20^th THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL [2-11/3/2018]

The 20^th anniversary edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival’s Doc Market award ceremony (Docs in Progress section) took place on Wednesday March 7 2018 in Warehouse C, in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, with filmmakers exchanging views and personal stories.

The General Director of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival Elise Jalladeau opened the event, while the Head of the Agora, Yianna Sarri, welcomed the attendants. Docs in Progress were hosted for a seventh year in a row in TDF’s Doc Market section. This year ten films from Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean were presented to the producers, sales agents, distributors and festival representatives who attend the 20^th TDF.

This year’s international Docs in Progress jury consisted of Laia Abuia (Distribution Manager, DocsBarcelona, Spain), Charlotte Madsen (Buyer, SVT, Sweden) and Takis Veremis (Distributor, StraDA Films, Greece).

The first prize for post-production services, amounting to 15,000 euros, was granted by the Greek post-production company 2|35 Inc to the film Seeds of Columbus directed by Marianna Economou – Greece (Production: Stefi/Lynx Productions, Spyros Mavrogenis, Co-production: Rea Apostolides - Anemon Productions). “I warmly thank the Festival; everything I know about documentary I learned it here in Thessaloniki” said the film director.

The second MuSou prize in sound and music services, amounting up to 6,500 euros, was granted to the film Staring at the Sun directed by Atieh Attarzadeh and Hesam Eslami – France, Iran (Production: Etienne de Ricaud, Caractères Productions, Co-production: Hesam Eslami, Atieh Attarzadeh). “I will inform the film’s directors, I’m sure they will be thrilled with the news. We thank the TDF and the jury”, said the film’s producer. Also, the jury awarded special mention to the film Gentle Warriors directed by Marija Stonyte – Lithuania, Esthonia (Production: Giedre Zickyte, Moonmakers, Co-production: Riho Vastrik).

Consequently, the Greek Film Centre’s Hellas Film Promotion director Kostas Aivaliotis presented the new award, amounting to 3,000 euros, which was offered by the Greek Film Centre as a gesture of support to the 20^th anniversary edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and the Doc Market. The award was offered to the film Tiny Souls directed by Dina Naser – Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, The Netherlands, France (Production: Dina Naser and Ruba Ghazi Hannun - Mad Moshawash, Co-production:  Khaled Haddad - Jordan Prioneers, Palmyre Badinier- Urban Factory). The director warmly thanked the Festival for the opportunity to participate in Docs in Progress.