The Agora of the 66th Thessaloniki IFF set for a powerful edition fueled by rich collaborations and joint ventures

The Agora of the 66th Thessaloniki IFF set for a powerful edition fueled by rich collaborations and joint ventures

European Film Academy Board, EAVE Producers Workshop, Finland and MIDPOINT are coming to Thessaloniki

Agora, the industry section of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, is setting the stage for its most dynamic edition fueled by rich collaboration and joint ventures. The 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival will take place from October 30th until November 9th, with the support of the Ministry of Culture. The Agora of the 66th Thessaloniki IFF continues its mission to support the cinema of tomorrow by fostering new partnerships that highlight Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean and Greece. 

This year, the Agora:

• Collaborates with the prestigious organization European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs - EAVE, which specializes in professional training, project development, and networking for audiovisual producers. In Thessaloniki, they will hold a unique workshop aimed at strengthening European production and co-production.

• Hosts the meeting of the Board of the European Film Academy, in view of the European Film Awards, which will take place in Greece in 2027.

• Welcomes Finland as the guest country in Agora's pioneering program Bridge to the North, which encourages cinematic collaborations between Northern and Southern Europe.

• Carries its longstanding collaboration with MIDPOINT Institute, an international training and networking organization in the audiovisual sector. In Thessaloniki, it will host an intensive, specialized workshop focusing on the sustainability and strategic development of production companies.

Serving as an international networking hub and event for the film industry professionals, Agora enhances its well-established connection with the prestigious European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs - EAVE, partnering up for the concluding session of the EAVE Producers Workshop 2025. EAVE, in collaboration with the Greek Producers Association, and with the support of the Creative Hub GR by Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center - Creative Greece, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Film Office Central Macedonia, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, AGORA, Film Fund Luxembourg and Creative Europe MEDIA, is organizing the third EAVE Producers Workshop of 2025 in Thessaloniki. The workshop is aimed at producers (fiction, documentary and TV series), who are already working in the film and television industries, and who wish to expand their operation internationally by increasing their knowledge of producing and co-producing in Europe and by building up a pan-European professional network. During their final workshop session, the participants will have the opportunity to meet with leading professionals from Greece and abroad (commissioning editors, national and regional media funds, financiers, sales agents, etc.) to discuss their projects, companies and careers, gaining access to Europe's Key Industry Players. Professionals will be integrated to Agora’s networking and project/film accelerator programs offering unique networking opportunities to its participants.

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is proud to host the European Film Academy Board for its annual autumn meeting, paving the way for the preparations of the European Film Academy Awards, taking place in Greece in 2027, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Through this partnership, the Festival aims to create a fertile ground for conversations between professionals and institutions and support the film industry and ecosystem of Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Bridge to the North welcomes Finland! Agora’s most recent channel of collaboration, brings together the South and the North of Europe, welcoming each year a different guest country from the Baltic and Nordic regions. This initiative is designed to foster co-productions, synergies, and cultural exchanges that can enrich the global film landscape. The program has already successfully welcomed Lithuania and Sweden. Α delegation of film professionals from Finland will actively participate in Agora, aiming to explore co-financing opportunities and lay the groundwork for new creative partnerships with professionals from Greece and beyond. All Agora industry activities will therefore be open to applications of projects, talents and films from Finland. A special collaboration is already in place as one of the winners of the R&A Shorts National Competition at Helsinki IFF will participate in the Agora Short Film Lab, a dedicated educational program for filmmakers of short films that introduces the EU market ecosystem. This synergy is made possible through the Festival’s collaboration with the Finnish Film Foundation, Helsinki International Film Festival and Finnish Film Affair and the support of the Finnish Embassy in Athens and the Finnish Institute at Athens.

Agora’s dynamic initiatives bring forth the opportunities and the possibilities in fields of financing and artistic collaborations, while laying the groundwork for coproductions, synergies, promotion and cultural exchanges.

As every year, professionals will have the opportunity to participate in the following activities:

• Agora Series. Hosting renowned local and international guests, the Agora Series invites professionals of the audiovisual sector from Greece, Southeastern Europe, and the Mediterranean to attend a series of events, including masterclasses, panel discussions, and case study presentations. These events also provide participants with valuable opportunities to expand their professional network.
• Crossroads Co-production Forum. The aim of the Crossroads Co-production Forum is to support producers of feature-length fiction films with ties to the Mediterranean, Southeastern, and Central Europe. Producers of selected film projects in development will have the chance to present and discuss their projects with fellow producers, distributors, sales agents, and top industry experts from various production fields.
• Agora Works in Progress. Films participating in the Agora Works in Progress section will be presented to prominent producers, sales agents, distributors, and festival representatives. This allows industry professionals to be the first to discover feature-length films from the Mediterranean, Central, and Southeastern Europe that are in the final stages of completion.
• Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy. The Thessaloniki International Film Festival, in collaboration with the Locarno Film Festival, co-organizes the Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy. This educational program is designed to help young film and new media professionals specializing in film promotion and distribution to enhance their experience and expand their professional networks in the areas of international sales, marketing, distribution, and film programming.
• Agora Short Film Lab. The Agora Short Film Lab, organized by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in collaboration with the Drama International Short Film Festival and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, is a three-day workshop featuring discussions with experienced professionals from the film industry. The workshop focuses on mentoring short film directors as they make the transition to feature-length filmmaking.
• Agora Film Market. The Agora Film Market promotes the majority of the films featured in the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s official program, as well as films from countries that the Agora highlights, even if they are not part of the official festival selection. This allows a greater number of films to find their way to other festivals and distribution companies. Additionally, a curated selection of Greek films from the past two years is also presented.

For more information please visit: https://www.filmfestival.gr/en/professionals/tiff-agora