Agora, the industry section of the 63^rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival, has wrapped its latest edition by handing out its awards.

Starting with the 18^th Crossroads Co-Production Forum, the jury, comprising Alessandro Amato, producer and CEO at dispàrte; Christina Pelekani, marketing and distribution consultant and co-founder of Endorphin Film Sales; and Myriam Sassine, film producer at Abbout Productions and Beirut DC at Beirut Cinema Platform, picked the winner of the Co-Production Award provided by Greek post-production company 2|35, which ended up being Dog Days by Imanol Rayo.

According to the jury, “This award goes to the project that led us back to a hot summer, where old and new meet in a special setting. A story about both emerging and buried passions, approached with a very personal touch of sensibility.” The latest film by Imanol Rayo (Death Knell [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Imanol Rayo
scheda film]) is co-penned by him, Carlos Bassas, and Nerea Loiola and is being produced by Iker Ganuza’s Lamia Producciones.

The CNC Script Development Award, worth €8,000, went to the project Holiday by Wissam Charaf, “an auteur with an authentic artistic vision, who’s exploring an autobiographical story mixing the tragedy of the war with the lightness of youth.” It is being produced by Charlotte Vincent, Katia Khazak (Aurora Films) with Marco Valeiro Fusco (Intramovies) and Pierre Sarraf (Né à Beyrouth films).

For the third year running, the Finos Film Award, which aims to support the local industry with a grant of €3,000, was handed out. This year, it went to Five Murders Without a Cause by Greek writer-director Kostas Gerampinis, a project with “a deep character investigation that explores the complex relationship of a father and son. It’s a project that makes us wonder if what we see is what is real.” It is being produced by Vasilis Chrysanthopoulos (PLAYS2PLACE). The project has also received the ArteKino International cash prize of €6,000.

As for the Producers Network accreditation for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, that went to Cypriot producer Marinos Charalambous (Boycott Films) for the project The First Cypriot Astronaut by Stavros Pamballis. Also, the jury handed a Special Mention to the project Y by Romanian writers-directors Alexandru Baciu and Maria Popistașu.

The Onassis Cinema Award, valued at €10,000 in cash, aims to support local cinema, and all Greek projects in Agora were eligible for it. It ended up going to the project Achinos by Iris Baglanea, as she was “emotional and poetic in her few words about the conflict between childhood and adulthood, man and nature.”

The Ukrainian project Vater, directed by Anna Morozova, has received a full scholarship for the next MFI Script 2 Film Workshop. French consultancy agency Initiative Film will provide six months of follow-up consultation services for its development strategy to the project Rien Ne Va Plus by Daniel Bolda. Finally, Slovenian producer, Andraž Jerič (Temporama) of the project Lost Years by Aron Horvath, is invited to participate in the 2023 EAVE Marketing Workshop.

In Agora Works in Progress, the Authorwave Post-production Award went to The Summer With Carmen [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Zacharias Mavroeidis
scheda film] by Zacharias Mavroeidis, produced by Ioanna Bolomyti for Atalante Productions SA. According to the jury, comprising Agathe Corbin, acquisition manager at Urban Sales; Lenka Tyrpakova, programmer at Karlovy Vary, and producer Konstantinos Vassilaros (StudioBauhaus), it is an “unapologetically queer, warm, and funny story about the hardships of friendship and filmmaking.”

The jury also granted the MuSou Music & Sound Award to I’m Here, I’m Fine by Emine Emel Balci, produced by Dilek Aydin (Heimatlos Films) with Derya Turkmen and Jens Meurer (Egoli & Tossell Pictures), a project which “courageously tells us a story about female solidarity, and the challenges of motherhood, while using an inventive mixture of genre elements.”

The 119 Marvila Studios Sound Mix services award and the Yafka VFX Award for visual effects services were handed to The Sea and its Waves [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Liana & Renaud as “two visionary filmmakers passionately building a unique cinematic language, filmed during an absurdly challenging period of a country.”

The ASTERISK* Award, which offers services in key artwork, press-kit content and social media, was given by Vicky Miha to the project Observing [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Janez Burger
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Here is the complete list of award winners:

Crossroads Co-Production Forum Awards

2|35 Co-Production Award
Dog Days - Imanol Rayo (Spain)
Producer: Iker Ganuza (Lamia Producciones)

CNC Development Award
Holiday - Wissam Charaf (France/Italy/Lebanon)
Producers: Charlotte Vincent, Katia Khazak (Aurora Films)
Co-producers: Marco Valeiro Fusco (Intramovies), Pierre Sarraf (Né à Beyrouth films)

Finos Film Award
Five Murders Without a Cause - Kostas Gerampinis (Greece)
Producer: Vasilis Chrysanthopoulos (PLAYS2PLACE)

Cannes Producers Network Award
Marinos Charalambous - Boycott Films (Cyprus)

Special Mention
Y - Alexandru Baciu, Maria Popistașu (Romania)
Producer: Anamaria Antoci (Tangaj Production)

Onassis Cinema Award
Achinos - Iris Baglanea (Greece)
Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti (Atalante Productions SA)

ArteKino International Award
Five Murders Without a Cause - Kostas Gerampinis

MFI Script 2 Film Workshops
Vater - Anna Morozova (Ukraine)
Producer: Kyrylo Nechmonia (Mir&Co Production)

Initiative Film Award
Rien Ne Va Plus - Daniel Bolda (Greece)
Producer: Nicholas Alavanos (Filmiki Productions)

Thessaloniki EAVE Marketing Workshop Scholarship
Andraž Jerič - Temporama (Slovenia)

Agora Works in Progress Awards

Authorwave Post-production Award
The Summer With Carmen [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Zacharias Mavroeidis
scheda film] - Zacharias Mavroeidis (Greece)
Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti (Atalante Productions SA)

MuSou Music & Sound Award
I’m Here, I’m Fine - Emine Emel Balci (Turkey/Germany)
Producer: Dilek Aydin (Heimatlos Films)
Co-producers: Derya Turkmen, Jens Meurer (Egoli & Tossell Pictures)

119 Marvila Studios Sound Mix Award
The Sea and its Waves [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] - Liana & Renaud (France/Lebanon)
Producer: Mathieu Mullier-Griffiths (Kafard Films)

Yafka VFX Award
The Sea and its Waves - Liana & Renaud (France/Lebanon)

ASTERISK* Award
Observing [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Janez Burger
scheda film] - Janez Burger (Slovenia/Italy/North Macedonia/Croatia)
Producers: Miha Černec, Jozko Rutar, Nina Robnik (Staragara Production)
Co-producers: Igor Prinčič (Transmedia Production), Robert Jazadziski (Kaval Film), Boris T Matic (Propeler Film)

ERT Award
Polydroso - Alexandros Voulgaris (Greece)
Producers: Nicholas Alavanos, Christina Stavropoulou (Filmiki Productions)