Aiming to bolster its successful set of activities with ever-expanding deal-making opportunities as well as educational courses, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF)’s Agora section (5-12 November) will this year return stronger than ever: master classes, industry academies and new awards will complement the section’s Co-production Forum and Works in Progress programme, while over 220 titles will be available at the industry-orientated Digital Video Library. 

Supported by the Creative Europe-MEDIA programme, the Agora will this year welcome the inaugural presentation of the Eurimages Lab Project Award, worth €50,000 and handed out to one of the projects partaking in Agora’s Works in Progress section, while the Locarno Industry Academy International will hold its pilot edition right in the heart of the Balkans’ go-to film market, with the Agora-based event offering young industry professionals – including sales agents, distributors and new-media professionals – a chance to extend their field experience and networking.

As at previous editions, the Co-production Forum and the Works in Progress screenings will be the beating heart of Agora, with 14 projects vying for attention at the 12th Crossroads Co-production Forum, and 13 films looking for completion funds, festival slots and promotion partnerships in the Works in Progress section. Local hopefuls like Rinio Dragasaki, Nancy Biniadaki and Gabriel Tzafka will get the chance to cut their teeth alongside their international counterparts, while seasoned industry professionals from around the world will take on jury duty in order to hand out the two sections’ nine funds and services awards.

Moreover, industry professionals are sure to be kept busier than ever before in the Agora’s long and fruitful history, with this year’s Virtual Reality Master Class, held by VR specialist Michel Reilhac; the South by Southeast platform, which will bring together regional film centre representatives; and the Training Day, co-organised with CED Media Greece, offering an expansive palette of opportunity and inspiration.