AGORA (March 7-15), the industry section of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, has selected 10 projects from 12 countries for the Agora Docs in Progress, all coming from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region, as well 4 projects hailing from Greece, participating in the Agora Boost (previously known as Agora Lab). The Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival will take place from March 6-16, 2025.
AGORA DOCS IN PROGRESS
The Agora Docs in Progress, showcases films just before completion and invites directors and producers from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean regions to present their documentary films to buyers, co-producers, festival representatives, VOD platforms and sales agents.
Recent titles that have been previously discovered at the Agora Docs in Progress include: Savanna and the Mountain (Portugal, Uruguay, 2024) which premiered in Quinzaine des Cinéastes - Cannes FF 2024, Ms. President (Slovakia, Czech Republic, 2024) awarded Best World Documentary in the Opus Bonum Competition - Ji.hlava IDFF 2024, Tell them About Us (Germany, Jordan, 2024) had a shared world premiere in CPH:DOX and Thessaloniki IDF 2024 - Newcomers Competition, Diaries from Lebanon (Lebanon, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 2024) premiered in Berlinale Panorama Dokumente 2024, Greek hits Panellinion (Thessaloniki IDF Newcomers Competition) and Queen of the Deuce (2022) premiered at DOC NYC, Notes on Displacement (Palestine, Germany, Qatar, 2022) premiered in IDFA 2022, A Happy Man (Slovakia, Czech Republic, 2023) premiered at Hot Docs 2023, Toward Happy Alleys (Bulgaria, India, Germany, Finland) premiered at Berlinale 2023 and screened in Thessaloniki IDF, Lift Like a Girl, (Denmark, Germany, Egypt 2021) – Netflix, Toronto IFF, Thessaloniki DF and many more, Acts of Love (France, USA 2021) – Hot Docs 2021 (premiere), Thessaloniki IDF – Newcomers Competition, Marble Travelogue (Netherlands, Hong Kong SAR China, France, Greece 2021) – IDFA International Competition 2021, Thessaloniki DF – International Competition 2022, Colors of Tobi, (Hungary 2021), BFI Flare London LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Thessaloniki DF 2021- Mermaid Award and A Rifle and a Bag (India, Romania, Italy 2020) - IFFR - Bright Future Award - Special Mention, amongst others.
The participants are mentored by international documentary experts; In-Docs Program Director & International Film Programmer for Hot Docs Gugi Gumilang and multi awarded, Oscar-nominated filmmaker & editor Ema Ryan Yamazaki. The projects’ teams will be presenting their films to industry professionals looking mainly for gap financing, sales agents, festival premieres and distribution (theatrical or digital). The films are eligible for the following awards: The Two Thirty-Five (2|35) Award for post-production image and sound, the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center - Creative Greece Award of 3,000 EUR to a Greek project , the Neaniko Plano Subtitling Award, as well as for the Onassis Film Award of 5,000 EUR to a Greek project participating in the Agora (Thessaloniki Pitching Forum or Agora Docs in Progress).
This year’s selection engages with deeply personal and political journeys, exploring identity, displacement, resilience, and memory. From the intimate struggles of individuals navigating both physical and emotional borders to the sweeping impact of historical and global forces, these projects capture moments of hope, survival, and transformation, shedding light on the unseen and the often-forgotten.
Agora Docs in Progress projects:
DEAR FUTURE
Director: Christiana Cheiranagnostaki, Production: Christiana Cheiranagnostaki - Tartaruga Films, Yorgos Tsourgiannis - Horsefly Films, Co-production: Aylin Gökmen - A Vol d'Oiseau, Greece, Switzerland
FUTURE TENSES
Director: Christos Karakepelis, Writer: Natasha Segou, Production: Maria Drandaki - Homemade Films, Co-production: Julie Paratian - SISTER Productions, Greece, France
HOME COURT
Directors: Elpida Nikou, Rodrigo Hernandez, Production: Yuri Averof, Rea Apostolides - Anemon Productions, Co-production: Maaike Neve, Esther Van Driesum - Bind Film, Victor Ede - Cinephage, Boris Despodov - Arthouse Blockbusters, Greece, Netherlands, France, Bulgaria
JANA
Director: Mohammad Reza Azadi, Production: Ali Haider - Filmkhaana, Maaria Sayed - Draw4Films, Mohammad Reza Azadi - Sarv Film, Pakistan, Italy, Iran
LEVEL
Directors: Anna Berkhof, Carlos Mora Fuentes, Production: Carlos Mora Fuentes, Spain
MAGMA
Director: Mia Bendrimia, Production: Kira Simon-Kennedy - Nazar Films, France, Algeria
SIX LETTERS FOR A RIVER
Director/Writer: Markos Holevas, Production: Leonidas Liambeys - Long Run Productions, Greece
A SONG WITHOUT HOME
Director: Rati Tsiteladze, Production: Olga Slusareva - ArtWay Film, Georgia
TOWER, SUN AND THE SEVEN OF WANDS
Director: Tanya Vikhreva, Writer: Aleksander Rodionov, Production: Maria Gavrilova - Marx Film GE, Georgia
YOU DON'T DIE TWO TIMES
Director: Ager Oueslati, Production: Raouf Oueslati, Ager Oueslati - Taswir Production, Co-production: Thomas Kaske - Seera Films, Algeria, Germany
AGORA BOOST
Αgora Boost is a bespoke consultancy workshop dedicated to empowering filmmakers at all stages of development, offering expert guidance and advice. Focused on projects from Greece, selected through the application process of Thessaloniki Pitching Forum and Agora Docs in Progress, Agora Boost explores themes of international significance. Continuously evolving, Agora Boost bestows two prestigious awards upon chosen projects: The Guidance Award by Paradiddle Pictures (Denmark) and the Crew United Prize, entailing a complimentary 5-year Premium membership to the premier online networking platform for audiovisual professionals in Europe, now accessible in Greece. Through these initiatives, Agora Boost aims to foster innovation and collaboration within the filmmaking community.
The counseling team consists of:
Konstantinos Aivaliotis | Producer, Festival Director - Ethnofest - Greece
Arkaitz Basterra | Producer, filmmaker and member investor’s committee, Moby Dick Film Capital - Spain
Ieva Ūbele | Creative producer, Baltic Balkan Productions - Latvia
Zeynep Güzel | Film Consultant & Head of Doc Station at Berlinale Talents - Germany
Here’s the full lineup of the Agora Boost projects:
THE GROUNDSKEEPER
Direction: Io Chaviara & Michalis Kastanidis, Production: Alexis Anastasiadis - FRENEL, Co-production: Io Chaviara & Michalis Kastanidis - Fabula Productions, Greece
MAGIC WHISTLE
Direction: Avraam Goutzeloudis & Alexandros Katsis, Production: Photini Economopoulou - OhMyDog Productions, Greece
UNDERDOG
Direction: Dimitris Delinikolas, Production: Photini Economopoulou - OhMyDog Productions, Co-production: Dimitris Delinikolas - Emptyfilm, Greece
WHO KILLED ZACKIE OH?
Direction: Sofia Farantatou, Production: Maria Sidiropoulou - Thunderbird Production, Co-production: Nicolas Wadimoff, Annick Bouissou - Akka films, Greece, Switzerland
