27/01/2025 - 14 projects from 15 countries in Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean have been selected for the revamped forum, while the XR Lab promises to be an innovative storytelling platform

Director Alexa Bakony, who is taking part in the Pitching Forum with Highways of Hope (© Robert Székely)

The industry arm of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (TIDF), Agora, will run from 7-15 March and has revealed its selection of 14 projects hailing from 15 countries in Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region for this year’s Thessaloniki Pitching Forum. In collaboration with the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE), of which it is a member, and supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme, Agora continues to act as a vital networking hub and co-production platform for the global film industry, bringing together over 500 international professionals.

The Thessaloniki Pitching Forum serves as a vital platform for documentary projects in development, fostering co-financing opportunities across a wide geographic area that includes Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean region, the Visegrád countries, parts of the Black Sea region, North Africa and the Mediterranean Middle East. The most recent successes emerging from the forum include Stray Bodies [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elina Psykou
film profile] by Elina Psykou, which premiered at the TIDF and CPH:DOX in 2024; Blueberry Dreams by Elene Mikaberidze, which also debuted at CPH:DOX; and If I Die It Will Be of Joy by Alexis Taillant, which had its premiere at Visions du Réel last year.

This year’s selected projects tackle diverse and underexplored subjects, including identity, human rights, intergenerational trauma, grief and companionship. Among the standout selections are new projects by Alexa Bakony (Colors of Tobi [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alexa Bakony
film profile]), Lefteris Charitos (Dolphin Man [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Ana Sofia Fonseca (Cesária Évora) and Michał Marczak, celebrated for All These Sleepless Nights [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Fuck for Forest [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Meanwhile, the debut by Nikos Pilos, Resisting Residents, is notable, given his reputation as a celebrated photojournalist; his transition into documentary filmmaking offers fresh promise.

The Thessaloniki Pitching Forum’s awards and accolades include the IEFTA Award for Best Documentary in Development (worth €10,000), the Onassis Film Award (€5,000) and the ERT Award for Greek projects (€2,000). Additional prizes include the EURODOC Award, a scholarship for the Mediterranean Film Institute Script2Film programme, the DAE Consultancy Award, the Aylon Digital Services Award and the DOK Leipzig Award. Mentorship for participating projects will be provided by experts such as Ove Jensen (Paradiddle Pictures), Brigid O’Shea (DAE), Peter Jaeger (Jaeger Creative) and Mila Turajlić (Poppy Pictures), reinforcing Agora’s commitment to quality and creative development.

The industry event is also breaking new ground with its latest initiative, the Agora XR Lab, which serves as a workshop for XR and new-media projects in development. With a focus on fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across film, technology and the performing arts, the XR Lab targets emerging creators looking to explore innovation in factual and non-factual storytelling methods. Award-winning creative producer and writer Vassiliki Khonsari, co-founder of New York-based iNK Stories, leads the inaugural edition as its primary mentor. The lab also partners with the Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival to offer further networking opportunities for XR professionals.

The selected projects are as follows:

Thessaloniki Pitching Forum

Highways of Hope - Alexa Bakony (Hungary)
Producers: Gábor Osváth, Veronika Gál (Filmfabriq Ltd)

Born Greek – Made American (working title) - Lefteris Charitos (Greece/USA)
Producer: Stelios Cotionis (Foss Productions)
Co-producer: Alexis Varouxakis (Adrenaline Entertainment)

Taken by the White Man - Ana Sofia Fonseca (Portugal)
Producers: Daniella Rice, Ana Sofia Fonseca (Carrossel Produções)

My Aunties - Hazal Hanquet (Turkey)
Producers: Aslihan Altuğ, Anna Maria Aslanoğlu (Istos Film)

Missing in Action - Kateryna Holovko, Marharyta Melnychuk (Ukraine)
Producer: Aliona Kachkan (Tabor)

Life on Pause - Anthoniy Hristov (Bulgaria)
Producer: Svetla Turnin (Documentary Media Foundation)

Last Summer - Jan Jurczak, Eleanora Iadkouskaya (Germany)
Producer: Frieder Schlaich (Filmgalerie 451)

Memoirs of Jerusalem - Kinda Kurdi (Jordan/UK)
Producer: Kinda Kurdi (K² Visual Media)
Co-producer: Brian Hill (Century Films Ltd)

Oh’ Heart, Don’t Be Afraid - Ana Kvichidze (Georgia/Germany)
Producer: Avtandil Khorava (Moonbow Production)
Co-producers: Natalia Imaz (Parabellum Films), Mariam Bitsadze (17/07 Productions), Niko Mikadze (Murman Original Pictures)

Closure - Michał Marczak (Poland)
Producer: Monika Braid (Braidmade Films)

Bugboy - Lucas Paleocrassas (Greece/Denmark/France)
Producer: Rea Apostolides (Anemon)
Executive producer: Madeleine Avramoussis
Co-producers: Maria Stevnback Westergren (Toolbox), Adam Leibovitz (Flach Film Productions)

Resisting Residents - Nikos Pilos (Greece)
Producer: Dafni Kalafati (Filmiki Productions)

About Horses, Wives and Weapons - Volkan Üe (Belgium)
Producer: Emmy Oost (Cassette for Timescapes)
Co-producer: Samuel Feller (Magellan Films)

Mama Klorin - Doreida Xhogu (Greece)
Producer: Mina Dreki (Marni Films)

Agora XR Lab

Sourdough Tales - Danai Belosinof, Elia Kalogianni (Greece/Netherlands)

Solembia - Christos Bourantas (Greece)

Bitxo - Lau Maquedano (Spain/Colombia)
Producers: Alberto López Garrido (Lamola Studios), Valet Siv Manrique (Piragna Animación), Lau Maquedano
Co-producers: Natxo Carrasco (HD Studio), Rubén Coca (Artyc Content)

Imagine Farewell Station - Aristotelis Maragkos (Greece)
Producer: Konstantinos Koukoulis (Πlankton Films)
Co-creator/co-producer: Dimitris Delinikolas (Emptyfilm)

Murder Is Her Hobby - Emilie Valentin, Stella Jacob (France/Germany)
Producers: Arnaud Colinart, Oriane Hurard (Atlas V)
Co-producer: Clarens Grollmann (K5 Factory)