The AGORA of the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is excited to unveil the selected participants for its two specialised workshops aimed at emerging professionals in the film industry: the Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy and the AGORA Short Film Lab. These programs, which are part of AGORA’s ongoing mission to support young filmmakers and film professionals, offer unique training and networking opportunities designed to foster career development on an international scale.
Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy (November 2-7, 2024)
This year, the Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy welcomes nine outstanding young professionals from the cinema industry, including sales agents, distributors, and new media professionals. In partnership with the Locarno Film Festival and Locarno Pro, the Academy brings this prestigious training program to Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region for the ninth consecutive year.
The Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy is a five-day tailor-made program offering participants the chance to deepen their expertise in international sales, marketing, distribution, and programming. The 2024 cohort, selected for their promising careers and potential, will participate in discussions, case studies, and collaborative work sessions led by top industry professionals.
This year’s selected participants include:
Paul De Beco | France | World sales | Playtime
Ambhur Burghall | United Kingdom | Film Marketing | MUBI
Charlotte Heusler | Germany | Digital Marketing | Alphapanda
Zeynep Naz İnansal | Turkey | Festival Coordinator | Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
Annita Nitsaidou | Greece | Festival Director | WOW Film Festival
Kasia Siewko | Poland | Film distribution | Gutek Film
Léa Alia Triboulet | France | Acquisitions | Salaud Morisset
Vangelis Trichias | Greece | Assistant Coordinator| Mediterranean Film Institute
Linda Venturini | Italy | Sales Agent | Be For Films
The Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy is part of a global network, connecting participants to academies in Latin America, New York, Beirut, South Africa, South Asia, and Switzerland, reinforcing its dedication to international film industry collaboration. Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy’s regional manager is Konstantinos Aivaliotis, Assistant Professor (University of Aegean), Producer & Festival Director (Ethnofest)
Selected participants of the Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy will automatically join Launchpad, a new initiative in collaboration with four prominent European film festivals: Locarno Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival, and Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Launchpad is designed to support the integration of emerging film professionals into the global film industry. It offers participants, who specialize in international sales, marketing, distribution (both traditional and online), exhibition, programming, as well as film funds and commissions, streamlined access to a valuable network of leading film festivals throughout the year.
Agora Short Film Lab
The Agora Short Film Lab, co-organised with the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and the Drama International Short Film Festival, has also announced its 2024 cohort of emerging filmmakers. This three-day workshop includes discussions with experienced industry professionals, focusing on guiding short film directors as they transition into feature filmmaking.
This year’s participants represent a diverse array of talented directors whose award-winning short films have garnered acclaim at Clermont-Ferrand and Drama.
This year’s selected participants include:
Mohammed Almughanni, Palestine “An Orange from Jaffa”
Yorgos Fourtounis, Greece “MJ”
Lina Kountoura, Greece “pop”
Dimitris Moutsiakas, Greece “Gekas”
Abbas Taheri, Iran “There is no Friend’s House”
Meni Tsilianidou, Greece “Driving Me Crazy”
These participants will gain invaluable insights from industry professionals and will benefit from opportunities to expand their international networks, helping to shape the future of their careers as they make the leap from short to feature filmmaking. Agora Short Film Lab’s project manager is Christina Liapi, assistant producer and servicing manager at Heretic.
Agora accredited guests can access the participants' films at the Agora Film Market Video Library.
