The 4^th Agora Film Market is taking place from November 14 to 23, 2008, in the context of the 49^th 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.

Agora is a boutique industry event offering many ideal networking and trade opportunities for the global film industry.

 

This year, the Agora has obtained the participation of important buyers from all over the world, promoting the cinema of our wider area, while the participation of programmers from great European and American festivals keeps increasing. It is in Thessaloniki that they have the opportunity to discover new talent from the Mediterranean and South Eastern Europe. There is also a particularly increased interest in participation from producers from Greece, the Balkans and South Eastern Europe who find the ideal opportunity to export their films internationally in Thessaloniki. 

 

Agora promotes all the films participating in the official Festival Program. Agora also provides a showcase for completed films from the Balkans, Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean and also of “Works in Progress” from Greece and the entire Balkan Region, aiming to expand trading and networking between professionals from our region and the rest of the world.

Agora is located in the Industry Center at the Thessaloniki port on the northern shores of the Thermaikos gulf that opens into the Aegean sea, and in close proximity to Chalkidiki’s beautiful beaches. The Industry Center is next to the festival center and screening rooms, and within walking distance from the city’s famous nightlife center, in one of the most traditional areas of this historic Greek city.

Agora runs parallel to other industry related activities such as: conferences, workshops, master classes, the Crossroads Co-Production Forum, the Balkan Fund-TIFF Script Development Fund,

 

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 Festival (France), Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival (Czech Republic)

 

Agora holds DVD Library and Industry-on big screen- Screenings for the films participating in the official sections of the 49^th Festival , a wide variety of recently completed films of 1st-2nd time directors from the entire Balkan region Southeast Europe, Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as current Greek feature film productions.

 

BALKAN WORKS IN PROGRESS : The Agora’s successful screening program is taking place this year for the third time, 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 screened.

GREEK FILMS “COMING SOON”: For the second time, this year Greek films will be included in this program, in collaboration with the Greek Film section.

Up to now, acclaimed titles such as California Dreamin’ (endless) by Cristian Nemescu (Un Certain Regard – Cannes Festival) Story 52 by Alexis Alexiou (Official Competition, Rotterdam Film Festival 2008), TheAmbulance by Goran Radovanovic, SummerBook by S. Teoman (Forum, Berlin Film Festival 2008) and TearsforSale by U. Stojanovic (Toronto Film Festival 2008) have been presented.

 

Romania : The Other Irene / Cealalta Irina (director Andrei Gruzsniczki)

Bulgaria : Crayfish / Ratsi (director Ivan Cherkelov)

Serbia : Skinning / Sisanje (director Stevan Filipovic)

Croatia : Metastases / Metastaze (director Branko Schmidt)

Turkey : Tales from Kars / Kars Oykuleri (director Ozcan Alper)

 

Ricordi Μi – Stella Theodoraki

Country of Origin – Jumerkas Syllas

Crazy Moon – Kyriakos Katzourakis 

In the Forrest – Angelos Frantzis 

Incisor – Giorgos Lantimos 

The Evil 2 – Giorgos Nousias

Black Meadow – Vardis Marinakis

Third World – Vassilis Blioumis 

Kill the Habit – Laura Neri 

For the 4^th year, the Agora provides all the producers participating in the Festival’s official program with a film produced in Greece without a sales agent one on one meetings with international marketing consultants, through Ms ClaudiaLandsberger, 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 films produced in the Balkans, including producers participating in the BALKAN WORKS IN PROGRESS program. The experts participating are Clay Epstein ( Little Film Company, USA), Peter Belsito (Without A Box- IMDB, USA), Gerry Moraitis (Cinema Vault, Canada). 

 

TIFF INDUSTRY MANUAL: provides a detailed guide to the accredited Industry Delegates (Producers, Distributors, Sales Agents, Tutors, Festival Programmers, Experts, Institution Representatives), attending Agora.

GREEK AUDIOVISUAL DIRECTORY:The full list of Greek Film Professionals is distributed amongst all Agora participants.

AGORA GUIDE: The full list of films participating in the Agora is distributed to participants in the Agora bag, along with sales contact and availability information.

AGORA SALES NEWSLETTER: is distributed to Industry Delegates, aiming to promote maximum exposure of participating films during the event.

The Industry Center offers well-equipped Exhibition Space to Sales Agents, Film Institutions, and Producers and other Professionals, Private Screening Booths for Professionals and Press, a Business Lounge exclusively for the Accredited Guests, Conference Rooms WiFi free internet access and free Computer Station.

 

MINGLE @ “SALES MEZE”: Agora is organizing a series of daily thematic «Sales Meze» lunches for accredited guests featuring traditional Greek cooking and the relaxed atmosphere of Greek hospitality, aiming to promote informal networking and business among film Producers, Buyers and Sellers from all over the globe.

DEAL MAKING SUPPORT:  Agora, as an international meeting and trading umbrella, provides marketing, promotion, networking, deal making, “matchmaking”, legal and secretarial support to all attendees for the effective completion of business negotiations. Agora guarantees that Buyers, Distributors, Sales Agents, Producers and festival Programmers from all over the globe, will be fully informed about «who is who» and «who is where» during the Agora and able to screen the participating films.

 

Welcome to Agora–the Thessaloniki International Film Festival Market: enjoy traditional Greek hospitality, sell, view and trade feature films, meet and negotiate, be part of a unique celebration.

For more info please contact:

Margarita Eliopoulou eliopoulou-market@filmfestival.gr

Athena Georgiades geordiades-market@filmfestival.gr

Relevant File
Title	Type	Size
INDUSTRY DELEGATES		575 ΚΒ

With the support of

"With the support of the MEDIA Programme of the EU"