The Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Agora Crossroads Co-production Forum selected 14 film projects from 15 countries to run from Nov. 8-12. These projects from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean explore themes like human connection and folk stories. Agora also started a new award for post-production services to help these filmmakers.
Agora, the industry section of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, has selected 14 film projects from 15 countries for the Crossroads Co-production Forum, which runs from Nov. 8-12.
The projects come from across Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.
The jury consists of Ioanna Bolomyti, producer and founder of Atalante Productions (Greece), Fred Burle, producer at One Two Films (Germany), Linda Mutawi, producer at Fikra (Sweden) and Remi Burah, CEO of Arte France Cinéma (France).
Agora has introduced a new award, the Frenel Post Lab Post-production Award, including post-production image services to one awarded project participating in the forum.
The lineup of the Forum presents projects from established and emerging filmmakers such as Nikola Ležaić and Gemma Blasco. The selection highlights contemporary themes such as representation, manhood and human connection while also bringing forward contemporary takes on folk stories, vampires and the complex reality of growing up.
Selected projects:
A PAIR OF SHOES IN THE DARK CORNER OF THE MOON
Director: Ayman El Amir, Production: Nada Riyadh – Felucca Films, Egypt
THE ARAB OF YOUR DREAMS
Director: Patrick Tass, Production: Annabella Nezri – Kwassa Films, Belgium
Mediterranean Film Institute project
A TOUCH OF PARADISE
Director: Houcem Slouli, Production: Sarra Ben Hassen – Instinct Bleu, Khaled Henchiri – Upper Echlon, Tunisia
BOYS OF SUMMER
Director: Emilios Avraam, Production: Tonia Mishiali – Boycott Films Ltd, Co-production: Marinos Charalambous, Cyprus
FUORISTAGIONE
Director: Isabella Rinaldi, Production: Joana de Freitas Ginori – Ulalà Film & Co., Italy
IN THOSE DARKEST NIGHTS
Director: Gözde Kural, Producer: Titus Keunberg – Unafilm, Turkey, Germany
Sofia Meetings project
KOUKITSA
Director: Christina Koutsospyrou, Aran Hughes, Production: Jacob Moe – Archipelago Network, Greece
LAVA LOVE
Director: Steve Krikris, Production: Nicholas Alavanos, Stelios Mavrodontis – Filmiki, Greece
PETROLI
Director: Gemma Blasco, Production: Mireia Graell Vivancos – Ringo Media, Spain
RELIGION OF NIGHT WALKS
Director: Nikola Ležaić, Production: Siniša Juričić – Nukleus film, Co-production: Jelena Mitrovič – Baš Čelik, Croatia, Serbia
TETTIX
Director: Stella Serefoglou, Production: Alexandros Tiliopoulos – Open Borders Productions, Co-production: Zorana Musikic, May Odeh – Mayana Films, Greece, Germany
THE LAST ANGEL OF BEIRUT
Director: Valentin Noujaïm, Production: Manon Messiant – Iliade et films, France
THEY BLOOM AT DAWN
Director: Angela Dimeska, Production: Ognen Antov – Dream Factory, North Macedonia
Midpoint Institute project
THIS IS NOT A SET
Director: Yumna Marwan, Production: Rula Nasser – Imaginarium Films, Jordan
Focus sessions
Three shortlisted Greek projects from the forum will be invited to participate in the Focus sessions, giving them an opportunity for further networking and development of their projects.
The selected teams will have consultation meetings with experienced industry film professionals from Greece and abroad, such as Sergina Stavroulaki, acquisitions at Heretic (Greece), Thibaut Bracq, program manager at La Fabrique – Cannes (France) and former head of Agora, Angeliki Vergou – project development and script consultant (Greece), who will offer practical advice on how to best position their film within international co-production markets, while scouting for future partners and further developing their project.
The participating projects in the Focus sessions are:
BEAST
Director: Giannis Haritidis, Production: Connie Zikou – Blinding Lights Productions, Greece
GRACELAND
Director: Faidon Gkretsikos, Production: Marina Danezi – Laika Productions, Greece