62nd THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL||
4- 14/11/2021
62nd TIFF: The Thessaloniki Agora Awards
The 62nd TIFF’s Agora activities Crossroads Co-production Forum and Agora Works in Progress were successfully completed with the participation of more than 400 film professionals present in Thessaloniki and online on Monday, November 8, 2021. The Agora activities will continue until the end of the 62nd TIFF.
After the last edition, which was organized online, Agora and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival returned to the historic Warehouse C inside the Port of Thessaloniki and opened its doors to accredited guests for meetings and industry activities. 325 physical meetings were scheduled with the selected projects of Agora. The meetings will continue online November 10-12.
Elise Jalladeau, General Director of the Festival, prefaced the Agora Awards ceremony with a brief introduction, welcoming all attendees. “Welcome to the Agora Awards, bestowed in a ceremony with physical presence, after four consecutives times they were granted online. We are delighted to welcome you, not only because we have the chance of getting to know you in person, but also because the award recipients are here to join us. We thank you for being here with us today”.
Orestis Andreadakis, Artistic Director the Festival, took the stage and signaled the kick off of the award ceremony, by introducing the newly established Onassis Cinema Award. “We are very happy to meet you again. The first award of the night is bestowed by Onassis Foundation, which cherishes and supports Greek cinema and its artists, liberating the potential and the talent of both acclaimed and up-and-coming film producers, embracing at once the creative process, the research approach and their evolution as artists. As part of the longstanding and consistent collaboration with the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Onassis Culture hosts a new award, granted to a Greek project taking part in this year’s Agora Film Market. The 2021 Onassis Cinema Award goes to the film Bastards by Nikos Pastras, which was part of the Agora Works in Progress section. As pointed out by the Onassis Foundation, the movie was selected because it has a political touch to it, without making any direct reference to politics. It speaks of the truths of a younger generation that lives without a safety net, armed with the rigor of a fresh cinematic language. In addition, is keeps up pace with a lifelong principle found in the very core of the Onassis Foundation philosophy: the unconditional right to personal freedom. It’s a movie we’re looking forward at watching in the movie theaters”.
Crossroads Co-production Forum
The jury of the 17th Crossroads Co-production Forum, consisted of Virginie Devesa | CEO, Sales & Acquisitions, Alpha Violet - France, Alessandro Gropplero | Head of When East Meets West Co-production Forum, Trieste FF - Italy and Konstantinos Vassilaros | Producer, StudioBauhaus – Greece
Ι. The Jury grants the Two Thirty-Five co-production award (full post-production image and sound) to:
SHIBBOLETH
Director: Alexandra Matheou, Producer: Tonia Mishiali - Bark Like A Cat Films, Cyprus
“Although we cannot answer the filmmaker's dilemma whether remaining alive till the end of time would be a blessing or a curse, we want to live forever inside the exciting and magical cinematic world the director intends to create with Shibboleth.”
ΙΙ. The jury also grants the French CNC (CENTRE NATIONAL DU CINÉMA ET DE L’ IMAGE ANIMÉE) Development award of 8,000 euros
2000: A POST-WAR ODYSSEY
Director: Zgjim Terziqi, Producer: Valmira Hyseni - Plan Bee Films, Kosovo*
“For this generous heart opening story set in a transitional time for both the world and the filmmakers’ country, on how we can grasp beauty and laughter in the worst possible situation a child could be faced with.”
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
III. The jury grants the award by Finos Film aimed to support the local industry with a grant of 3,000 euro to:
PROMETHEUS
Director: Yiorgos Fourtounis, Producer: Eleni Kossyfidou - Blackbird Productions, Greece
“For the filmmaker’s ambitious politically-fueled story and visuals, which takes us to the past, to understand the present, and bring us perhaps to a better future.”
ΙV. The jury also decided to grant the PRODUCERS’ NETWORK accreditation for the Cannes Film Festival 2022 to the producer Tonia Mishiali – Bark Like A Cat Films, Cyprus
“To further help Shibboleth and it’s promising visionary filmmaker to bring her debut to the big screen.”
Initiative Film will provide six months of follow-up consultative services for its development strategy to the project: ΒΑΒΥ Director: Nikos Kyritsis, Producer: Maria Drandaki - Homemade Films, Greece
VΙ. The award THESSALONIKI EAVE Marketing
Workshop Scholarship selects Kamila Dohnalová – Last Films, Czech Republic from the project HEAD NURSE to participate in the 2022 Workshop.
Awards still to be given after the conclusion of the online activities and meetings are the MFI Script2Film Workshops Scholarship for the Script Development and the project selection from Sofia Meetings of the Sofia International Film Festival.
Agora Works in Progress
The Agora Works in Progress jury consisted of Dorota Lech | Lead Programmer, Discover Section, Toronto IFF – Canada, Nikos Smpiliris | Producer, Boo Productions - Greece, Simon Gabriele | Acquisitions & Sales, Indie Sales – France.
The Jury was impressed by the quality and diversity of the 8 projects submitted and the professional pitches; the decision-making was not an easy task.
VII. The jury grants the 119 Marvila Studios Image post-production services award το
PELICAN
Director: Filip Heraković, Producer: Tamara Babun, Matija Drniković - Wolfgang&Dolly LLC, Croatia
“We were unanimously impressed by the film's poetic, humorous, and effortless approach to contemporary and universal themes.”
VIII. The jury also grants 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.
SILENCE 6-9
Director: Christos Passalis, Producer: Maria Drandaki - Homemade Films, Greece
And the ERT Agora Works in Progress Award that offers 2.000 euro to a Greek project is also granted to:
SILENCE 6-9
Director: Christos Passalis, Producer: Maria Drandaki - Homemade Films, Greece
“We are charmed by this unique, bold, and surprising take on modern love and highly anticipating this feature debut by a promising team.”
Vicky Miha grants the ASTERISK* Marketing Award that offers services in Key Artwork, Press Kit Content and Social Media and grants this award to:
THREE JUMPS, ONE
Director: Rusudan Pirveli, Producer: Rusudan Pirveli - Caucasian FILMODROM, Co-Producer: Ranko Pauković – Editson, Georgia, Netherlands
“With the intention to support female filmmakers with strong voices, the award goes to Rusudan and her original project of THREE JUMPS, ONE. We believe she is an exciting filmmaker to watch from Georgia, a country with very interesting stories to tel, and we are to support her in this crucial moment of her career.”
A new Award was inaugurated this year to support the Greek industry. The Onassis Cinema Award with a cash prize of 10.000 euro. This award is taking into consideration all Greek projects selected for the Agora, either in Crossroads Co-production Forum or the Agora Works in Progress. The Onassis C grants the award to:
ΒΑSTARDS
Director: Nikos Pastras, Producer: Nicholas Alavanos - FILMIKI, Nikos Pastras, Greece, Out of Competition
TIFF62 Agora continues to present Awards after the online meetings!
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