Ιn 2005, the Agora was launched, establishing a productive and unique form of helping and introducing professionals visiting Thessaloniki from Southeast Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the rest of the world, to the industry professionals, consultants, tutors, and potential collaborators invited to the Festival. All necessary information for the Agora can be found in the Thessaloniki Agora Manual, including all the participating Crossroads Co-production Forum and Agora Works in Progress projects, the Agora Film Market titles, and the company profiles of all the film professionals. The Agora takes place on the ground floor of Warehouse C (Thessaloniki Port) between 3–10 November 2018. The Agora includes the following activities:

Agora Film Market
3–10 November 2018
The Agora Film Market promotes the majority of the feature films participating in the official sections of the 59th TIFF. Additionally, more titles from the countries that the Agora focuses on will be presented, even though they are not part of the festival’s main program. In this way, they will have the opportunity to find their way to other international film festivals, sales agents and distributors. The Agora Film Market also includes previous films by the Crossroads participants and a selection of Greek films produced within the last year.

Crossroads Co-production Forum
6–10 November 2018
Crossroads chooses projects based on the quality of the script, the creative team and the likelihood of their being produced. Crossroads aims to support the producers of feature-length film projects that are linked to Central Europe, the Mediterranean or Balkan countries.
More...

Agora Works in Progress
8 November 2018
This industry activity gives the opportunity to selected sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers from all over the world to be the first to discover feature films from the Mediterranean and Balkan countries, in the stage just before completion.
More...

Agora Training Day
6 November 2018
New directors and producers get the opportunity to learn from the best and most important film professionals. A day full of discussions where people who wish to establish themseleves in the industry can exchange ideas, methods, and approaches.

Europa Cinemas: Innovation Day Lab
2 November 2018
For the first year, Europa Cinemas together with the Greek Cinema Association is joining forces with the Thessaloniki Film Festival. This Innovation Day Lab will focus on marketing, communication, audience development and young audiences. Participants will consider these topics in practical workshops, discussions and case studies. The goal is to strengthen the network of local cinemas and to provide a platform where they can share strengths, weaknesses and examples of best practices. This one-day workshop will be open to exhibitors from Greece and to all European exhibitors attending the Thessaloniki Film Festival.

Films for Kids in South-Eastern Europe: A State of Play
10 November 2018
The Thessaloniki Film Festival is presenting a study looking at various aspects of the market for films addressed to young audiences in the South East of Europe, with a focus in production. Following the presentation of the study, film professionals and funds will brainstorm on ways to stimulate both the market and the younger audiences audiences, locally as well as regionally. This session is open to accredited Agora guests.

Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy International

5–10 November 2018
Thessaloniki IFF together with Locarno IFF organize the Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy International. Already launched successfully in Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, and New York, it is a training program created to help young professionals of the cinema industry – sales agents, distributors and new media professionals – to extend their experience and networking in the fields of international sales, marketing, distribution, and programming.

The program will welcome in priority participants from Greece, as well as from South Eastern European and Mediterranean countries, but it can also include other international participants.

The Thessaloniki Locarno Industry Academy International is part of the Locarno Industry Academy International network which include Morelia IFF in Mexico (Morelia-Imcine Locarno Industry Academy International), Australab in Chile (Valparaiso-Locarno Industry Academy International), Cinema do Brasil (Sao-Paulo-Locarno Industry Academy International), Film Society of Lincoln Center / New Directors New Films Festival in the USA (NYC-Locarno Industry Academy International), Metropolis / MC Distribution in Lebanon (Beirut-Locarno Industry Academy International).

This year’s participants:
Duygu Cumert, Sinema TV, Turkey
Sofia Eleftheriades, Lionsgate, UK
Elisa May, Mindjazz Pictures, Germany
Ilinka Mihailescu, Voodoo Films, Romania
Christos Politis, Feelgood Entertainment, Greece
Ruta Svedkauskaite, Pluto Film, Germany
Daria Voumard, Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland
Bohdan Zhuk, Kyiv IFF, Ukraine