60th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL || 31/10-10/11/2019
The 60th TIFF Agora Awards
The ceremony for the 60th anniversary Thessaloniki International Film Festival Agora Awards took place on Friday, November 8, 2019, in Warehouse C, at the Thessaloniki Pier.
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival Agora, supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA, hosted fifteen projects in the 15th Crossroads Co-Production Forum, eleven films in the Agora Works in Progress, and more than 200 international titles in the Agora Film Market, while matchmaking services were provided for Greek films.
Introducing the event, this year’s Ambassador to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, stated that it was through the Agora that the journey for three Greek films took its course, participating in the International Competition Section of the Festival: Cosmic Candy, by Rinio Dragasaki, Defunct, by Zacharias Mavroidis, and Zizotek, by Vardis Marinakis. The following films also participated in the program: Papicha, Noah Land, The Father, Not to be Unpleasant but we need to have a serious talk, Open Door, Oroslan, Persephone, Sister and Winona. Having stated that during these four days he followed closely the workings of the Agora, and met with several interesting individuals, he announced for the Crossroads Co-production Forum and the Agora Works in Progress awards.
Head of Agora, Yianna Sarri, said: “It’s been a very fruitful week, full of meetings, screenings, and hopefully new collaborations” and thanked the sponsors, colleagues and volunteers.
Before the ceremony, Ms. Angeliki Vergou, Head of the Crossroads Co-production Forum, took the stage and thanked all the participants who trusted their projects to the Agora, but also all the professionals who chose yet for another year Thessaloniki to discover new talents, she mentioned specifically Marie-Pierre Macia for inspiring people and for her wisdom, drive, and love of cinema.
Finally, the General Director of the Festival, Ms. Elise Jalladeau, warmly thanked new and previous sponsors, for without them nothing would be feasible, while the Artistic Director of the Festival, Mr. Orestis Andreadakis, urged the audience to “come and meet the future in Thessaloniki!”
The jury of the 15th Crossroads Co-production Forum, consisted of Rita Dagher, producer – Senorita Film, France, Mira Staleva, Head of Sofia Meetings, Bulgaria, and Peter Rommel, producer – Rommel Film, Germany.
Grants the 2ǀ35 co-production award (full post-production image and sound) to:
THE LAND BEYOND, directed by: Nadine Salib, Produced by: Hala Lotfy – Hassala, Egypt.
The jury also grants the French CNC (CENTRE NATIONAL DU CINEMA ET DE L’ IMAGE ANIMÉE) Development award of 8,000 euro goes to the film project:
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO KIMON, directed by: Neritan Zinxhiria produced by: Vassilis Chrysanthopoulos – PLAYS2PLACE, Greece.
III. The jury also decided to grant the PRODUCERS’ NETWORK accreditation for the Cannes Film Festival 2020 to the producer Amanda Livanou – Neda Film, Greece from the project ACRYLIC.
ΙV. Two Special Mentions go to the film projects:
- IRIS directed by: Myrsini Aristidou, produced by Monica Nicolaidou - Filmblades, Nathalie Dennes – The Living, Co-production: 1.61 Films, Road Movies, Graal, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece and
- LEYLA directed by: Erol Mintas, produced by: Etienne de Ricaud – Caractères Productions, Co-production: Erol Mintas - Mintas Films France, Turkey
- The SCRIPT 2 FILM WORKSHOP of the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI) awards a full scholarship to the film project OCÉANE, directed by: Eva Pervolovici, produced by: Tudor Giurgiu, Matei Truta–Libra Films, Romania
- The consulting company in film development Initiative Film represented by Isabelle Fauvel will offer its services this year to two Greek projects.
Initiative Film will provide six months follow-up to the project: THIRD KIND, directed by: Yorgos Zois, produced by: Stelios Cotionis, Veta Chatziioannou and Antigoni Rota – FOSS Production, Greece.
Initiative Film will also provide one consultancy session to the project: ACRYLIC directed by: Nikos Pastras, produced by: Andreas Kritikos Zoupanos – Faliro House, Co-produced by: Amanda Livanou – Neda Film, Greece.
VΙII. The award THESSALONIKI EAVE Marketing
Workshop Scholarship selects Vicky Antonopoulou - StudioBauhaus from Greece to participate in the 2020 Workshop.
The AGORA WORKS IN PROGRESS jury consisted of Karin Schockweiler, Eurimages Representative, Luxembourg, Virginie Devesa, Alpha Violet – Sales Agent France, Daniela Persico, Locarno FF – Programmer, Switzerland and Steve Krikris, Film Director / Producer / Screenwriter, Greece.
The Jury was impressed by the quality and diversity of the 11 projects submitted and the professional pitches, the decision making was not an easy task.
- The jury grants the GRAAL post-production award with in kind services in image post-production “For the originality to see Mothers in a different way and to treat Mothers as Women with hidden desires, we give the award to:”
METAMORPHOSES, directed by: Dušan Zorić, Matija Gluščević, produced by: Čarna Vučinić, Dragana Jovović – Non-Aligned Films, co-produced by: Ankica Jurić-Tilić –Kinorama, Serbia, Croatia.
- The ΕURIMAGES Lab Project Award offers €50,000 to an unconventional film of the Agora Works in Progress. The jury said: “For its impressive visual approach and for how Matteo treated the search of gold in putting it in relation with the Devil. Shot in 3500m in Lima, protected all the time by security, he succeeds to create an intimate and powerful atmosphere”.
The jury grants the award to:
MOTHER LODE directed by: Matteo Tortone, produced by: Alexis Taillant, Nadège Labé (Wendigo Films), co-produced by: Benjamin Poumey (C-Side Productions), Margot Mecca (Malfé Film) France, Switzerland, Italy.
- The MuSou AWARD provides composition and production for an original film score, music supervision and assistance in licensing of commercial music for use in the film, as well as audio post production services.
The award goes to “an innovative experimental film for an urgent timely subject like the toxic disaster of Fukushima”.
THE VOYAGE OUT, directed by: Ana Vaz, produced by: Olivier Marboeuf - Spectre Productions, co-produced by: Anze Persin - Stenar Projects, France, Portugal.
The event drew to its conclusion with a big and warm applause for all involved; a party followed in Warehouse C.
