Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s
Agora Industry (November 5-12, 2016), supported by
Creative Europe-MEDIA, is an industry event offering various networking opportunities for the global film industry in an informal, welcoming and professional atmosphere. As an international meeting and trading event,
Agora Industry runs parallel to the
Thessaloniki International Film Festival and offers to its visiting industry professionals a variety of industry activities which focus on the countries of Central Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean:
• The Agora Film Market with a Digital Video Library (November 5-12)
• The Crossroads Co-Production Forum (November 8-12)
• The Agora Works in Progress - Screening of films in post-production (November 10)
Moreover, this year, the Agora Industry organizes a series of additional activities which contribute further in reinforcing its role and potential in the international festival circuit:
Eurimages’ Lab Project Award at Agora Industry Works in Progress
TIFF is among the four festivals selected by
Eurimages to host its
Lab Project Award for unconventional projects. The award amounts up to
€50,000 for a film project which participates in the
TIFF’s Agora Industry Work in Progress section and it will be bestowed for the first time during the
57th TIFF.
The Lab Project Award is the highest one among the
Eurimages awards given to films in development. Through the
Lab Project Award,
Eurimages is investing in new forms of cinematographic expression and actively participating in the renewal of European cinema.
The Locarno Industry Academy International in Thessaloniki: November 7-11, 2016
The
Thessaloniki International Film Festival in collaboration with the
Festival del Film Locarno launches the
Locarno Industry Academy International in the South Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. The first pilot edition of this project will take place in Thessaloniki from
November 7-11 2016, during the
57th TIFF’s Agora Industry. The
Locarno Industry Academy is a training program created to help young professionals of the cinema industry –sales agents, distributors and new media professionals- to extend their experience and networking in the fields of international sales, marketing, distribution and programming.
This year’s participants are Meriame Deghedi (Egypt),
Theodore Karamanolis (Greece), Katja Lenarčič (Slovenia), Badih Massaad (Lebanon), Neda Milanova (Bulgaria), Rea Rajčić (Croatia).
Virtual Reality @ Thessaloniki - Michel Reilhac masterclass: November 12, 2016
Virtual Reality technology will be presented for the first time in Greece and the Mediterranean, in the framework of a special masterclass presented by VR specialist Michel Reilhac, who will familiarize TIFF’s audience with this newest technology in cinema.
“South by Southeast” – A meeting platform for new collaborations: November 8, 2016
Representatives from the South and
South East Europe Film Centres will meet at the
57th TIFF, in a special event that will mark the launch of “South by Southeast”, a platform through which they will seek to create common ground for collaborations and discuss about coproduction and distribution issues. The event is organized by the
Greek Film Center, the
Creative Europe MEDIA DESK and
SEE Cinema Network.
Agora Training Day co-organised with CED Media Greece: November 8, 2016
The
Agora Industry provides valuable tools to the professionals of the film industry, as well as the environment to develop fruitful collaborations and creative projects. The
Agora Training Day event encourages even more the above goals by addressing to all young film directors and producers who will attend the
57th TIFF. They will have the opportunity to meet with well-established professionals who will share with them their knowledge and experiences.
The Agora Film Market promotes the majority of the films included in the Festival’s official program selection. In addition, this year more titles from the countries that the Agora Industry focuses on will be also presented, even though they are not part of the Festival’s main program. Moreover, the Agora Film Market includes the previews films of the Crossroads participants and a selection of Greek films produced within the last year. This year the Digital Video Library of the Agora Film Market includes 229 films from all over the world, available for viewing by the professionals who participate in the Agora Industry (producers, distributors, broadcasters, sales agents and consultants), as well as the Greek and international press representatives.
Crossroads, the
Co-Production Forum headed by
Marie-Pierre Macia, has selected
14 projects this year, based on the quality of the script, the creative team and the likelihood of it being produced. All selected projects are either produced or co-produced by a country in South-eastern and Central Europe or the Mediterranean area, or contain story elements linked to these regions. The selected projects come from the following countries:
Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Israel, Lebanon, Switzerland and Turkey.
The producers of these 14 projects will be introduced to a variety of industry professionals from all over the world. The program is varied and provides opportunities to meet other producers, distributors, broadcasters, sales agents and consultants. Crossroads’ goal is to support the producers of feature-length film projects that are linked to the Mediterranean and Balkan regions in finding the right partners to finance and accomplish their projects.
The Crossroads Awards are:
•
The Greek post-production house
Two Thirty Five (2|35 Inc) offers the main prize of a co-production award (image and sound) to the winning project.
•
Initiative Film, the script-development consultancy firm in France, offers its services to one of the Greek projects.
•
CINEMED will include at least one Greek project in the Development Grant selection according to its state of development and follow the films from Crossroads and Works in Progress in regards to its program selection.
•
The Greek music company
Musou offers the music & sound award (composition and production of an original film score, music supervision, licensing of commercial music for use in the film and audio post-production services).
The 2016 Crossroads jury consists of:
Didar Domehri, producer - Full House & Maneki Films, France
This year’s 14 projects are:
All This Victory by Ahmad Ghossein, Production: Georges Schoucair, Myriam Sassine, Abbout Production, Alice Ormières, Surprise Alley, Lebanon, France
The Bridge by Hala Lofty, Producer: Hala Lofty, Production: Hassala, Mohamed Samir, DayDream Art Production, Egypt
Dajna by Christos Netsos, Production: Ermir Keta, Anima Pictures, Albania
Dormitory by Nehir Tuna, Production: Suzan Güverte, Güverte Film Co-production: Dijital Sanatlar, Turkey
The Father by
Kristina Grozeva & Petar Valchanov, Producers: Kristina Grozeva & Petar Valchanov, ABRAXAS FILMS, Co-producers: Konstantina Stavrianou, Irini Vougioukalou, GRAAL, Flaminio Zadra, Alberto Fanni, DORJE FILM, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy - In collaboration with Sofia Meetings
Figuras by Azra Deniz Okyay, Producer: Azra Deniz Okyay, Production: Selin Karli, Figuras Productions, Turkey
A Kingdom (working title)by Emilie Aussel, Producer: Thomas Ordonneau, Shellac Sud, France - In collaboration with CINEMED
Lost In Paradise by Fiona Ziegler, Production: Kristýna Květová, Cinémotif Films, Co-producer: Aline Schmid, Beauvoir Films, Czech Republic, Switzerland - In collaboration with the MFI Script2Film Workshop
The Nobleman by Bazi Gete, Production: Thomas Alfandari, Bustan Films, Co-producer: Dominique Welinski, DW Films, Israel, France
The Agora Works in Progress are closed sessions for Thessaloniki’s invited industry professionals, presented to sales agents, distributors, producers and festival representatives. This year 13 films have been selected from Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Israel, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia and Spain.
Graal S.A. will provide the winning film of the Works in Progress section with a co-production award of post–production services.
The 2016 Agora Works in Progress Jury consists of:
Rachel Schmid, Eurimages representative, Switzerland
Giorgio Gosetti, Artistic Director Venice Days, Venice Film Festival, Italy
Alex Christoyiannis, Cinema & Thematic Channel Deputy Director at OTE TV, Greece
This year’s 13 films are:
Apple of my Eye by Yaron Shani, Producer: Michael Reuter - The Post Republic, Saar Yogev, Naomi Levari - Black Sheep Films, Germany, Israel
Extinction by Salomé Lamas, Producer: Luís Urbano - O Som e a Fúria, Michel Balagué – Mengamuk Films, Portugal, Germany
Genie FILM by Florence Pezon, Producer: Damien Monnier - l’ Image d’Après, Jérôme Laffont /Joachim Thôme- Les Productions du verger, Davy Chou – Vycky Film, France, Belgium
Giants Don’t Exist by Chema Rodriguez, Producer: Chema Rodriguez, Producciones Sin Un Duro, Co-producer: Jerome Vidal - Noodles Production, Spain, Guatemala, France
Occidental by Neil Beloufa, Producer: Neil Beloufa, Jacques Dodard - Bad Manners, France
A Promise of Cinema by Filipa César, Producer: Olivier Marboeuf - Spectre Productions, Maria João Mayer – FilmesDoTejo, France, Portugal
For more information please contact: agora@filmfestival.gr