Thanos Stavropoulos is taking over the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s industry program nearly two decades after joining the Greek festival as a programming assistant. As he steps into the role this spring, he says the Agora will maintain its longstanding goal of helping local and regional filmmakers connect with partners and bring their projects to wider audiences.
Launched in 2005, the Agora supports filmmakers at different stages of their careers through programs designed to foster collaboration. Stavropoulos says the team intends to keep that mission while extending its network “across Europe and beyond.”
This year, the festival is making its conversation series accessible to all festivalgoers, rather than limiting some sessions to industry guests. The Agora will also hold a discussion about resolving conflict in creative collaborations, alongside a dedicated decompression room introduced last year as part of the festival’s focus on mental health.
The program’s television strand, launched in 2022, has grown to include more talks and TV-focused sessions across the festival’s opening weekend. This year’s events include masterclasses with Tom Rob Smith, screenwriter of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” and Christopher Papakaliatis, creator of Netflix’s “Maestro in Blue.” Other sessions will examine the future of Greek scripted television and ways to package and co-produce local series for international audiences.
Stavropoulos says the Agora wants to help Greek and regional talent make use of the European Convention supporting independent co-productions for television and streaming. Plans include a regional pitching platform for emerging and established screenwriters and their projects.
The Agora’s Crossroads Co-Production Forum and Agora Works in Progress showcase films from Southeast Europe, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region. Stavropoulos points to three alumni films featured at this year’s festival — “Black Money for White Nights,” by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov; “Hold Onto Me,” by Myrsini Aristidou; and “I Matter,” by Alina Șerban. All three have been shortlisted for the next European Film Awards, scheduled to take place in Athens. Aristidou’s Sundance-awarded debut is also the first Cypriot submission for the Oscars.
Among the projects being presented to industry professionals are new works from Tribeca prizewinner Darko Lungulov, Serbian director Nikola Ležaić and Egyptian filmmakers Ayman El Amir and Nada Riyadh. Stavropoulos says the lineup spans varied themes and filmmaking approaches.
He says the Agora plans to grow sustainably without changing its size, while reaching further internationally. The goal, he adds, is to keep connecting film professionals and providing a supportive space for productive partnerships. The Thessaloniki Film Festival runs from Nov. 5 to 15.
Sources: Variety.