AGORA Talks: March 10 - 12
The TiDF AGORA Talks feature stimulating and thought-provoking discussions on documentary filmmaking and the audiovisual industry aiming to offer best practices and practical information to AGORA and Festival accredited guests.
Subjects are diverse and touch upon digital platforms, safe spaces and inclusion, investigative documentary practices as well as the launch of a new initiative in partnership with DOK Leipzig.
All AGORA Talks are held at the MOMus - Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
(Warehouse A, Port). Open to accredited guests on a first-come-first-served basis.
MONDAY, MARCH 10 16.30 - 18.00
Digital platforms: A new era
Digital streaming platforms revolutionized documentary filmmaking, offering creators global reach and diverse revenue models. However, the rapid evolution of these platforms introduces uncertainties in profitability due to intense competition. The industry must explore innovative distribution methods, utilizing emerging media to develop entirely new approaches for promoting and selling films. In this Talk, we will engage with both international and Greek platforms to gain a clearer understanding of their operations, outcomes, and the evolving future of digital platforms.
Speakers:
Lefteris Fylaktos HoD Culture, Education & Children's Programming - ERT/ ERTFLIX
Dilan Karadağ Executive Producer - Max / WBD
Alexandre Marionneau Head of international co-production/ Society and Culture department - ARTE France
Aurélien Marsais Programmer and Board Member - Tënk
Tijana Djukic Head of Sales and Acquistions - Stranger Films Sales
Moderator: Photini Economopoulou Producer - OhMyDog Productions
In collaboration with the Greek Documentary Association - Hellas Doc
TUESDAY, MARCH 11 15.00 - 16.30
(Re)Defining safety in the film industry
Feeling safe or unsafe means different things to different people. "Safe space" has become a buzzword - everyone wants one, claims one, or tries to create one. But what does safety really mean in an industry built on power dynamics and deep-rooted hierarchies, where people from different backgrounds interact in industry platforms, in markets and festivals, in training initiatives or even in the editing room?
We question where responsibility lies and what can institutions do to support safety in all its facets and reduce harm, what are the limits and acceptable risks, how is this responsibility shared and how to harness experience to create safer working environments. Let's unpack this together: share best practices, reflect on individual experiences, explore collective ways forward and learn about #DocSafe - an initiative created to address unsafe practices and foster accountability in the documentary industry.
Speakers:
Elena Christopoulou Holistic Therapist
Kesmat Elsayed Producer - See Media Production Egypt & Seera Films
Nora Philippe Head of Program - EURODOC
Moderator: Marion Schmidt Cultural Manager & Consultant
Co-organized with #DocSafe
Supported by Creative Europe Media Desk Greece
TUESDAY, MARCH 11 17.00 - 18.30
Doc Together initiative launch
Documentary filmmakers often face great challenges in their countries compelling many to relocate to a different country for a number of reasons. Some are targeted due to their political views or aspects of their identity, including ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Others are forced to flee as wars devastate their homelands. At the same time, there are also filmmakers who either choose to or cannot but remain in their countries, navigating challenges and finding ways to create under such difficult circumstances.
The Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival and DOK Leipzig join forces to launch Doc Together, a new initiative which aims to explore how displaced or exiled filmmakers as well as filmmakers working in peril in their home countries can access financing and resources, particularly when they are excluded from national funding opportunities or are unable to access support in their countries of origin. The festivals will host events on the grounds in which these vital discussions will take place and will offer the floor to selected filmmakers to share their works and stories.
Speakers:
Talal Afifi Director - Sudan Film Factory
Thomas Kaske Producer - Seera Films
Nadja Tennstedt Director - DOK Industry, DOK Leipzig
Angeliki Vergou Head of AGORA - Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
Moderator: Alex Shiriaieff Chief Executive producer - EuroArctic Media Group
Co-organized with DOK Leipzig
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12 17.00 - 18.30
Seeing is no longer believing: Why investigative docs matter more than ever
We live in the century of information and in a blink of an eye, an unprecedented amount of this information makes countless circles around the globe. Anyone can create and circulate anything. It is increasingly apparent that the mechanisms created to check the facts, stop the spread of lies and disinformation, are becoming scarce. Suddenly, the need for investigative documentaries is more urgent than ever. In this AGORA Talk we will discuss the power of uncovering the truth, the lack of comprehensive and responsible news reporting and why these matters are more crucial than ever for the survival of democracy itself.
Speakers:
Giorgos Christides Investigative Journalist - NDR, Guardian, Solomon
Jake Tacchi Producer - BBC Eye Investigations
Corina Petridi Journalist & Data Editor - Solomon
Moderator: Brigid O’Shea Director & International Consultant - Documentary Association of Europe (DAE)
