03/11/2022 - Cineuropa had a chance to talk to the new head of the industry section of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival

Last month, Angeliki Vergou was named the new Head of Agora, the industry section of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and of the Agora Docs at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. Prior to her new position, Vergou served as the head of the Crossroads Co-production Forum from 2019 and was the coordinator of Agora and Crossroads Co-production Forum from 2008; she has been a member of the festival in various departments and positions for over 20 years. With the Agora taking place from 4-12 November, we had a chance to talk to her about the upcoming edition, the new challenges and the new sections of the leading event.

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Cineuropa: How does it feel to organise Agora from a different position this time?
Angeliki Vergou: It is a strange experience, even if the waters are familiar, and I have swum in them for many years. I was evolving together with Agora and its initiatives. Now, I need to take a step back and have a global view of our activities and Agora’s role on the local, regional and international scales of the audiovisual industry.

What are the new challenges that you had to face and how are you dealing with them?
My personal challenge is this exact switch of point of view. Other challenges that we face together with the Agora team is the expansion of our activities with Agora Series [read the news] but also the realisation that there is a bigger crowd of professionals willing to participate in our events. Keeping also in mind our efforts to become a more environmentally sustainable event, it is quite a balancing act!

Could you offer us a wider overview of Agora Series and what the motivation to launch this new section was?
We have been discussing this initiative for several years and it never seemed to be the right time. Now, with all the films and series shooting in Greece, the boom of successful Greek TV series and the launching of a couple of Greek streaming services, we are taking this first step to connect with the rapidly changing landscape of series production. The Agora Series section aspires to become a buzzing hub of growth for industry professionals, both locally and internationally. The new section will serve as a steady meeting point and as a springboard for future actions that would contribute to the field’s further development. This year’s kick-off session includes networking sessions, masterclasses, and panel discussions, giving the floor to speakers, professionals, and artists from both Greece and abroad. Agora Series rallies up Greek and foreign producers, creators of series for TV networks and platforms, as well as representatives from networks of a national and worldwide scale.

What are the other new initiatives you are introducing this year?
Besides the Agora Series, we are also launching a number of hybrid Think Tanks in collaboration with The Catalysts Agency. The goal is to actively engage in conversation, discuss upcoming challenges, and offer useful support to European Film Markets, from smaller through mid to high range, willing to openly ask — and answer — the question: should our film markets stay the same? What would be a meaningful change? 5 November will mark the first step of that process, and more hybrid Think Tanks are scheduled between February – April 2023 with results to be announced in May.

Who is planning to participate in this edition?
We are happy to say that many established European markets such as the European Film Market, the Berlinale Co-production Market, Cannes Marché du Film, IFFR Pro, Locarno Pro, San Sebastián Industria, Karlovy Vary Eastern Promises, When East Meets West, Göteborg Film Festival – Industry and others, have accepted our invitation and we are very excited to share, listen and learn. As we are gearing up to become a more inclusive industry event and have accepted the sustainability challenge, we believe that the Think Tanks will help us shape the next Agora events, force us to take a pause, and think about meaningful changes while we are exchanging with our colleagues different ideas and practices.

The Think Tank sessions prove once again that Agora is focusing on more innovative approaches to the industry. What else should we expect from your side in the future?
We are always open to feedback from the industry, and we believe that after the Think Tanks, we will be able to combine all sources and make our future plans. One thing is for sure, markets are very useful hubs for the audiovisual industries as these are places where you can test your ideas and especially create connections, which can range from professional relationships to lifelong friendships.