The Agora of the 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival bestowed its awards at Warehouse C, on Wednesday March 12th. Making use of all the available tools and new technologies, the Festival’s Agora showcased a new series of actions and backed successful initiatives that took place both in physical spaces and online. This year’s Agora marked a great success, as more than 400 international visitors attended its events.
Angeliki Vergou, head of the Festival’s Agora, took the floor, welcoming the audience. “Welcome everybody! It has been a fascinating Festival and a very busy AGORA. We hope you all had great meetings, meaningful conversations and screenings. We are here to celebrate your brave projects and give thanks to the creative teams”. She then welcomed to the stage the General Director of the Festival, Elise Jalladeau and the Festival’s Artistic Director, Orestis Andreadakis.
“Dear colleagues, we hope you've had a good and fruitful experience in the 27th TiDF’s Agora that benefited your films, whether in project or in progress. As I said before, and forgive me if I’m repeating myself: Our goal is to ensure that professionals can exchange ideas and work in a safe and caring space, to encourage dialogue and to champion all voices, wherever they may come from. The prerequisite for this is to get together and be united. This is what we have been doing these last few days, and we thank you once again for your enthusiastic participation in Agora and dedication to the art of documentary. Before we see each other again next year or in November for the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, we welcome you to join us for the fourth Evia Film Project, our sustainability event taking place in Northern Evia this summer from the 17th to the 21st of June”.
Then, Orestis Andreadakis said: “Thank you Elise. We are all looking forward to Evia already! Hello to all, what a wonderful crowd. I was happy to see that once again, AGORA was so alive, like a bee hive. So energetic and so vibrant. I was happy to see many old friends and colleagues as well as meet new ones from all over the world. Keep bringing in your exciting projects and let's meet here again at the next TiDF. Before I leave you tonight I just want to say a big, big thanks to the AGORA team and their partners. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for all of you”.
Thanos Stavropoulos, Agora’s Manager, took the baton: “It is time to give thanks. The team makes the AGORA happen with lots and lots of hard work and true love. To pull this through we rely on each other for pretty much everything. It's not all just work, we laugh a lot, we gossip and curse and freak out. We weather the storms and we are merry together. These are the wonderful people who make AGORA a special place: Give it up for Errika, Elena, Dimitra, Rafaela, Ermioni, Zoe, Anna, Konstantinos and Christina, our fantastic production team and camera crew, our great volunteers, and all our festival colleagues without whom nothing would work so well”.
Aggeliki Vergou went on stage to thank the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum selection committee, the Docs in Progress selection committee, the AGORA XR Lab and all the tutors and mentors. “We want to thank the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum selection committee, Laurien Ten Houten, Mitchel Harper, Ove Jensen, Thu Ha Nguyen Thi and our colleagues in the international and Greek departments and the wonderful panelists who gave feedback to the selected projects. The Docs in Progress selection committee Kumjana Novakova and Dumitrita Pacicovschi along with our team and our colleagues in the program departments. For the AGORA XR Lab, Vassiliki Khonsari and Lazaros Boudakidis who designed the Lab and selected the projects. We also want to thank all the tutors and mentors for preparing the filmmakers and creators and helping them have productive days during Agora. Brigid O’Shea and Bronte Stahl, Gugi Gumilang, Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Ieva Ubele, Arkaitz Basterra, Zeynep Guzel, Ove Jensen, Peter Jaeger, Mila Turajlić, Vassiliki Khonsari, Tobey Coffey, Kathrine Fremming, Annette Mees and Konstantina Stavrianou. A round of applause please”.
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum awards
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum is the co-production and co-financing platform of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival for creative and TV documentaries, docs for kids and docs series destined for theater distribution and TV broadcast.
This year’s Thessaloniki Pitching Forum showcased 14 projects in development, among which two series, a documentary for kids and an animated documentary, from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean.
The International Jury of the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum, consisting of:
Leonidas Konstantarakos | Producer, Alaska Films - Greece
Marianne Ostrat | Producer & Founder, Alexandra Film - Estonia
Nora Philippe | Head of Program, EURODOC – France
handed out the following awards:
The IEFTA Award for Best Documentary in Development, accompanied by a 10,000 euro cash prize, is bestowed for the second time. The award was bestowed to:
HIGHWAYS OF HOPE
Director: Alexa Bakony, Production: Gábor Osváth, Veronika Gál - Filmfabriq Ltd., Hungary
Reasoning: Currently in its very early development, this project led by a young female team promises to cross European borders and break Indian stereotypes about Muslim minorities through an energetic story of emancipation. We were captivated by the main character facing a darkening world with youthful joyfulness and optimism. The jury wants to further boost the kick-off of the creative and financial development of this project, by awarding it the IEFTA Best Doc Award.
A Special Mention was given by the jury to the project:
BUGBOY
Director: Lucas Paleocrassas, Production: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof - Anemon, Executive Production: Madeleine Avramoussis, Co-production: Maria Stevnback Westergren - Toolbox, Adam Leibovitz - Flach Film Productions, Greece, Denmark, France
Reasoning: A unique, joyful and tender coming-of-age film produced by a very experienced team, that is approaching completion - and that we can’t wait to see on screen very soon!
The ERT – Thessaloniki Pitching Forum Award to a Greek project, accompanied by a cash prize of 2,000 euros was bestowed by Jenny Vafakou, TV and Digital Programme Director at ERT to:
MAMA KLORIN
Director: Doreida Xhogu, Production: Mina Dreki - MARNI FILMS, Greece
Reasoning: Mama Klorin is a promising journey into a very under-represented community of immigrant women working as cleaners in Greece. Filmed with love and dignity by one of their daughters, this multilayered project strives to make the invisible work visible.
The Eurodoc Award of 1,000 euros along with a VIP membership is bestowed to the film:
TAKEN BY THE WHITE MAN
Director: Ana Sofia Fonseca, Production: Daniella Rice, Ana Sofia Fonseca - Carrossel Produções, Portugal
Reasoning: Taken by the White Man tells a moving and unique story of homecoming, investigative and intimate reappropriation of one’s self and reparation, on the backdrop of the horrors of Portuguese colonialism in Mozambique and contemporary slavery. This project is also an incredible opportunity for a global North-South co-production.”
The DAE - Documentary Association of Europe Award amounts to consultation and free membership. The award was bestowed to two projects:
THE LAST SUMMER
Director: Jan Jurczak & Eleanora Iadkouskaya, Production: Frieder Schlaich - Filmgalerie 451, Germany
And
LIFE ON PAUSE
Director: Anthoniy Hristov, Production: Svetla Turnin - Documentary Media Foundation, Bulgaria
Reasoning: To support the teams in finding the right creative and financing pathways for the projects, the jury awards The Last Summer and Life on Pause with 2 DAE Consultancy Awards. Life on Pause is a courageous project that sheds light on a Bulgarian trans rights legal fight which resonates strongly on the European and global scenes, and which is deeply and rightfully grounded in the community it represents. Loaded with raw and explosive energy, The Last Summer is a very intimate and moving look on what it’s like to go through adolescence in times of war.
The Aylon Productions Digital Services Award offers an hour of high quality digital transfer of archival material. The award was bestowed to the film:
MY AUNTIES
Director: Hazal Hanquet, Production: Aslihan Altuğ, Anna Maria Aslanoğlu - Istos Film, Türkiye
Reasoning: An intergenerational tale told through precious archives that document a courageous queer love story that transcends time, while exploring family dynamics and alternative models of love and kinship in contemporary Turkey.
A series of independent awards were also handed out:
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. The Onassis Award is bestowed to the project:
BUGBOY
Director: Lucas Paleocrassas, Production: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof - Anemon, Executive Production: Madeleine Avramoussis, Co-production: Maria Stevnback Westergren - Toolbox, Adam Leibovitz - Flach Film Productions, Greece, Denmark, France
Reasoning: The Onassis Film Award is given to a documentary about being different and growing up, about all things insignificant that turn out to be important, about the small, invisible world that we often ignore. A different coming-of-age story, with a fresh perspective in the intimacy of its filming. The Onassis Film Award goes to “Bugboy” directed by Lucas Paleocrassas along with a prize of 5.000 euro to support the further development of the film.
The Mediterranean Film Institute Doc Award, which consists of free participation in the 2024 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 Astipalea.
The award is bestowed to:
OH, HEART DON'T BE AFRAID
Director: Ana Kvichidze, Production: Avtandil Khorava - Moonbow Production, Co-production: - Natalia Imaz - Parabellum films, Mariam Bitsadze - 17/07 Productions, Niko Mikadze - Murman Original Pictures, Georgia, Germany
Reasoning: Since its inception in 2000, the Μediterranean Film Institute, through its international program MFI Script 2 Film Workshops, has supported the development of over 500 film projects. We are especially proud that the Doc Lab, introduced just six years ago, has already made a significant impact on documentary development. This year, five films in the festival’s lineup had participated in the MFI’s Doc Lab the previous years. Many thanks to the Thessaloniki International Film and Doc Festival and especially Agora for our warm and fruitful collaboration over the last 17 years and for their great work in the film industry. Our scholarship award from now on is called the George Kalogeropoulos Award, in memoriam of the founder of the Mediterranean Film Institute.
Recognizing its distinctive storyline, unique characters, profound social relevance, and poetic filmic approach, we are honored to present the award to “Oh, Heart Don’t Be Afraid" by Ana Kvichidze and Avtandil Khorava.
The DOK Leipzig Accelerator Award offers two Observer badges and accommodation. The award was bestowed to the film:
MY AUNTIES
Director: Hazal Hanquet, Production: Aslihan Altuğ, Anna Maria Aslanoğlu - Istos Film, Türkiye
Reasoning: The project introduces us to two free-spirited, wild and brave women from Istanbul. They are the “aunties” of the director who brings the story of their forty-year queer relationship to us. It is with great joy and deep admiration for both the bravery of the protagonists and the dedication of the film team that the DOK Leipzig Accelerator Award goes to My Aunties, directed by Hazal Hanquet and produced by Aslihan Altuğ and Anna Maria Aslanoğlu.
AGORA Docs in Progress awards
In the Agora Docs in Progress 10 projects from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region participated in closed sessions for Thessaloniki’s invited industry professionals, sales agents, distributors, producers and festival programmers.
The international jury of Agora Docs in Progress is composed of:
Anna Glogowski | Consultant & Festival programmer - France
Marcella Jelić | Sales & Acquisitions, Split Screen & Theatrical distribution coordinator, Restart - Croatia
Basil Tsiokos | Senior programmer, Sundance Film Festival - USA
The 2|35 Post-Production Main Award goes to the project:
MAGMA
Director: Mia Bendrimia, Production: Kira Simon-Kennedy - Nazar Films, France, Algeria
Reasoning: For its deft ability to successfully transform one family's unspoken history and unresolved transgenerational trauma into an engaging investigation into contested narratives that reveal both the stories we tell ourselves and those we deliberately refuse to engage with, on both a personal and a national level, the Two Thirty-Five (2|35) Award goes to Magma by director Mia Bendrimia and producer Kira Simon-Kennedy.
The Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece Award accompanied with 3,000 euros, was bestowed by Athina Kartalou, General Director of the General Film Directorate, to the Greek project:
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
Reasoning: For crafting a warm, vibrant, and uplifting portrait of friendship and the promise of dreams - and for posing under-explored and ultimately universally resonant questions of identity and belonging for second-generation migrants - the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center - Creative Greece Award goes to Home Court by directors Elpida Nikou and Rodrigo Hernandez and producers Yuri Averof and Rea Apostolides.
The Neaniko Plano Subtitling Award is bestowed to the project:
TOWER, SUN AND THE SEVEN OF WANDS
Director: Tanya Vikhreva, Writer: Aleksander Rodionov, Production: Maria Gavrilova - Marx Film GE, Georgia
Reasoning: For bringing an unexpected, unorthodox, and often disarmingly humorous angle on the ongoing war in Ukraine, one focused on the divergent perspectives of the residents of occupied Crimea, exploring the eye-opening influences of superstition on one hand and Russian propaganda on the other, the Neaniko Plano Subtitling Award goes to Tower, Sun and the Seven of Wands by director Tanya Vikhreva and producer Maria Gavrilova.
AGORA XR LAB awards
AGORA XR Lab, is TIDF AGORA’s newest initiative, a workshop dedicated to XR and new media projects in development. It is designed for emerging storytellers keen to explore new forms of expression in factual and non-factual storytelling and pushing the boundaries of what audiovisual work can be in the digital age.
The Beldocs XR Academy award is bestowed to a project in order to attend the next edition and meet additional XR professionals (offering accommodation and accreditation to the Beldocs Documentary Festival, May 2025). The award is bestowed to:
/IMAGINE FAREWELL STATION
Director: Aristotelis Maragkos, Production: Konstantinos Koukoulis - Πlankton films, Co-creator / Co-production: Dimitris Delinikolas - Emptyfilm, Greece
Reasoning: This project explores the fragility of memory and the inadequacy of language through an interactive time-traveling experience. By reconstructing a fading childhood memory, it creates a poetic journey of recollection and loss. Its innovative use of described footage makes it a beautiful meditation on our attempts to grasp the past. We are happy to have /Imagine Farewell Station at XR Academy.
The Agora announces, also, the NewImages Festival Partnership Selection of one AGORA XR Lab project to the NewImages XR Market in April 2025. The film selected to participate to the NewImages XR Market is:
BITXO
Director: Lau Maquedano, Production: Alberto López Garrido - Lamola Studios, Valet Siv Manrique - Piragna Animación & Lau Maquedano, Co-production: Natxo Carrasco - HD Studio, Rubén Coca - Artyc Content, Spain, Colombia
Agora Boost
The Crew United Prize, a five-year premium subscription on Crew United Platform to a participant in the Agora Boost, is bestowed to:
THE GROUNDSKEEPER
Directors: Io Chaviara, Michalis Kastanidis, Production: Alexis Anastasiadis, Co-production: Io Chaviara & Michalis Kastanidis - Fabula Productions, Greece
Reasoning: First, we would like to congratulate all the filmmakers and producers! Each project, even if in quite different development stages, has its own strengths and charm, and it feels hard to pick out just one out of them. Deindustrialization, memory - collective and individual, and the role that space plays in it, but also the recognition by someone of the role his/her work plays in the production of mass destruction (reminding us here of Harun Farocki’s work) are some of the themes that The Groundskeeper will invite us to look at. Our warmest wishes for all the projects!
The Guidance Award, sponsored by Paradiddle Pictures and given to a project participating in the Agora Lab. The award is bestowed to:
MAGIC WHISTLE
Director: Avraam Goutzeloudis & Alexandros Katsis, Production: Photini Economopoulou - OhMyDog Productions, Greece
Reasoning: With music as an important ingredient, there is always the potential to tell an emotional and engaging story. In order to fully explore the full potential of the music and story universe of the project, the Paradiddle Pictures Guidance Award goes to the Magic Whistle.
