25th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL // 2-12/3/2023
The awards of the 25th TiDF
The 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival is calling it a wrap tonight, Sunday March 12th, under the gloomy shadow of the tragic Tempi accident. Over the last ten days, the documentaries offered us shelter and gave us a note of hope amidst this unspeakable sorrow. As a sign of respect, the Festival calls off the closing ceremony following the decision to cancel both the opening ceremony and all festival events. We thank the filmmakers for entrusting us with their works, our juries for embracing the films and the audience for staying true to the Festival.
The film Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh won International Competition Golden Alexander securing its place in the selection shortlist for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.
In these difficult moments we experience, wishing to provide the audience with the chance to discover Greek films that touch upon issues and concerns shared by all of us, we extend the time window for the online screenings of the films taking part in the sections Platform and From screen to Screen (online.filmfestival.gr).
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AWARDS
The International Competition section includes 12 films with a duration of over 70 minutes. The recipient of the Golden Alexander secures its spot in the pre-selection shortlist for the Best Documentary Academy Award.
The International Competition Jury of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival is composed of:
Rea Apostolides, producer & co-founder of CineDoc network
Alin Tasciyan, film critic and Deputy Secretary of FIPRESCI
Jeffrey Winter, co-executive director at Film Collaborative
The Golden Alexander, accompanied by a 12,000-euro cash prize, is bestowed to the documentary:
Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh
Reasoning: Through the power of artistic creation Under the Sky of Damascus precisely describes what lies beneath the major problems of humanity: a deeply rooted gender violence and patriarchal oppression.
The Silver Alexander, accompanied by a 5,000-euro cash prize, is bestowed to the documentary:
Who I Am Not by Tünde Skovrán
Reasoning: Who I am not is a film that boldly redefines the meaning of being born female and male, through a highly emotional and powerful cinematic journey.
A Special Mention is bestowed to the documentary:
Narrow Path to Happiness by Kata Oláh
Reasoning: A Narrow Path to Happiness is a delightful love story that springs from the most unexpected of places to joyfully challenge the conventions of family, gender, culture, fame, and musical theater.
NEWCOMERS COMPETITION AWARDS
Young and upcoming directors, through their debut or sophomore film, try to depict reality in their own unique way. The members of this year’s jury are:
Ditte Haarløv Johnsen, director filmmaker & photographer
Katerina Kaklamani, screenwriter & script consultant for film and television
Karen McMullen, film curator & programmer
The Golden Alexander “Dimitri Eipides” Award, accompanied by a 10,000-euro cash prize, is bestowed to the documentary:
The Voice by Dominika Montean-Pańków
Reasoning: Through the stories of several young men preparing to enter the priesthood, director Dominika Montean-Pańków delivers an intimate examination of the quest to find one’s place in the world. The beautifully nuanced cinematography captures the seemingly mundane moments of everyday rituals as well as the challenges of life defining choices. Through the stories of several young men preparing to enter the priesthood, Director Dominika Montean-Pańków delivers an intimate examination of the quest to find one’s place in the world. This glimpse inside the seldomly seen world of Jesuit novitiates delves into universal themes of faith and identity with deep introspection, subtle humor and grace.
The Silver Alexander, accompanied by a 4,000-euro cash prize, is bestowed to the documentary:
In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least by Christos Adrianopoulos
Reasoning: This intimate portrayal of an elderly couple in the final chapter of their lives gives us an unsentimental look at love, memory and the specter. With poetic and precise cinematography, director Chiristos Adrianopoulos’s crafts a warm and humorous story of his beloved grandparents, boldly pulling back the veil on the taboo on aging bodies and death.
A Special Mention is bestowed to the film:
Ladies in Waiting by Ioanna Tsoucala
Reasoning: The jury gives special mention to Ladies in Waiting for its fresh perspective on destigmatizing mental illness. Through the eyes of Ioanna Tsoucala’s engaging characters, this emotionally resonant film questions and deconstructs deeply rooted preconceptions of normality.
>>FILM FORWARD COMPETITION AWARDS
>>Film Forward Competition section showcases the world of young and daring directors who challenge the genre conventions, expanding the boundaries of film language. The members of this year’s Jury are:
Alexandra Katsarou, scriptwriter, playwright & fiction writer
Tim Leyendekker, visual artist, cultural producer & programmer
Fabrizio Maltese, documentary filmmaker & award-winning photographer
The Golden Alexander, accompanied by a 6,000-euro cash prize, is bestowed to the documentary:
Blue Bag Life by Alex Fry, Rebecca Lloyd Evans, Lisa Selby
Reasoning: The jury is very pleased to award a raw yet tender film depicting an intergenerational struggle to transform addiction into connection. For its generosity and its impactful use of a multifaceted artistic practice, the Golden Alexander goes to Blue Bag Life.
The Silver Alexander, accompanied by a 3,000-euro cash prize, is bestowed to the documentary:
Dogwatch by Gregoris Rentis
Reasoning: For its profound exploration of stereotypical masculinity through a powerful lensing and a form that blurs the lines between perception and reality, the Silver Alexander goes to the film Dogwatch.
IMMERSIVE: ALL AROUND CINEMA AWARD
The Immersive: All Around Cinema competition section of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival showcases new films that offer an exciting interactive viewing experience, transcending film genres and immersing the viewer in each artwork’s unique environment. The Immersive Competition’s jury members are:
Mathieu Gayet, editor-in-chief of the XRMust platform
Yolanda Markopoulou, director & producer of multidisciplinary work
Sten-Kristian Saluveer, Strategic advisor & head of Cannes Next (Marché du Film, Festival de Cannes)
The Immersive Golden Alexander goes to the film:
Darkening by Ondřej Maravec
Reasoning: The jury awards The Darkening by Ondřej Moravec for its intimate, poetic, and deeply affecting personal portrayal of depression and the author's personal struggles and strategies of fighting mental illness. This work masterfully combines touching personal narrative, symbolic yet nuanced animation, as well as simple yet shockingly surprising forms of immersive storytelling and navigation to embody the viewer in the everyday struggles of someone standing face to face with mental illness. Through The Darkening, viewers are taken on a journey of discovery and hope as they witness the lows, but also little joys and strategies that can shine light into the darkness experienced by many amongst us.
A Special Mention is bestowed to the film:
The Man Who Couldn’t Leave by Singing Chen
Reasoning: From a historical perspective essential to its country of origin, The Man Who Couldn’t Leave offers the vision of a true 360 cinematography. With a mastered direction of actors and an image that exceeds the standards of virtual reality, we are in front of a complete work of art.
PODCAST AWARDS
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival was one the first film festivals to host a Podcast Competition section, exploring the affinities of this new genre with cinema.
This year’s jury members are:
Leandros Ntounis, sound designer
Barbara Savvidi, radio producer
Lena Vassilakou, journalist & radio producer
The Best Podcast Award, accompanied by a 2,000-euro cash prize, is bestowed to the podcast:
From a Wonder to a Trauma by Constantinos Vrettos
Reasoning: Α podcast that touched us through its approach on the heart-wrenching topic of a mother who mourns her child. The well-balanced script conveys the journey from wonder to trauma, while the three mothers’ testimonies bring forth the coping of loss, but also the difficult process of trauma healing. In addition, the inner strength of these three women and their call for deterring similar crime pave an active way of standing up against gender-based violence.
A Special Mention is bestowed to the podcast:
Halcyone by Phaedra Chatzopoulou (Production, Music, Sound engineering, sound editing: Stavros Georgiopoulos)
Reasoning: Αn original podcast, with inventive presentation, which intertwines a narrative structure, a remarkable use of sound and music and documentary elements.
Scholarship award ENS Louis Lumière Award – French Institute of Upcoming Audio Documentary Creator
For a second year, Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, in collaboration with the Louis Lumière School and the French Institute of Greece, offers the scholarship award ENS Louis Lumière Award – French Institute of Upcoming Audio Documentary Creator.
This year’s jury members are:
Frédérique Pressmann, documentary filmmaker and sound artist
Théo Koutsaftis, audiovisual attaché at the French Institute of Greece
The award-scholarship is bestowed to:
Dimitris Roidis for A City Walk (Script - Narration: Ioanna Siskou)
MERMAID AWARD
The Mermaid Award is presented by the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival to the best LGBTQI+-themed film from the Festival’s official selection. The prize is awarded by a three-member jury. The members of this year’s jury are:
Andrian Silvestre, filmmaker
Hanna Björk Valsdóttir, documentary producer & director
Iris Zachmanidi, filmmaker, journalist & member of Rainbow Seniors Greece
The Mermaid Award is bestowed to the documentary:
Who I Am Not by Tünde Skovrán
Reasoning: We would like to make a statement about how original and diversified the LGBTQI+ films in all sections were. We choose to give our award to Who I Am Not because, besides its cinematic, artistic merits, it takes us down to basics as much as natural uncertainty in gender is concerned, that is intersexuality. Moreover, the film introduces two powerful characters that take us with kindness and honesty to a journey in search of a genuine gender expression.
A Special Mention is bestowed to the film:
Leon by Wojciech Gostomczyk
Reasoning: Yet, we would like to give a mention to Leon for its all-queer approach to things in life. The film is a fresh and inspiring portrait of a performer for whom there are no barriers in love and artistry.
“HUMAN VALUES” AWARD OF THE HELLENIC PARLIAMENT
The television station of the Hellenic Parliament (Hellenic Parliament TV) presents its “Human Values” award to a Newcomers International Competition section film. The members of this year’s committee are:
Aris Fatouros, founding member of the Hellenic Parliament TV, Program Consultant, producer & director
Vassilis Douvlis, head of the Hellenic Parliament TV’s Programming Department & awarded director of feature and documentary films
Kostas Dimos, program collaborator at Hellenic Parliament TV
The “Human Values” Award of the Hellenic Parliament is bestowed to the documentary:
Red Herring by Kit Vincent
Reasoning: The “Human Values” Award bestowed by the Hellenic Parliament goes to a documentary taking part in the Newcomers competition section. By recording with courage, honesty and humor the effort of the film’s young director to cope with an incurable disease, the documentary weaves a touching portrait of a dysfunctional family faced up against the fear of death and brings forth the values of life, human communication and love.
HELLENIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION AWARDS
Within the framework of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation will award two prizes: ERT’s first award, which is accompanied by a €3,000 cash prize, is bestowed to the Greek production that wins the FIPRESCI award.
The award is bestowed to the documentary:
Kristos, the Last Child by Giulia Amati
The second ERT award, which is accompanied by a €2,000 cash prize, is bestowed to the best Greek project participating at the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum, selected by the Forum committee.
The award is bestowed to the project:
The Man with the Broken Arm
Director: Athanassios Vassiliou, Producers: Orlane Dumas - Les films de l'Aube Sauvage, Konstantinos Vassilaros - StudioBauhaus, France, Greece
GREEK FILM CENTRE AWARDS
The Greek Film Centre is bestowing two awards. The first award goes to a debut director of the official Greek selection, whose film is celebrating its premiere at the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. The award is accompanied by a 3,000-euro cash prize.
The GFC Jury members are:
Maria Koufopoulou, Head of the GFC’s Hellenic Film Commission
Yorgos Angelopoulos, Head of the GFC’s Directorate of Development & Promotion
Dimitris Bouras, Head of the GFC’s Press Office
The award is bestowed to the documentary:
In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least by Christos Adrianopoulos
Reasoning: Christos Adrianopoulos, closely observing an elderly couple in the final chapter of their lives, crafted a cinematic work that revolves around love, loss, decay and death, but also around love as the final taste of life. Using a bare minimum of means he accomplished a stripped-down and condensed documentary accompanied by a perfectly fit title.
The second award granted by the Greek Film Centre Award, accompanied with 3,000 euros goes to the Greek project taking part in Agora’s Docs in Progress:
Sacred Way ~ 21km
Director: Nikoleta Paraschi, Producer: Maria Karagiannaki - Chase The Cut, Co-producer: Nikoleta Paraschi, Greece
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AWARD
The Amnesty International Award is given to a film that promotes and supports human rights. This year’s Jury is composed of:
Eleni Sideri, Assistant Professor, Department of Balkan, Slavic & Oriental Studies – University of Macedonia
Fay Katsari, A/V producer
Eftichia Voutira, Professor Emeritus, Department of Balkan, Slavic & Oriental Studies – University of Macedonia
Mariana Leontaridou, Member of Amnesty International Greece, film critic
The International Amnesty Award is bestowed to the documentary:
Ithaka: A Fight to Free Julian Assange by Ben Lawrence
Reasoning: Since its foundation, Amnesty International has been working on trying to better the conditions for those whose voices are excluded and silenced. The selection of the documentary: Ithaka: A Fight to Free Julian Assange by Ben Lawrence is an attempt to amplify the voices and stories of Assange's loved ones who live without the ability to communicate with him, as he is held in the maximum-security prison of Belmarsh by the British authorities. The documentary presents the perspective of Assange's family over time. Amnesty International must help to ensure that this effort is published and made known to the general public. This is why the documentary chosen to receive the award is Ithaka: A Fight to Free Julian Assange by Ben Lawrence.
FIPRESCI AWARDS
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) bestows two awards: one to the Best Documentary of the International Competition and one to a Greek film that participates in the International Program. The members of this year’s Jury are:
Dimitra Bouras (Belgium)
Yannis Kantea-Papadopoulos (Greece)
Petra Meterc (Slovenia)
The FIPRESCI Award to the Best Documentary of the International Competition is bestowed to:
I Like It Here by Ralph Arlyck
Reasoning: It is a film that we all agreed is a pure cinematic pleasure with its beautiful storytelling and the craft and care with which the director portrays his family, friends, colleagues, as well as history, all the while reflecting on his own story.
The FIPRESCI Award to a Greek film that participates in the International Program:
Kristos, the Last Child by Giulia Amati
Reasoning: For its tender portrayal of an otherwise unseen life, as well as its kind purpose and melancholic sense of hope, the FIPRESCI award for a Greek documentary goes to Kristos, The Last Child by Giulia Amati.
GREEK ASSOCIATION OF FILM CRITICS AWARD
The Greek Association of Film Critics (PEKK) awards, as every year, the Best Greek Film that is screened in the official selection of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. The decision is made by the General Assembly of the members that have attended the Festival.
The PEKK Award is bestowed to the documentary:
Queen of the Deuce by Valerie Kontakos
Reasoning: The Greek Association of Film Critics bestows its award to Valerie Kontakos’ film Queen of the Deuce for avoiding the easy idealization and films in an exciting way an “X-rated” personal journey of survival, inextricably linked to humanity’s history.
WIFT GR AWARD
The WIFT GR Award is presented by the Greek Chapter of WIFT (Women in Film & Television) to a woman filmmaker of a film selected for the official program of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. The members of this year’s Jury are:
Maria Giannouli, film director and screenwriter, WIFT GR member
Mirella Legaki, economist, Vice President of the Federation of Greek Film Clubs, WIFT GR Board of Directors member
Olga Malea, film director and screenwriter, WIFT GR Board of Directors treasurer
The WIFT GR Award is bestowed to director Tünde Skovrán for the documentary:
Who I Am Not
Reasoning: We are awarding the WIFT GR Award to the powerful and moving film Who I Am Not, because with subtle cinematography and excellent editing, it sheds light on the search for identity and the feelings of intersex people, highlighting their daily struggle for acceptance, liberation, love and maintaining hope over social barriers and discriminations. The film sensitively illuminates a brave journey of inner search with empathy, humor and sensitivity, reminding us of our commonality.
WWF HELLAS AWARD
The WWF Greece Award is bestowed to the best environment-themed movie of the Festival. The members of the Jury are:
Iasonas Kantas, head of Communication & Citizen Engagement
Maria Leonida, Film Director, Director of “Karpos” Centre for Education and Intercultural Communication
Natassa Sarris, artist
The award is bestowed to the documentary:
Mighty Afrin: In the Time of Floods by Angelos Rallis
Reasoning: The film takes us on a journey whose starting point is the climate crisis and the hopelessness of utter poverty, but also the unbending will of a teenage girl, Afrin; while its destination is the fortitude of the soul and the urgent need to act up against the current climate crisis. It is this highly symbolic journey, the main character’s charming and staggering personal odyssey, that receives the WWF Greece Award. The jurors were immersed in Afrin’s loneliness, her hopeless life, and the futility of her day-to-day existence; but they were equally amazed by her perseverance and courage. The film made the jurors hope for the sake of this heroine who symbolizes the journey of a whole species – the journey of humankind.
YOUTH JURY AWARDS
Youth Jury Supervisor: Apostolos Karakasis, Assistant Professor in Film and Television Theory & History, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.The members of this year’s five-member jury are: Thanasis Andreadis, Georgia Chliara, Katerina Kanellopoulou, Maximilianos Magginas, Eleni Rodrigues Goundaroulis, Iris Theohari.
Τhe Best Greek Film Award is bestowed to the documentary:
Kristos, the Last Child by Giulia Amati
Reasoning: Through a stripped-down and meaningful imagery, Kristos, the Last Child managed to highlight the silent courage of Kristos, who rose above his social entourage. We were touched by the fact that some kids grow up in such remote societies that their chance for a proper education can be in no way taken as granted.
The Special Jury Prize is bestowed to the documentary:
In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least by Christos Adrianopoulos
Reasoning: In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least is a deeply human and tender documentary that moved us through its honest stand against human relationships and the decay of the human body. With a delicate sense of humor it touches upon issues such as old age, loss, love and the acceptance of death.
FISCHER AUDIENCE AWARDS
Five Audience Awards are bestowed to three Greek and two international films.
The Fischer Audience Award “Peter Wintonick” to an international film with a duration of over 50 minutes is bestowed to the documentary:
The Laughing Boy by Alan Gilsenan
The Fischer Audience Award to an international film with a duration of up to 50 minutes is bestowed to the documentary:
Inside Kabul by Caroline Gillet & Denis Walgenwitz
The Fischer Audience Award to Greek film with a duration of over 50 minutes is bestowed to the documentary:
AKOE/AMFI: The Story of a Revolution (*Just to sleep on their chest…) by Iossif Vardakis
The Fischer Audience Award to a Greek film with a duration of up to 50 minutes is bestowed to the documentary:
My Cut by Thanasis Tatavlalis
The Fischer Audience Award to a Greek film screened online at the section Platform and From screen to Screen is bestowed to the documentary:
Being an Islander by Dimitris Bouras
The 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival is held thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, of the National Strategic Reference Framework of the Regional Operational Program of Central Macedonia, of the MEDIA program, the valuable contribution of ERT SA, the official communication sponsor of the Festival, COSMOTE TV, Grand Sponsor of the Festival, Alpha Bank, the Festival’s accessibility sponsor, Aegean, the Festival official air-carrier, and Fischer, the Audience Award sponsor of the Festival.
Here is the list of the Agora Awards that were handed out during the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.
AGORA AWARDS
The Agora of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival bestowed its awards on Wednesday March 8th.
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum awards
The International Jury of the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum, consisting of:
Eleni Chandrinou, Consultant & Producer - Cigale Films, Belgium
Nevena Milašinović, Sales and Acquisitions Executive - Lightdox, Switzerland
Sara Rüster, International Distribution Manager - Swedish Film Institute, Sweden
handed out the awards.
The Thessaloniki Pitching Forum Award accompanied by a cash prize of 2,000 euros is bestowed to:
The Native Dance
Director: Alaa Dajani, Producers: Kesmat El Sayed, Laura Kloeckner - SEERA FILMS, Egypt, Germany
Reasoning: A film that promises a compelling visual approach combining archive material and animation, telling the story about the British forcing peasants from Egypt to dig trenches in Europe during WW1. The jury found the team inspiring and wished them all the best with this challenging and creative project.
Onassis Film Award
Onassis Culture, consistently offering its support to Greek independent cinema, within the framework of its collaboration with the Festival, bestows the Onassis Film Award (5,000 euros) to one of the Greek projects taking part in the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum or the Agora Docs in Progress. This year the award was given to the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum project:
Holy Human Angel
Director: Angeliki Aristomenopoulou, Producers: Yuri Averof, Rea Apostolides - Anemon Productions, Vicky Miha- Asterisk*, Heather Millard - Compass Films, Greece, Iceland
Reasoning: A moving story about a brave individual, about the acceptance offered by a family so tremendously supportive that it fills you with hope. A documentary brimming with atmospheric, exhilarating, and emotionally-charged images. “Holy Human Angel” is a masterful and rounded offering that we would like to see screened in cinemas soon.
DAE - Documentary Association of Europe Award which amounts to consultation and free membership is bestowed ex aequo to the projects:
Jana
Director: Muhammad Reza Azadi, Producers Ali Haider - Filmkhaana, Maaria Sayed - Draw4Films, Pakistan, Italy
Reasoning: Jana means life, and this film is about displacement, resilience and hope for a couple and their newborn child fleeing the Taliban-. A film giving a voice to a woman in a society where she does not have one. This is a story that cannot be told too many times.
Our Feminine Wars
Director: Zaina Erhaim, Producer: Brian Hill - Century Films, UK, Syria
In collaboration with CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator
Reasoning: A strong project with a mosaic of voices from women in exile and their way to help each other to heal. By revisiting their past, the heroines are claiming their right to a better present and future. A film that aspires to be empowering and hopeful.
The Aylon Productions Digital Services Award (Digitization by Aylon Productions) is bestowed to:
Far From Maine
Director: Roy Cohen, Producers: Roy Cohen - Roy Cohen Films, Serge Gordey - Temps Noir, Israel, France
Reasoning: A story about hope and deception set in the Middle East focusing on the peace process during the last decades. The filmmaker makes a personal journey back to the days when the young generation strived to build bridges between two opposite sides.
The Beldocs Networking Award which offers accommodation and accreditation for the next International Documentary Festival Beldocs in May 10 - 17 2023 is bestowed to:
Maomi - Larger than Life
Director: Judit Oláh, Producers: Inez Mátis - Pi Productions, Annika Mayer - Majmun Films, Anna Stylińska, Katarzyna Slesicka - My Way Studio, Hungary, Germany, Poland
Reasoning: A couple that has lived outside the norms for decades, a story told using beautiful archive material from their youth and footage of today. An uplifting film about a rebellious woman of a rebellious generation.
The Mediterranean Film Institute Doc Award, which consists of free participation in the 2023 edition of the MFI Doc Lab, a script development program dedicated to documentaries. It takes place within the MFI Script2Film program, where the scripts for 35 feature length films are developed. The program consists of a two-weeks writing workshop on the island of Nisyros in late June and early July with a follow up session for one week in October in Rhodes.
The award is bestowed to:
The Man With the Broken Arm
Director: Athanassios Vassiliou, Producers: Orlane Dumas - Les films de l'Aube Sauvage, Konstantinos Vassilaros - StudioBauhaus, France, Greece
Reasoning: This year the MFI Award is awarded to a project reminding us about the power of images, both in our present life but also from our personal and collective past. The project uses archive material that stir up our historical unconscious and make memories emerge and come to the surface in present time. The images confront our notion of what is real and what is invented. If our past is constructed from fictional propaganda, how can our memories be authentic? How to navigate what is fabricated? And what is real? To help shape a complex narrative about memory, images and a traumatic historical heritage, we award the 2023 MFI Award to The Man with the Broken Arm directed by Thanassis Vassiliou. Produced by Les films de l’AubeSauvage & StudioBauhaus.
Finally, with the new collaboration between Agora and Dok Leipzig the DOK Leipzig Accelerator Award offering 2 Co-Pro Market Observer Passes and Accommodation (Co-Pro Market Observer entails participation in the Open Programme) is bestowed to:
Jana
Director: Muhammad Reza Azadi, Producers Ali Haider - Filmkhaana, Maaria Sayed - Draw4Films, Pakistan, Italy
Reasoning: A young Afghani couple finds out that they are expecting their first child the very same day the Taliban takes over their country. This personal story of Sajjad and Leila is a heartfelt record of life under impossible circumstances.
Docs in Progress awards
In the Agora Docs in Progress 11 projects from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region participated in closed sessions exclusively for Thessaloniki’s invited industry professionals, sales agents, distributors, producers and festival programmers.
The international jury of Agora Docs in Progress is composed of:
Maëlle Guenegues, Sales agent, CAT&Docs - France
Laurien ten Houten, Industry Relations and Talks Manager at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam [IDFA] - The Netherlands
Ilias Georgiopoulos, Distributor, Danaos Cinema & Danaos Films - Greece
The 2|35 Post-Production Main Award goes to the project
Post Love
Director: Alexis Taillant, Producer: Nadège Labé - Wendigo Films, France
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum 2021 - DAE Award
Reasoning: Because Post Love sheds a warm and caring light on an issue that goes beyond the LGBTQ+ experience to speak to all of us and the team approaches the film’s characters tenderly and with absolute respect.
The MuSou Music Company Group Award Services in Music & Sound goes to the project:
Savanna and the Mountain
Director-producer: Paulo Carneiro - BAM BAM CINEMA, Co-producer: Alex Piperno - La Pobladora Cine, Portugal, Uruguay
The Neaniko Plano Award Subtitles in English or French goes to the project:
The Gospel According to Ciretta
Director: Caroline von der Tann, Producer: Antonella Di Nocera - Parallelo 41 Produzioni, Italy
Reasoning: Ciretta’s flooding personality delivers a new gospel like an avalanche. He preaches a landslide of words, songs and emotions which deserve the best translation and subtitling services.
Agora Lab award
The Guidance Award by Paradiddle Pictures on distribution, festivals, outreach and impact to one project of the Agora Lab section is bestowed to:
Katerina
Director Alkisti Efthimiou, Production company Marni Films, Producer Mina Dreki, Greece
Reasoning: We decided to give the award to a newly formed team to boost what we believe will be a very successful, creative collaboration.
