Thanos Stavropoulos, the incoming industry head for the Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival, says he is committed to the same objective his predecessors served since the festival's industry arm, Agora, launched in 2005. He states the goal is "to facilitate the growth of the local and regional industry through the establishment and continuous development of programs which will help bring the filmmakers and their projects out into the world."
Stavropoulos, who has been with the festival for nearly two decades, notes that this mission faces "unprecedented headwinds" due to global political, social, and economic factors. These include ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, fears of war in Iran and the Middle East, and social unrest across Europe. He also pointed to industry-specific issues, such as studio consolidations in the U.S. and Europe, describing the current state of the world as "a bit of a mess."
To counter these challenges, Stavropoulos says the Agora team intends to build bridges and create environments for collaborations. He stated the mission is to "aid, foster and support in any way we can the filmmakers — whether emerging or well-established — from the countries represented in the Agora and provide the platform for them to connect with partners from Europe and beyond."
The Agora is evolving its programming to meet new needs. The conversation series, which was previously restricted to industry guests, will now be open to all festivalgoers with "a curious mind and interests that go further than what’s on the cinema screen." Additionally, the program will include a discussion on resolving conflict in creative collaborations to bolster a decompression room inaugurated last year.
A significant move for the industry section was the 2022 launch of a dedicated series strand. Stavropoulos says this strand has "grown and become more dynamic" and will feature masterclasses from Tom Rob Smith and Christopher Papakaliatis this year. Other sessions will focus on the Greek TV ecosystem, specifically how to package and co-produce local series for international markets.
These sessions coincide with Greece becoming a signee of the European Convention earlier this year, the first international treaty supporting independent co-productions for television and streaming. Stavropoulos said the goal is to "catch that momentum" and help local talents benefit from the treaty. To support this, Agora plans to launch a regional pitching platform for screenwriters.
Stavropoulos highlighted the Crossroads Co-Production Forum and Agora Works in Progress as key strands for films from Southeast Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea region. He cited three Agora alumni—Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, Myrsini Aristidou, and Alina Șerban—as evidence of the program's track record, noting all three have been short-listed for the European Film Awards in Athens. He also noted that Aristidou’s debut is the first ever Cypriot submission for the Oscars.
Looking toward the future, Stavropoulos says the Agora will "sustainably grow" without changing its size, but will "reach out further into the world." He maintains that the "modus operandi remains the same" by providing a safe space for "meaningful, trusting and productive partnerships."
The Thessaloniki Film Festival runs Nov. 5 – 15.
