4th AGORA

November 14 - 23, 2008

49th Thessaloniki International Film Festival

The 4th Agora Film Market will take place from November 14th to 23rd, 2008, in the context of the 49th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The Agora is continuing last year's highly successful effort, in which 36 films from South Eastern Europe obtained distribution in 18 different world territories.

"In its three years of operation, the Agora has managed to obtain a maximum of participation from Greek and foreign industry professionals: producers, distributors, festival programmers, representatives from institutions and trade unions. During the 47th edition there was an increase of 15% in the participation of foreign buyers. More importantly, during the 3rd Agora, the distribution of 283 films was supported, 73 of which were from Greece (an increase of 45,5%), and 80 from South Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean (an increase of 93%). These numbers demonstrate the importance of the Agora Market as a valuable screening venue of our wider area's contemporary film production", stresses Festival Director Despina Mouzaki.

This year the Agora has attained the participation of buyers from all over the world, while the presence of programmers from European and American festivals keeps increasing; in Thessaloniki they have the opportunity to discover new talent from the Mediterranean and South Eastern Europe. There is also an increased interest in participation from producers from Greece, the Balkans and South Eastern Europe who, in the TIFF, find the ideal opportunity to export their films internationally in Thessaloniki. 

Some of the participating professionals are:

DISTRIBUTORS: The Global Film Initiative (USA), IFC (USA), Cineplex Development  (Taiwan), Filmcoopi (Switzerland), Film House (Mexico), First Distributors (Hong Kong), Cineplex (Colombia), Vanguard (USA), Soda Pictures (UK), Daisy Entertainment (Korea)

SALES AGENTS: Rezo Films (France), Cinemavault Releasing (Canada), Mdc International (Germany), Kinowelt Medien (Germany), Wide Management (France), Fortissimo Films (United Kingdom), Memento Films International (France), Visit Films (USA), The Little Film Company (USA), Trust Film Sales (Denmark)

FILM FESTIVALS: Washington, Dc International Film Festival (USA), Rotterdam Film Festival (Netherlands), Locarno International Film Festival (Switzerland), New York Film Festival (USA), Tribeca Film Festival (USA), San Francisco Film Society (USA), Berlin Film Festival- International Forum Of New Cinema (Germany), Quinzaine Des Realisateurs Cannes Film Festival (France), Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival (Czech Republic)

FILMS AND INDUSTRY SCREENINGS

During the 4th Agora, all the films from the official Festival, Greek films not included in the official program, films from South Eastern Europe and the South Eastern Mediterranean, as well as selected "In Development" films from Greece and the Balkans, will be showcased and promoted.

BALKAN WORKS IN PROGRESS: The 3rd Agora's successful screening program is taking place this year, in collaboration with the Balkan Survey section. It is aimed exclusively at distributors, sales agents and Festival programmers. Selected films from the Balkans that have not yet been completed are available for screening.

This year's BALKAN WORKS IN PROGRESS are:

Bulgaria: Crayfish / Ratsi, director Ivan Cherkelov, producer Rossitsa Valkanova (Klas Film)

Croatia: Metastases / Metastaze, director Branko Schmidt, producer Stanislav Babić

Romania: The Other Irene / Cealalta Irina, director Andrei Gruzsniczki, producer Vivi Dragan Vasile, executive producer Velvet Moraru

Serbia: Skinning / Sisanje, director Stevan Filipovic, producer Branislav Jević (Hypnopolis)

Turkey: Tales from Kars / Kars Oykuleri, director Ozcan Alper, producer Basak Emre (Gezici Film)

GREEK FILMS "COMING SOON": In collaboration with the Greek Film section, Greek films will be included in this program.

This year's "COMING SOON" GREEK FILMS are:

Ricordi Mi, director Stella Theodoraki, producer Thanos Anastopoulos

Homeland, director Syllas Jumerkas, producers Maria Drandaki, Thanos Anastopoulos

Crazy Moon, director & producer Kyriakos Katzourakis

In the Woods, director & producer Angelos Frantzis

Dogtooth, director Giorgos Lanthimos, producer Yorgos Tsouryiannis

Evil In The Time Of Heroes, director & producer Giorgos Nousias

Black Field, director Vardis Marinakis, producer Yorgos Lykiardopoulos

Third World, director & producer Vassilis Blioumis

Kill the Habit, director & producer Laura Neri 

Past titles highlighted in the past two sections include: California Dreamin' (endless) by Cristian Nemescu (Un Certain Regard - Cannes Festival) Story 52 by Alexis Alexiou (Official Competition, Rotterdam Film Festival 2008), The Ambulance by Goran Radovanovic, Summer Book by S. Teoman (Forum, Berlin Film Festival 2008) and Tears for Sale by U. Stojanovic (Toronto Film Festival 2008) have been presented.

ACCESS TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETING EXPERT CONSULTANTS

For the 4th year, the Agora provides those producers who participate in the program with a Greek film and have no sales agent, one-on-one meetings with international marketing consultants, such as  Ms Claudia Landsberger, President of the European Film Promotion. This year this service is being expanded, as it will also include producers participating in the Festival's official program with completed films and "works in progress" produced in the Balkans. The experts participating are Clay Epstein (Little Film Company, USA), Peter Belsito (Without A Box- IMDB, USA), Gerry Moraitis (Cinema Vault, Canada).

For more info please contact Margarita Eliopoulou, eliopoulou-market@filmfestival.gr and Athena Georgiades, georgiades-market@filmfestival.gr.