In a warm ambience, the curtain of the industry activity of the “Agora/Market” section -“Balkan Fund”, “Crossroads”, “Works in Progress”, “Film Market” and “Salonica Studio/Four Corners”- went up on Saturday, December 4th. The “Agora/Market” is a section whose activities attract an international professionals’ network and provide the place, as well as the suitable conditions, for business meetings, talks and agreements, in a informal and friendly, yet professional, atmosphere.
The opening of the activities of the 8th “Balkan Fund” (Script Development Fund), of the 6th “Crossroads Co-production Forum”, as well as of the “Works in Progress” and “Film Market” sections, took place in Electra Palace Hotel. Thessaloniki Film Festival Director, Mr. Eipides, welcomed the participants in the “Agora/Market” section. “I am glad to see you smile, it is necessary. Good luck in everything you do, from the start till the end of this journey and don’t forget to send us your films for our next journey”. The head of the 6th “Crossroads Co-production Forum”, Ms. Marie Pierre-Macia took also the time to thank Mr. Eipides for his support by saying that: “We thank you for keeping this institution alive, in spite of the difficult circumstances”. Thessaloniki Film Festival is my favorite festival and it is a miracle that it is held every year”.
The opening of “Salonica Studio/Four Corners”, the successful educational initiative taken by Thessaloniki Film Festival and held for the fourth consecutive year in collaboration with the Thessaloniki School of Film Studies of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, took place in the event hall of the AKMI Institute for Vocational Training, in the presence of Thessaloniki Film Festival Director, Mr. Eipides, who sent the following message to the participants: “We are very happy to see you here. We hope you have a fruitful stay in our city and you return with many good films in your luggage. Feel at home, enjoy the Festival and see a lot of movies”. It was the turn Mr. Cristian Ruz, Head of Studies of the Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia, to speak and thank Mr. Eipides by saying that: “This important Festival deserves our applause. We enjoy our stay in Thessaloniki, your warm hospitality and we intend to see a lot of movies”.
It should pointed out that this year the “Balkan Fund” section, which has made several worthwhile cinematic projects known in the previous years , consists of 10 screenplay projects from 7 different countries that will be competing during a three-day workshop for the prize granted to this specific section.
The 6th “Crossroads Co-production Forum”, which hosts this year 15 cinematic projects, is supported by the Programme MEDIA of the European Union and has engaged in collaboration with the “Producer’s Network » of the Cannes Film Festival, with the « Sofia Meetings » of the Sofia Film Festival, with the «Script 2 Film » Workshop of the Mediterranean Film Institute, as well as with Kodak Cinelabs Greece, which will support this year the production of the awarded cinematic project with material equipment and services worth up to 10,000 Euros.
11 films from Balkan and Mediterranean countries participate in the “Works in Progress” section. Graal Company, as well as Kodak Cinelabs Greece, will award to one of the films of this section material equipment and services worth up to 70,000 Euros.
Finally, the “Salonica Studio”, which has attracted Film School students from European, Balkan and Mediterranean countries, will last until December 7th .
