Agora expands to 3 new co-production markets as Thessaloniki fest opens

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival opens its doors on November 5.

The festival's industry section, Agora, is preparing to expand its reach into new markets as the event kicks off. The program has existed since 2005 and focuses on connecting filmmakers from the region with international partners.

Thanos Stavropoulos is the incoming industry head for the festival. He joined the organization as a programming assistant almost 20 years ago. He took the lead on the industry program this spring. He said he remains committed to the same objective his predecessors served so successfully.

Stavropoulos stated that the goal is to facilitate the growth of the local and regional industry. He noted that the world is a bit of a mess, citing ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine. He also pointed to fears of a widening war in Iran and social unrest across Europe.

The festival will introduce a dedicated regional pitching platform for screenwriters and their projects. Stavropoulos said the region is rich in original stories and talents that deserve more visibility. He added that the platform aims to help local series creators benefit from the European Convention on independent co-production. Greece signed this treaty earlier in 2026.

The Agora conversation series will now be open to all festivalgoers. Previously, these sessions were closed to industry guests only. A decompression room, which launched last year, will host a discussion on resolving conflict in creative collaborations.

The festival will feature masterclasses from specific industry figures. Tom Rob Smith, a screenwriter for American Crime Story, will participate. Christopher Papakaliatis, the creator of the Netflix series Maestro in Blue, will also lead a session. These talks will examine the future of Greek scripted television and how to package local series for international markets.

Three films from past Agora participants are playing at this year's event. Black Money for White Nights by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov is one of them. Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou is another. I Matter by Alina Șerban is the third. All three films have been short-listed for the European Film Awards, which will be held in Athens.

Aristidou's film marks the first Cypriot submission for the Oscars. The film won an award at Sundance. Other new projects in the lineup include Here and There by Darko Lungulov. Lungulov won a prize at Tribeca. Tilva Roš by Nikola Ležaić is also included. The Brink of Dreams by Ayman El Amir and Nada Riyadh is the final new project. El Amir and Riyadh were named Variety MENA Talents of the Year in 2024.

Stavropoulos said the team will venture in every direction with the lineup. He noted that the projects range from stories set in Beirut to time travel narratives. He said there is no particular geography for the projects. The creative teams' visions go above and beyond space and time. The festival runs through November 15.