How ‘Greek DNA’ of Thessaloniki’s Industry Arm Helps It Remain Vital

One year after celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Agora industry arm is steadily building for the years ahead, doubling down on a time-tested formula that relies on equal parts tradition and innovation to bolster an event that remains both vital to the region and quintessentially Greek.

“At the heart of Agora is the essence of philoxenia. The Greek word for hospitality which goes beyond simple politeness, embodying a spirit of generosity, openness and empathy towards guests, and is considered a fundamental cultural and moral duty,” says industry head Angeliki Vergou. “This is the distinction of Agora and the Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival from other events. It is in our DNA.”

Since assuming her current post in 2022, Vergou — an Agora veteran — has been tasked with preserving that DNA while ensuring the annual industry event keeps pace with the changing times. While a warm welcome in Greece’s second city is to be expected, Vergou understands that “staying relevant also means acknowledging the reality our industry faces.”

“In Europe, funding sources are being discontinued, distribution channels are contracting, and decision-makers’ attention is increasingly fragmented,” she says. “The audiovisual community must evolve beyond traditional market models. While the industry is navigating significant challenges, we see this as an opportunity for visionary leadership, experimentation and meaningful change.” 

While the Agora’s long-standing goal has been first and foremost the support of the Greek and regional film industry, the event has increasingly broadened its geographical footprint in recent years, introducing new wrinkles such as the Bridge to the North initiative, which welcomes a delegation each year from the Baltics or Nordic countries “to look for new synergies” in Thessaloniki, Vergou says. This year’s guest country will be Finland.

Similarly, the Agora continues to develop its Agora Series strand, a two-day forum dedicated to TV and streaming production that takes places Nov. 1 – 2. This year’s event will see the introduction of Agora Series Talents, an initiative focused on Greek series screenwriters that will provide them with a dedicated workshop about the craft of TV scriptwriting, alongside one-on-one meetings and an event that will formally introduce them to the international industry. Agora Series highlights include a masterclass with Italian filmmaker Saverio Costanzo, the showrunner behind HBO and RAI’s adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s “My Brilliant Friend,” as well as a case study on the anticipated upcoming drama series “The Great Chimera,” produced by Athens-based Foss Productions in co-production with Beta Film and Greek public broadcaster ERT.

While this year’s Agora Talks strand features discussions on hot-button issues such as film finance, emerging technologies and ongoing efforts to capture and retain moviegoers, Vergou and her team are also thinking outside the box with initiatives like the Decompression Room. Launched earlier this year’s at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, it offers “a space of quiet and the opportunity for people to relax, gather their thoughts and emotions and/or boost their energy in between meetings, workshops and pitches,” Vergou says. 

“The integration of experts from different fields such as holistic therapy and initiatives such as the Decompression Room destigmatize the fact that many people in the audiovisual industry are in need of support,” she continues. “Few people outside the film world understand the immense toll that working in the film industry may have on our health — mental, physical and emotional alike.” 

More than just a beloved gathering space for industry professionals, the Agora continues to be an important platform for filmmakers from the region through its Crossroads Co-Production Forum and Agora Works in Progress, which in recent years have given a boost to projects including Stephan Komandarev’s Karlovy Vary winner “Blaga’s Lessons,” Amjad Al Rasheed’s Cannes Critics’ Week player “Inshallah a Boy” and Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s Berlin competition entry “20,000 Species of Bees.” As in years past, notes Vergou, the Agora team is on the lookout for “projects that have international appeal and can find their space in an increasingly competitive marketplace while maintaining their distinctive voice and artistic integrity.”

This year’s Co-Production Forum, which runs Nov. 2 – 6, features 14 projects from 16 countries, among them “The Leaves Hang Trembling,” from Serbian director Stefan Djordjevi?, whose debut “Wind, Talk to Me” won top honors at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival following its Rotterdam premiere; “The Life and Times of Ion G.,” from Romania’s Andreea Cristina Bortun, whose anticipated feature debut, “A River’s Gaze,” is produced by Sebastian Stan; and “Quiet Lake,” the latest from the acclaimed Bulgarian documentary filmmaker Tonislav Hristov, whose previous films have screened at festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, CPH:DOX and IDFA.

Meanwhile, the Agora Works in Progress program will present eight films in the post-production stage from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region. Included in the lineup is “Black Money for White Nights” (pictured, top), the latest feature from celebrated Bulgarian directing duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (“Triumph”); “The Boy With the Light-Blue Eyes,” the buzzy forthcoming feature debut of Greece’s Thanasis Neofotistos; and “The Lion at My Back,” the new film from veteran Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali (“Pause”).

As the Agora team wraps two successful decades and prepares for the years ahead, Vergou says her hopes “are rooted in deepening the values that have defined us while adapting to serve an evolving industry.” 

“I envision Agora as a space for new models of collaboration — where the spirit of philoxenia extends beyond hospitality to genuine partnership and co-creation across borders and disciplines,” she says. “I hope we continue championing the voices of filmmakers from Greece, Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond, whose stories might otherwise struggle to find platforms in a marketplace increasingly reluctant to take risks. 

“As the industry consolidates, regional markets like Agora become even more vital as spaces where distinctive, authentic voices can find their champions and partners,” she continues. “Ultimately, my hope is that Agora remains a place where people don’t just do business — they build community, find creative homes, and leave feeling energized about the future of cinema. If we can maintain that human connection at our core while innovating our formats and expanding our reach, Agora will continue to be relevant for the next 20 years and beyond.”

The Thessaloniki Film Festival runs Oct. 30 – Nov. 9.