Documentary Chapter Think Thank of The European Film Academy

A Think Tank of leading European documentary professionals took place within the framework of the Agora of the 28th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, aiming to shape the future of documentary representation within the European Film Academy.

The closed-door meeting brought together diverse voices from across Europe’s documentary landscape to help shape the vision and priorities of the European Film Academy’s Documentary Chapter, expected to launch in 2027.

Angeliki Vergou, Head of Agora, welcomed the participants of the Think Tank and warmly thanked them for their active involvement in the Festival’s programmes and activities. “Thank you for your time, your thoughts, your energy, and for your willingness to take part in this discussion,” she said, before inviting Elise Jalladeau, General Director of the Festival, to offer a brief greeting. “It is very important to see people from across the industry coming together for this new chapter for documentary, and for the European Film Academy, of which it is an essential part. Your active presence here is truly encouraging, and we are very curious to see what will come out of the discussions of this Think Tank. Thank you,” she said, addressing the participants.

Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Academy and moderator of the Think Tank, said: “This is actually my first time at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, I’ve mostly been here for the Film Festival in November. I’m very glad we’re able to come together for initiatives like today’s meeting, for a very simple reason: the European Film Academy is an academy of the industry itself, of the people who make European cinema. And of course, documentaries are very much part of that cinema. I believe the time has come to strengthen our sense of community and bring more energy into the field, so that we can do even better work and give greater visibility to documentary filmmaking and to the people behind it, not only directors, but also producers and everyone working across the industry. In the years ahead, the key is to build a solid foundation, stay connected, support what is already happening, and help it move forward. Thank you for your time.”

The Documentary Chapter Think Tank of the European Film Academy lasted two hours, during which participants exchanged ideas and proposals within a broader framework of constructive dialogue. The outcomes will be announced in a detailed report in the coming months.