Presentation of the Crossroads Co-production Forum projects

The presentation of this year’s Crossroads Co-production Forum projects took place on Monday November 9th, at Frida Liappa theater, giving the chance to filmmakers and professionals of the film industry to meet up, exchange ideas and look for new collaborations.

Welcoming the attendees, the Head of Agora Thanos Stavropoulos expressed his joy for seeing both many familiar faces and new entries taking part in the Agora. “We thank you for being with us this year to discover new and exciting film projects, find new collaborators and partners, but most of all to make new friends,” he mentioned, setting the tone of this year’s edition.

The floor was then given to the Festival’s Artistic Director Orestis Andreadakis, who joked about the challenges of seeking the rights partners in the cinema crime. “Some of you look for a new script, a solid new script, the appropriate film project, while others are in search of the right producer. Allow me, though, to tell you one thing. Having a two-year-old son, I can assure you it is much easier to find the right script, the right project, or the right producer than to find the right nanny. So, keep looking!” he concluded.

The baton was then passed on again to Thanos Stavropoulos, who welcomed this year’s Agora ambassador, director, screenwriter and actor Christoforos Papakaliatis, who went on to thank the Festival for the invitation and greeted the participants with a message of encouragement. “I know that most of you feel a little stressed, so I won’t take up much of your time. I just wanted to say that you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. What matters is to enjoy the ride and meet the right people. So, book your meetings and allow this experience to serve as a source of inspiration for the next script, the next film or the next film project,” he noted, adding that he can’t wait to watch all the projects of this year’s edition.

Subsequently, Thanos Stavropoulos thanked the bodies and institutions that support Agora, which is funded by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, as well as the sponsors, the supporters and the partners that contribute each year to its realization. A special mention was made to the Festival’s staff, the production teams and the audiovisual support, but mostly to the Agora team and its volunteers, inciting the audience to offer them a warm applause.

Errika Zacharopoulou, Crossroads Co-production Forum Coordinator, was the next to take the floor, thanking all the participants and expressing her satisfaction for the dynamic presence of filmmakers and film industry professionals in the event. She also made a special mention to the presence of filmmakers and graduates of the Agora programmes, associated with the nominations of this year’s European Film Academy awards. Among them she singled out the films Hold on to Me by Myrsini Aristidou, I Matter by Alina Șerban and Black Money for White Nights by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, which are screened at this year’s Festival programme, noting that two of them had taken part in past editions of Crossroads. “There is no greater joy than to see the film projects presented here each November to move forward and find the right partners,” she concluded.

The 14 film projects of the 22nd Crossroads Co-production Forum

This year, Crossroads Co-production Forum will give the chance to 14 film projects coming from 15 countries of Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean to look for co-producers and funding.

Let’s take a glance at the film projects:

A PAIR OF SHOES IN THE DARK CORNER OF THE MOON

Director: Ayman El Amir, Production: Nada Riyadh - Felucca Films, Egypt

THE ARAB OF YOUR DREAMS Director: Patrick Tass, Production: Annabella Nezri - Kwassa Films, Belgium (Mediterranean Film Institute project)

A TOUCH OF PARADISE Director: Houcem Slouli, Production: Sarra Ben Hassen - Instinct bleu, Khaled Henchiri - Upper Echlon, Tunisia

BOYS OF SUMMER Director: Emilios Avraam, Production: Marinos Charalambous - Boycott Films, Tonia Mishiali - Bark Like a Cat Films, Cyprus

FUORISTAGIONE Director: Isabella Rinaldi, Production: Joana de Freitas Ginori - Ulalà Film & Co., Italy

IN THOSE DARKEST NIGHTS Director: Gözde Kural, Producer: Titus Kreyenberg - unafilm, Türkiye, Germany (Sofia Meetings project)

KOUKITSA Director: Christina Koutsospyrou, Aran Hughes, Production: Jacob Moe - Archipelago Network, Greece

LAVA LOVE Director: Steve Krikris, Production: Nicholas Alavanos, Stelios Mavrodontis - Filmiki, Co-production: Zik Zak Filmworks - Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson, Greece, Iceland

PETROLI Director: Gemma Blasco, Production: Mireia Graell Vivancos - Ringo Media, Spain,

RELIGION OF NIGHT WALKS Director: Nikola Ležaić, Production: Siniša Juričić - Nukleus film, Co-production: Jelena Mitrovič - Baš Čelik, Miriam Nørgaard - Growing Stories, Croatia, Serbia, Denmark

TETTIX Director: Stella Serefoglou, Production: Alexandros Tiliopoulos - OPEN BORDERS PRODUCTIONS, Co-production: Zorana Musikic, May Odeh - MAYANA Films, Greece, Germany

THE LAST ANGEL OF BEIRUT Director: Valentin Noujaïm, Production: Manon Messiant - Iliade et films, France

THEY BLOOM AT DAWN Director: Angela Dimeska, Production: Ognen Antov - Dream Factory, North Macedonia (MIDPOINT Institute project)

THIS IS NOT A SET Director: Yumna Marwan, Production: Rula Nasser - Imaginarium Films, Jordan

Τhe Crossroads Co-production Forum Awards, include:

Jury Awards

• FRENEL Post Lab Post-Production Award
  Post-production image services
• CNC Award - Centre national du cinema et de l’image animée
  €8,000 for script development
• ArteKino International Award
  €6,000
• Finos Film Award
  €3,000 to a Greek project
• Producers’ Network - Marché du Film Award
  Free accreditation
• MIDPOINT Consulting Award
  An in-depth online script consultancy with one of the MIDPOINT Institute experts

Independent Awards

• Onassis Film Award
  €10,000 to a Greek project participating in the AGORA (Crossroads Co-production Forum or AGORA Works in Progress)
• Greener Screen Consultancy Award
  Consultation services on green production
• Sofia Meetings of the Sofia IFF Award
  Project selection
• Mediterranean Film Institute - George Kalogeropoulos Award
  Script 2 Film Workshops scholarship
• THESSALONIKI EAVE Marketing Workshop Scholarship 2027 Scholarship to one participant powered by Thessaloniki International Film Festival

This year’s Crossroads Co-production Forum Jury consists of:

Ioanna Bolomyti, Producer and Founder of Atalante Productions SA (Greece), Fred Burle, Producer at One Two Films (Germany) and Linda Mutawi, Producer at Fikra (Sweden) as well as the Arte Kino Prize International Juror, Remi Burah, CEO of Arte France Cinéma (France).