November 6-15, 2015
CROSSROADS OPENING
The 11th Crossroads Co-Production Forum opening took place on Wednesday, November 11, at Warehouse C at the Port, in the context of the 56th TIFF.
In her opening speech, Ms. Marie-Pierre Macia, head of Crossroads Co-Production Forum, welcomed the producers and directors joining this year’s edition. Ms. Macia together with Yianna Sarri, head of Film Market and Angeliki Vergou, Crossroads’ coordinator, presented the Agora Industry team. Crossroads gives filmmakers the opportunity to meet with other producers and distributors, facilitating the completion of film projects which are still in the making.
Ms. Macia went on to present the 2015 Crossroads jury, which consists of Titus Kreyenberg (producer - Una Film, Germany), Fenia Cossovitsa, producer - Blonde S.A., Greece) and Joseph Rouschop (producer - Tarantula, Belgium).
In turn, Crossroad’s participants took the floor to introduce themselves and briefly talk about their work.
Furthermore, a special mention was made to ACE (Ateliers du cinema europeen), which every year selects novice producers to participate in its producers’ network and develop their projects with the help of established fellow producers on a professional level. As ACE representative Emmanuelle Dory explained, this international network, founded in 1993 in Paris, comprises of 230 members from 44 countries, 28 of which are European. As she said: “It is a platform where producers are able to exchange experiences. A friendly community that favors the exchange of information and useful advice from experienced cinema professionals”. In addition, producers Maria Drandaki (Greece) and Titus Kreyenberg (Germany) talked about their experience in the network, whereas Sabina Kodra (Albania) was selected as a new member to participate in 2016.
The TIFF Agora awards will be presented on Friday, November 13, at 6 p.m. at Warehouse C.
This year 14 film projects were selected, on the basis of the script quality, creative team and the likelihood of them being produced. This year’s projects are:
ELEFSINA - Director: Alexandros Skouras, Production: Yorgos Kyriakos, View Master, Greece
I WILL CROSS TOMORROW - Director: Sepideh Farsi, Production: Panos Karabinis – Pan Entertainment, Thierry Lenouvel – Cine-Sud Promotion, Greece /France
THE LAND OF NO ONE - Director: Aran Hughes & Christina Koutsospyrou, Production: Vassilis Chrysanthopoulos, Plays2Place Productions, Greece
THE RIVER - Director: Haris Raftoyiannis, Production: Eleni Kossyfidou, Blackbird Production, Greece
The rest of the selected projects are either produced or co-produced by a country in South-eastern and Central Europe or the Mediterranean area, or contain story elements linked to these regions. The selected projects come from the following countries: Albania, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. The producers of these projects will be introduced and present their work to other producers, distributors, broadcasters, sales agents and consultants.
Crossroads is part of the Agora Industry, the section of the Festival hosting works in development that creates an international network of professionals and provides the grounds and optimal conditions for meetings, discussions and agreements, all in an informal, warm and professional environment. The TIFF Agora Industry is supported by the MEDIA – Creative Europe program of the European Union.
Crossroads also collaborates with:
The Greek post-production house Two Thirty Five (2|35 Inc) which offers the main prize of a co-production award (image and sound post) to the winning project
The CNC (Centre National du Cinema et de l’ image animee) which offers 10.000 euro for project development
The Producer’s Network of the Cannes Film Festival which offers a free accreditation for the Producer’s Network in the Cannes Film Festival 2016
Sofia Meetings of the Sofia IFF which will select one project to be presented in March at the Sofia Meetings 2016
The Mediterranean Film Institute Script 2 Film Workshops which offers a scholarship for its next round of Script 2 Film Workshops to one of the projects
Initiative Film, a script-development consultancy firm in France, which offers its services to one of the projects
CINEMED (Festival Cinema Mediterraneen Montpellier), will include at least one Greek project in the Development Grant selection according to its state of development.
ACE (Ateliers du cinema europeen), which every year selects novice producers to participate in its producers network and develop their projects professionally with the help of established fellow producers.
