Kick-off for the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum and the Agora Docs in Progress

Kick-off for the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum and the Agora Docs in Progress

More innovative than ever, the Agora Docs of the 23^rd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, the most important film market in Southeast Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, returns for another dynamic edition. On Monday June 28^th, the opening of Thessaloniki Pitching Forum and Agora Docs in Progress took place.

Thessaloniki Pitching Forum is the co-producing and co-financing platform of the TDF for creative and TV documentaries, as well as for new media documentaries (virtual and enhanced reality). The participants have the opportunity to discuss their projects, to receive feedback and advice during a two-day online lab and prepare for pitching with the help of documentary professionals. They present their projects during the one-day Pitching Forum to an international panel of experts and have one-on-one meetings with top film professionals.

Ove Rishøj Jensen, documentary consultant, Paraddidle Pictures, welcomed the participants from the Port of Thessaloniki. “I address a warm welcome to you all here from the beautiful port of the city, where we are going to present all projects”. Elise Jalladeau the General Director of the Festival spoke up, in the Pitching forum room, stationed at the Nursery School: “We welcome, at last, here in Thessaloniki, our online guests, our guests present in this room, groups in the Pitching Forum and we hope that these meetings are going to be fruitful as well as useful for them”, she said. Yianna Sarri, head of Agora, also saluted the participants: “It’s great to be back in Thessaloniki, among these people who managed to be here too. Good luck with your pitching and meetings and we’ll be here for you all the time”. Mr. Jensen thanked the Festival’s team and he added: “It’s a great pleasure being here with you and cooperating with you. I have to give many thanks to all collaborators and sponsors. We wouldn’t have been able to carry out this great event without their contribution.”

Members of the jury, also, took the baton: Selin Murat, documentary consultant, DAE, France said: “I am excited to see everyone and be here in Thessaloniki”. Titus Kreyenberg, filmmaker, Una Film, Germany, went on to add: “I look forward to your projects, as well as to visit the open-air movie theaters of the city. Have fun and good luck to all”. Madeleine Robert, head of industry, Visions du Réel, Switzerland, mentioned: “I am very glad to be a member of the Pitching Forum jury. Unfortunately, I cannot be with you all in Thessaloniki, though I am going to watch all presentations. I would like to thank the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival team and I wish you all a great pitching”. Finally, Ove Rishøj Jensen, stated that the Pitching Forum and Agora of the Festival were the first to adapt to new pandemic conditions by carrying out last year’s events online in no more than 2-3 days, whereas, this year, they were once again the first to adapt to new conditions by setting up a hybrid program.

The awards granted by the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum are the following: The Thessaloniki Pitching Forum Award (2,000 euros), the ERT – Thessaloniki Pitching Forum Award (2,000 euros) to a Greek project, the Mediterranean Film Institute Award (MFI Script2Film Workshop), that offers a DocLab scholarship of 2,500 euros, as well as accommodation in Nisyros and Rhodes islands where the MFI takes place). Further awards are: the DAE - Documentary Association of Europe Award (Consultation and free membership), the Aylon Productions Digital Services Award (Digitization by Aylon Productions) and the Beldocs Award (Accommodation and Accreditation for the next International Documentary Festival Beldocs in September 2021).

The international jury of the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum consists of:

Selin Murat, documentary consultant, DAE, France
Titus Kreyenberg, producer, Una Film, Germany
Madeleine Robert, head of industry, Visions du Réel, Switzerland

The tutors of the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum are:

Mila Turajlić, director & producer, Dribbling Pictures, Serbia

Robert Bahar, director, Semilla Verde Productions, USA
Ove Rishøj Jensen, consultant, Paradiddle Pictures, Denmark
Paula Alvarez Vaccaro, producer & writer, Pinball London, UK

The projects are:

CADILLAC DREAMS
Director: Elene Mikaberidze, Producer: Elene Margvelashvili – Parachute Films, Co-producer: Baptiste Brunner – YN Productions, Georgia | France

CONCRETE LAND
Director: Asmahan Bkerat, Producer: Sahar Yousefi - Nava Projects, Co-producer: Bassam Alasad – Tabi360, Canada | Jordan

DEPOT-VENTE

Director: Cherine Karam, Producers: Ashley Smith, Clara Harris, Mario Adamson – Sisyfos Film Production, Sweden | Scotland

FIVE FOOTBALL DREAMS (doc series)
Directors: Bassel Ghandour, Yassmina Karajah, Producer: Hashem Sabbagh - Football Dreams Holding, Jordan
FORBIDDEN
Director - Producer: Anelise Salan - The L Studio, Romania
FREE WATERS
Director: Emilia Milou, Producer: Angelos Tsaousis - Filmografik Productions, Greece
HOME IS WHERE THE FILMS ARE
Director: More Raça, Producer: Sunaj Raça - N.SH. Arena, Co-producer: Alfredo Federico, Kosovo | Italy
POISON DIPLOMACY (doc series)
Director: Jennifer Deschamps, Producer: Valérie Montmartin - LITTLE BIG STORY, France
POST LOVE
Director: Alexis Taillant, Producer: Nadège Labé - Wendigo Films, France
PRACTICES IN HARMONY

Director: Anna Kis, Producer: Lili Horvat, Dóra Csernátony - Poste Restante, Hungary

SECOND GENERATION
Directors - Producers: Rodrigo Hernandez, Elpida Nikou - Muzungu Producciones, Co-producers: Kellen Quinn (USA), Poh Si Teng (Consulting producer - USA), Spain | Greece
SECRETS OF THE OWL
Director: Eirini Vourloumis, Producers: Leonidas Liambeys - Long Run Productions, Eirini Vourloumis, Greece
THE RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN
Director: Adina Sădeanu, Producers: Αna Maria Pirvan (Executive Producer), Adina Sădeanu - Axis Media Production, Co-producers: Hanka Kastelicová - HBO Europe, Iva Tkalec, Val Grégoire - Squarefish, Romania | Belgium

WAITING FOR THE SCHOOL BUS

Director: Hanna Heilborn, Producers: Elin Kamlert, Tobias Janson (Executive producer) - Story AB, Sweden

Monday evening was also the opening of the Documentary Agora Docs in Progress of the 23rd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. It comprises 10 movies from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean, presented to film makers, sales agents, distribution companies and Festival representatives.

Ove Rishøj Jensen welcomed all participants: “I am glad you are all here with us. We have 10 projects of films makers originated from the Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean. They have come here to present their documentaries in their final form before completion”. Orestis Andreadakis, artistic director of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, continued: “Welcome to the hybrid Docs in Progress. This year they are all hybrid, even the weather. I thank you for your participation and I wish you all good luck”. Yianna Sarri, head of Agora, said: “Many thanks for the 10 projects participation and special thanks to all people who came here in Thessaloniki, as well as to all online viewers. I wish you all good meetings”.

Mr Jensen thanked all sponsors and people who supported this event and gave the floor to the jury. Christina Liapi, sales agents, Heretic Outreach, Greece, explained: “Many thanks to Festival people who invited me. I am very enthusiastic to be here to discover all these projects”. Devin Karambelas, buyer, WGBH/PBS, USA, said: “I know that many of you have been working on your projects for a long time, maybe for years and it is a great honor for me to learn more about these projects. I am Greek-American citizen and I have never been to Greece, so this is my first time in Greece. So, there are so many reasons to be so enthusiastic”. Silvia De Felice, responsible for the Art Night show, Rai Cultura, Italy, mentioned: “It’s feels so bad not to be there with you. I think that people are more than ever in need of this kind of events. I wish to thank everyone at the Festival for inviting me. Being a member of the jury, is a great responsibility for me. Good luck to all and I hope I am going to meet you next year in Thessaloniki”.

The Agora Docs presents the Agora Docs in Progress: 10 projects from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region participate in closed sessions exclusively for Thessaloniki’s invited industry professionals, sales agents, distributors, producers and festival programmers.

The 2|35 post-production company offers the main DiP award (post-production services). The MuSou company offers an award for music and sound services and the Greek Film Centre offers an award of 3,000 euros in cash. Finally, Neaniko Plano will present an award for Subtitling in English or French.

The international Agora Docs in Progress jury consists of:
Devin Karambelas, buyer, WGBH/PBS, USA
Christina Liapi, sales agent, Heretic Outreach, Greece
Silvia De Felice, Head of Art Night, Rai Cultura - Italy

The Pitching Training will be supervised by documentary consultant and programmer Anna Glogowski.

The films are:

AVATON
Director: Irini Karayannopoulou, Co-director: Sandrine Cheyrol., Producer: Mathilde Delaunay – Barberousse Films, France
BEFORE THE FINAL PICTURE
Director - Producer: Aya Tallah Yusuf, Egypt

BOTTLEMEN
Director: Nemanja Vojinović, Producer: Marija Stojnić, Nemanja Vojinović – RT DOBRE NADE, Co-producers: Viva Videnović – URGH!, Set Sail Films, Serbia | Slovenia

Presented as a project in development at Docs in Thessaloniki 2018

BUKRA
Director: Diana Antunes, Producer: Maria João Mayer, Marina Reino (associate producer) - Maria & Mayer, Portugal

DREAM FACTORY
Director: Hesam Eslami, Producer: Etienne de Ricaud – Caracteres Productions, Hesam Eslami – Aras Films, Iran | France

JEAN GENET OUR FATHER OF THE FLOWERS
Director: Dalila Ennadre, Producer: Lamia Chraibi – La Prod, Co-producer: Lilya Ennadre – Laya Prod, Morocco | France

MIGHTY AFRIN
Director: Angelos Rallis, Producers: Maria del Mar Rodriguez Yebra, Angelos Rallis – AR Productions, Co-Producer: Birgit Kemner – Manny Films, ERT, ZDF/ARTE, Greece |France | Germany

Presented as a project in development at Thessaloniki Pitching Forum 2020

NARROW PATH TO HAPPINESS
Director: Kata Oláh, Producer: Borbála Csukás – MAKABOR STUDIÓ Kft, Co-producer: Marc Smolowitz – 13th Gen, Hungary | USA