The event “Bridge to the North Presentation: Co-production opportunities with Finland” took place on Monday, November 3, as part of the Agora Talks at the 66th TIFF. Opening the session, Angeliki Vergou, Head of Agora, warmly welcomed the participants and expressed gratitude to the Municipality of Thessaloniki for hosting the event at the Thessaloniki Music Center. Angeliki Vergou introduced Agora’s Bridge to the North initiative — an effort to build creative bridges between the South and the North of Europe — and extended a special welcome to Finland and the Finnish professionals joining the conversation. She also thanked the Finnish Film Foundation, the Helsinki International Film Festival, the Finnish Film Affair, the Embassy of Finland in Athens, and the Finnish Institute in Athens for their collaboration and support.
The panel, moderated by Zoe Kandyla, Head of Development and Production at the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, brought together Petri Kemppinen (producer, Good Hand Production), Jaana Puskala (Head of International Department, Finnish Film Foundation), and Maria Ladaki (Head of Supervision and Audit Subunit, Investment Programmes Unit). “Co-production and opportunities are the key words of today’s discussion,” Zoe Kandyla said in her opening remarks, setting the tone for an engaging exchange on the potential for collaboration between Greece and Finland. She also invited speakers to share their viewpoints on the existing production and funding schemes in both countries and how they could form the foundation for deeper creative partnerships.
Petri Kemppinen shared insights from his extensive experience across different roles in the film industry, recalling one of his early projects as a funder, a collaboration with a Greek production company, and presented a video featuring several titles from Totalpost Finland post-production consortium. Taking the floor, Jaana Puskala highlighted the strong sense of unity within the Finnish film industry and its dedication to diversity. She also presented an overview of the Finnish Film Foundation’s role in supporting and promoting Finnish cinema through funding for professional film production, distribution, and exhibition, sharing the Foundation’s 2024-2025 strategy.
Zoe Kandyla then presented the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre’s activities, including its selective funding programs, development schemes, minority co-production initiatives, and the wider co-production opportunities available in Greece. She showcased the co-productions supported over the past four years, average project budgets, and the significant progress achieved, noting that the Centre has recently increased its overall funding capacity. Maria Ladaki followed with a presentation on which enterprise types can benefit from the Cash Rebate framework, offering practical guidance on how applicants can best prepare their submissions and emphasizing the importance of project maturity when applying for investment schemes. She also discussed practical aspects such as payment timelines and the common challenges faced during the evaluation process. The event concluded with a lively and thorough Q & A.
