overseen by Nadja Tennstedt, an expert in the field and the director of DOK Industry at DOK Leipzig, Germany.
