Thessaloniki The industry section of the AGORA International Film Festival presented the awards for 2025.
This year the AGORA section in Thessaloniki took place from November 2 to 6. Before presenting the awards, Angeliki Vergu, head of Agora, said: “We wish you success on all levels and want to see you again here in Thessaloniki with your finished films.”
Vergue added: “Your projects and films are also the light at the end of the tunnel. The smart, bold, political, funny, emotional films you are about to make hope to create a better understanding of our society and each other.”
Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2025 runs until November 9.
AGORA Industry Awards 2025 Winners:
AWARDS OF THE “CROSSROADS” CO-PRODUCTION FORUM
The jury of the Crossroads Co-Production Forum, consisting of Frank Hoove, producer of BALDR Film (Netherlands), Ulyana Kim, producer of Studio Uljana Kim (Lithuania) and Andreas Zoupanos Kritikos, producer and COO of Faliro House (Greece), and member of the jury of the international Arte Kino award, and Mathilde Hersant, head of finance at ARTE France Cinéma (France), took the floor to present the awards.
“Two Thirty Five” Award (2 | 35) – Post-production (image and sound) was provided:
THE LEAVES HANG, Trembling.
Director: Stefan Djordjevic, Production: Dragana Jovovic – Non-Aligned Films, Serbia
The Jury's Reasoning: “Bold, fierce, yet deeply empathetic, the film is deeply moving because it has children and students at its heart. For its unique approach to a deeply personal story that resonates with timely global relevance, we award Leaves Hang Trembling the Two Thirty-Five Post-Production Award.”
Prize of 8,000 euros for script development By CNC-National Center for Cinema and Animation Images was donated to the film by Jean-Luc Laveau, the French consul in Thessaloniki:
REAL VISES
Director: Victor Diago, Production: Andres Mellinas – Boogaloo, Spain in collaboration with the Mediterranean Film Institute
The Jury's Reasoning: “A project defined by a strong, undeniable director's vision, executed by a dedicated and talented team. This is a genre-bending story that explores people living on the margins of society, revealing their experiences in a compelling and original way. The CNC (National Center for Film and Anime) Award goes to STILL HANDS.”
International ArteKino Award A cash prize of 6,000 euros was received by:
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JON G.
Director: Andrea Cristina Bortun, Production: Gabi Suciu – Film Workshop, Romania in collaboration with Sofia Meetings
The jury's reasoning: “ArteKino is committed to supporting developing European cinema through the ArteKino International Prize and the ArteKino Festival. I would like to thank all the producers and directors we met on the jury, as well as the AGORA team, who did a great job. ARTE decided to reward a young director whose project deals with exile, inequality and politics, but with light and love in its approach. The ArteKino International Award goes to the film THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ION G. Andrea Cristina Bortun, produced by Gabi Suchu.”
Reward Finos Film, 3000 euros, granted to the Greek project.
The award was presented to the film by Stathis Kamvasinos, head of communications and representative of Finos Film:
PIRATE COUNTRY
Director: Stavros Petropoulos, Production: Leonidas Konstantarakos – Alaska Films, Co-production: Stéphane Marchal – Yukunkun Productions, Greece, France
The jury's reasoning: “We would like to reward a Greek project that stood out for its exceptional team effort. Building on the success and energy of his previous film, he promises a feature-length version with strong international appeal. The Finos Film Award goes to THE COUNTRY OF THE PIRATES.”
Producer network accreditation The Cannes Marché du Film festival the following year awarded:
The producer of the project is Fakhrie Ismailova.
GOODBYE FOR NOW
Director: Kasim Ordek, Production: Fahriye Ismayilova – Parda Film Production, Co-production: Jules Grange – Kidam Production, Turkey, France
Jury's comments: “We are truly impressed by the producer's energy, dedication and unwavering determination. With a clear vision and strong commitment, the producer is ready to take the project to the world stage. We present the Producer's Network – Marché du Film Award to Fakhriya Ismailova, producer of the film “Goodbye!”
MIDPOINT Consulting Award was awarded:
A DICTATOR'S DREAM
Director: Erenik Beqiri, Production: Dritan Huki – About filmmaking, Albania
Jury's reasoning: “We were impressed by the project's political relevance and bold, original vision. A culturally specific story with universal resonance, it skillfully combines satire, absurdity and tragedy to explore power. The MIDPOINT Consulting Award goes to A DICTATOR'S DREAM.”
Independent awards:
ONASSIS FILM PRIZE
Onassis Film Award – with a cash prize of €10,000 – was awarded to a Greek project that participated in the Agora Crossroads co-production forum section this year.
The Onassis Film Award was presented by Vasilis Panagiotakopoulos, head of the production department of the Onassis Foundation, to the film:
THE TIDE HEARS THEM, BUT THEY NO LONGER HAVE A VOICE
Director: Yannis Veslemes, Production: Nicholas Alavanos – FILMIKI, Greece
Jury's reasoning: “The Onassis Film Award recognizes a project that stands out for its boldness and authenticity, striving for a balance between the political and the metaphysical. With a clear directorial vision, he turns to one of Greece's darkest political periods to speak to timeless themes and universal questions related to death and immortality. The award goes to Yannis Veslemes's The Tide Hears Them, But They Have No More a Voice, Producer from Filmika.”
The jury of the Onassis Film Award, led by the artistic director of the Onassis Foundation, Aphroditi Panagiotakou, includes:
Dimitris Theodoropoulos, Executive Director of the Onassis Foundation
Vasso Vasilatu, theater critic
Elisabetta Ilia Georgiadou, screenwriter
Vasilis Panagiotakopoulos, producer
Christ Sarris, film director
Green Screen Award Sustainability advice before and during filming was provided by Greener Screen Content Director Bassam Alasad:
A GIRL NAMED ZEUS
Director: Nikos Dayandas, Production: Konstantinos Koukoulis – ΠLANKTON, Greece
Rationale: “Greener Screen recognizes this film for its deep sense of place, poetic meditation on heritage and its creators' sincere commitment to environmental values and sustainable practices. A story that harmonizes rebellion and tradition, embodying the restorative spirit at the heart of truly green cinema. The award goes to: A GIRL NAMED ZEUS.”
Sofia Meetings Prizewhich gives the winning project the opportunity to take part in the upcoming Sofia Meetings event, which will take place in March 2026, was awarded by Mira Staleva, director of Sofia Meetings, to the film:
BEIRUT robbery
Director: Katja Jarjura, Production: Michelle Zana – Blue Train Films, Co-Production: Eliza Pirir – Staer Film, Jana Webe – Attic, France, Norway, Lebanon
Reasoning: “With its timely and deeply human story of courage and daring, The Beirut Heist is a testament to the enduring spirit of dignity and solidarity – values that our society needs now more than ever.”
Mediterranean Film Institute George Kalogeropoulos Award – The film workshop scholarship “Scenario 2” was awarded by IFI coordinator Leda Dialina to the film:
ANIMAL FORM
Director: Isa Luengo, Sofia Esteve, Producer: Laura Rubirola – Nocturna Pictures, Carlotta Schiavon, Eva Murgi – Vayolet Films, Spain
Rationale: “The award goes to a project that creatively combines history, folklore and personal narrative, exploring alterity, transformation and political memory. For the deep reworking of historical events through myth and fable, we are proud to present the MFI SCRIPT 2 FILM WORKSHOP Award to LA FORMA ANIMAL.”
EAVE THESSALONIKI Award – The Marketing Fellowship was awarded to the film by EAVE Project Manager Sarah Van Den Hoogen:
Gabi Suchu For The Life and Times of Jonah G.
Rationale: “We are very pleased that AGORA has awarded a scholarship to attend the EAVE Marketing Workshop to a producer who demonstrates a very clear motivation to develop her marketing skills, and we believe this is the right time in her career to participate. She very much embodies the “spirit of EAVE” and we are thrilled to welcome a participant from Romania to the workshop in 2026.”
AGORA WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARDS
The jury of Agora Works in Progress, which included Dorian Maganien – purchasing and festival manager at Cercamon (UA), Danae Spatara – producer at Heretic (Greece), Barbara Wurm – director at Berlinale Forum (Germany), took the floor to present the following awards:
119 Marvila Studios Award — Sound mixing services
The 119 Marvilla Studio Award was presented to the film by sound director Roland Weiss and company owner Sandra Pierce:
TONIGHT IS FOREVER
Director: Fernando Souza, Production: Quentin Laurent – Les Films de l'Oeil Sauvage, Co-production: Lucas Seneco – L'Oeil Vif Films, Mina Moteki-Kowatanda Films, Fernando Souza – Dichosos los Ojos, France, Japan, Spain
Jury's comments: “We felt connected to the emotional layers of this character in his quest for love. We were caught by the silence that reflected loneliness. We were stunned by the strong cinematic language and subtle atmosphere that this film conveys. The 119 Marvila Studios Award goes to TONIGHT, directed by Fernando Souza.”
Authorwave Award for Post-Production – Creative services
Authorwave's Creative Services Post-Production Award was presented to the film by Lisa Chrysokhova, Authorwave's Chief Operating Officer:
PROMISED PLACES
Director: Ivan Markovic, Production: Jasmina Siercic-Bocalupo Films, Co-production: Zsofi Lily Kovacs – Fiskultura Films, Jelena Radenkovic – Big Time Production, Daniel Matthes – Antiarchive, France, Germany, Serbia, Cambodia
The jury's commentary: “We were very impressed by the way this film reflects the social strata of society through a strong visual concept, mise-en-scène and close observation of urban architecture. People may be in the same frame, but they remain disconnected. The Authorwave Post-production Award goes to the film PROMISED SPACES, directed by Ivan Marković.”
ERT Agora Works in Progress Award with a cash prize of 2000 euros was transferred to the Greek project.
The ERT Award, worth 2,000 points, was presented to the film by Cynthia Sapika, CEO of ERT3 and member of the festival’s board of directors:
WAYS TO GET RID OF SOME FREEDOM
Director: Chrysanthos Margonis, Production: Eleni Kossifidou – Blackbird Productions, Co-Production: Marinos Charalambous – Boycott Films, Greece, Cyprus
The jury's comment: “The film grabbed us immediately and managed to hold our attention throughout – with its stunning energy, freshness, directness and captivating performances. The always unpredictable story made us want to join these lovers on their whimsical journey. The ERT AGORA Works in Progress Award goes to WAYS TO GET RID OF SOME FREEDOM, directed by Chrysanthos Margonis.”
AGORA SERIES TALENT AWARD
As part of the newly created initiative, Agora Series Talents reaches out to TV series writers Crewe United The award was presented by Venia Verga and Iris Assimakopoulou from Crew United:
Katerina Papanastasiou
The jury’s reasoning: “We present the Prize to Katerina Papanastasatu for a serial project. Elena, upset he stands out for his sharp humor, strong voice and honest look at the struggle of a generation trying to survive and stay true to themselves.
The winner receives a 5-year premium membership subscription to Crew United, the leading online communication platform.
