The presentation of the projects taking part in the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum of the 26th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival’s Agora took place on Monday March 11th, at John Cassavetes theatre. This year's Thessaloniki Pitching Forum features 12 projects from the wider Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean, highlighting diversity and presenting fascinating human stories. The selected projects explore – each in its own particular way – undocumented pieces of history, women's movements and environmental issues, as well as identity issues, the cost of success in sports culture, the transgenerational trauma and the intricacies of human relationships.
The event was introduced by Angeliki Vergou, the head of the Agora: "We are happy to see you all here. We appreciate your presence and attendance at the AGORA and the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. As a cultural institution we strive for an open and inclusive festival and industry event and we cherish your support to filmmakers from our diverse region. Now more than ever, we believe that coming together and supporting each other is essential. We live in a world where money and power seem to eclipse rationality. Documentary filmmaking and art are vital in illuminating diverse perspectives and fostering empathy, understanding, and critical discourse of our overwhelmingly fast changing world. This is the reason we are here today. To help filmmakers be heard and seen", she said and gave the floor to Elise Jalladeau, the general director of the Festival.
"Welcome to the Agora. We live in a time that has made us anxiously anticipate tomorrow. The war in Ukraine has already been going on for two years with increasing horror. While in the Middle East, a breath away, a new war has been raging for the last five months and the innocent civilian victims are multiplying every day. The Festival cannot propose geopolitical solutions, but it has a responsibility to give a voice to those in need. It rejects acts of hatred, violence, extreme voices of intolerance and racism and is an open platform for art, inclusion and dialogue. It welcomes artists, films and projects from all over the world, Palestine, Israel and the Middle East. Against war, any war, the Thessaloniki Festival is a field of unity, an exchange of ideas, a safe place that always stands on the side of the weak and peace."
At this point, Ms. Vergou thanked the Creative Europe Media and the Documentary Association of Europe for their close relationship with the Festival and the co-organization of the Agora program. Thanos Stavropoulos, partner of the Agora, presented the actions and the Agora program for the days of the Festival. Then the Pitching Forum awards were presented.
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum has secured 3 new awards for its participants. The new IEFTA Award for Best Documentary in Development 10,000-euro cash prize, the Eurodoc Award of 1,000 euros along with a VIP membership and the Sunny Side of the Doc Prize of 2 industry passes and 500 euros towards travel expenses.
The Onassis Foundation awards the Onassis Film Award to a Greek project of the Agora of the Festival either in the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum or in Docs in Progress. The award is accompanied by a 5,000 euros prize and aims to highlight emerging creators. Among the awards of the projects are the ERT Award of 2,000 euros for a Greek project, the Mediterranean Film Institute Script2Film granting a Scholarship for the Doc Lab participation (June-December 2024), DAE Award (consulting sessions), Aylon Productions Digital Services Award (digitization of material), Beldocs Award (accommodation and accreditation at the Festival of Serbia, May 2024) and DOK Leipzig Accelerator Award (selection of a project to participate in Open Program, 2 free accreditations and accommodation, October 2024).
The 2024 Thessaloniki Pitching Forum jury consists of:
Mario Adamson, Producer, Sisyfos Films - Sweden
Sophie Duncan, Marketplace & Talent Programmes Producer, Sheffield DocFest - UK
Suzanne Nodale, Sales Agent, Cinephil - France / Israel
Participants have the opportunity to discuss their project, get comments and advice and sharpen their material during the two-day workshop and preparation for pitching by documentary experts. The tutors of the workshop are: Ove Jensen, producer and documentary expert, Paradiddle Pictures - Denmark, Brigid O'Shea, international consultant, DAE - Germany, Peter Jaeger, consultant, Jaeger Creative - Austria, Mila Turajlić, director - producer, Poppy Pictures - Serbia. Then, the participants of the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum will present their project during the one-day Pitching Forum to an international panel of experts and have one-on-one meetings with professionals in the field.
Thessaloniki Pitching Forum Projects:
WOMEN OF 1922 (working title)
Directors: Aris Kaplanidis, Elias Roumeliotis, Producer: Ioanna Soultani - Soul Productions, Co-producer: Tonia Mishiali - Bark Like A Cat
Greece, Cyprus
LAKE
Director: Nikos Ziogas, Producers: Konstantina Stavrianou & Rena Vougioukalou - Graal Films, Antigoni Papantoni - rawDOCS
Greece
SURVIVORS
Directors: Nina-Maria Paschalidou, Maria Louka, Producers: Mina Dreki, Iro Aidoni - Marni Films
Greece
DARK BLUE RIVER
Director: Sergej Kreso, Producer: Harmen Jalvingh - Doxy Films
The Netherlands
IF THESE STONES COULD TALK
Director: Hana Elias, Producer: Asmahan Bkerat
Palestine
KAFKA IN BELGRADE
Director: Maša Nešković, Producers: Maja Medić, Ena Bajraktarević - Marienbad film
Serbia
In collaboration with CIRCLE Doc Women Accelerator
MOUNTAIN CRIES
Director: Lavinia Xausa, Producer: Sam Godfried - Yalla docs
The Netherlands
OPERATION “CHAMPION”
Director: Mariam Nikolaishvili, Producer: Irina Gelashvili - Radium Films
Georgia
THE SECRET HAND
Director: Valerio Valente, Producer: Paolo Maria Spina - Revolver, Co-producers: Enrico Cannizzo - Filmine, Boris Despodov - Arthouse Blockbusters, Wojciech Karubin - Movie Mates
Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland
WHILE OUR SUN BURNS
Director: David Krøyer, Producer: Anna Marina Skouros - Onomamono, Co-producer: Rea Apostolides - Anemon Productions
Denmark, Greece
WHY THE F*** AM I SO SAD?
Director: Nela Märki, Producer: Martin Rattini - Helios Sustainable Films
Italy
WOMEN WALK HOME
Director: Stephanie Andreou, Producer: Adrián Gutiérrez - Astarte Films
Cyprus
