Slow networking, discovery and reconnection at the 4th Evia Film Project Agora
Through meetings with acclaimed industry professionals in the unique landscape of Northern Evia, an insightful excursion to nature, led by WWF Greece and a wellbeing workshop and activities, the Agora of the 4th Evia Film Project, the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s green initiative, adopts a holistic and innovative approach, interweaving cinematic creation with a green stance.
Firmly focused on its sustainability goal, Agora continues its path towards a circular economy model, inviting industry professionals to discover or reconnect with six projects from Greece and abroad that have been presented in TiFF and TiDF Agora in the past.
This year’s program provides Agora’s professionals and accredited guests with the space and time to connect with each other and with the environment, to discover the latest practices and take delight in “slow networking”, amidst the relaxed ambiance of Northern Evia.
EFP Agora is also partnering up with the creative and women-led residency A room of one's own, organized by Etxe Betea - A full house in Bilbao. Within the framework of this new initiative, two filmmakers will be invited to Evia to meet with professionals and potential partners. This exchange was initiated during the 3rd Evia Film Project, through the participation and scholarship of Greek creative Alkistis Efthimiou, who joined the international residency program with her project Your Delicate Friend.
Let’s take a look at the projects presented in this year’s EFP Agora:
FRIENDS, BIRTHDAYS, MURDER, ETC.
Fiction Feature
Directors - Scriptwriters: Dimitris Tsakaleas, Lida Vartzioti, Production: Ioanna Bolomyti - Atalante Productions, Greece
HOLY HUMAN ANGEL
Documentary Feature
Director: Angeliki Aristomenopoulou, Production: Yuri Averof, Rea Apostolides - Αnemon, Co-production: Vicky Miha - Asterisk, Heather Millard - Compass Films, Greece, Iceland
HOW MANY NIGHTS, HOW MANY DAYS?
Documentary Feature
Director: Alaa Dajani, Scriptwriters: Kesmat Elsayed, Alaa Dajani, Production: Kesmat Elsayed - See Media Production, Co-production: Seera Films, Egypt, Germany
THE CROSSROAD / AS GOD WILLS
Fiction Feature
Director - Scriptwriter: Mari Gulbiani, Production: Kate Kalandarishvili - Midifilm, Georgia
WE KISS IN DARK NIGHTCLUBS AND I EXPLAIN
Fiction Feature
Director: Daphné Hérétakis, Scriptwriters: Daphné Hérétakis, Konstantinos Samaras, Production: Daphné Hérétakis - Allonsanfàn Films, Co-production: Jasmina Sijercic - Bocalupo Films, Greece, France
WOMEN WALK HOME
Documentary Feature
Director: Stephanie Andreou, Production: Adrián Gutiérrez - Saia Films, Co-production: Rémi Grellety, Sara Skrodzka - Warboys Films, Cyprus, France
Every night, a by-the-sea happy hour will offer Agora’s guests the chance to get into a networking mood, with film professionals (producers, sales agents, festival programmers) from all over the world.
Intently engaged in sustainability practices within the framework of the 4th Evia Film Project, Agora is making one more step towards building an optimal and sustainable film industry, offering one-on-one private meetings with the creative producer and freelance consultant Ieva Ūbele, experienced on green film productions.
Accredited Agora guests will have the chance to take part in a unique wellbeing workshop which centers on an alternative approach to productivity, titled The Art of Doing Less by holistic therapist Elena Christopoulou in addition to a morning yoga session by the sea.
Moreover, in an effort to support the next generation of the film industry, Agora offers a series of short and targeted meetings with the film students of the Department of Digital Arts and Cinema, focusing on the importance of building a network, learning from distinguished guests and contributing to the development of the new professionals.
Hiking in Mount Xiro: Destruction and Rebirth
What were the repercussions of the 2021 wildfires in Northern Evia? How does the forest bounce back following the destruction? What needs to be done from this point forward?
These are some of the questions raised and addressed by the EFP4 Agora guests who will take part in the hiking tour in Mount Xiro, which is organized In collaboration with WWF Greece. During the tour they will be guided through the fire-stricken areas of Northern Evia. With the mesmerizing landscape of the Drymona waterfalls as a starting point, they will have the chance to take a close look at the impact of the fire on species that lack the possibility of natural regrowth, but also at how nature has begun to regenerate. Members of the scientific team of the Overland Program held by WWF Greece, headed by WWF Greece’s Forest Fires Actions Coordinator, Elias Tziritis, will serve as our guides in this unique mountainous route with the breathtaking view – from the Euboean Gulf to the Aegean Sea and from Mount Dirfi to Mount Pelion and Mount Athos.
Participants will be supported by members of the Association of Volunteer Forest Fire Fighters Rescuers of North-Central Evia.
