Thessaloniki Movie Competition AGORA Business Award Winners

The Thessaloniki Worldwide Movie Competition’s industry-focused AGORA part has handed out its 2025 awards.

This yr’s AGORA part at Thessaloniki happened from November 2 to six. Earlier than handing out the awards, Angeliki Vergou, Head of the Agora, mentioned: “We want success on all ranges and we want to see you again right here in Thessaloniki along with your completed movies.”

Vergou added, “Your initiatives and movies are additionally the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel. Good, brave, political, humorous, emotional, the movies you’re about to make are looking forward to a greater understanding of our society and one another.”

The 2025 Thessaloniki Worldwide Movie Competition runs till November 9.

2025 AGORA Business Award Winners:

CROSSROADS CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDS
The Crossroads Co-production Discussion board Jury, composed of Frank Hoeve, Producer at BALDR Movie (The Netherlands), Uljana Kim, Producer at Studio Uljana Kim (Lithuania) and Andreas Zoupanos Kritikos, Producer & Chief Working Officer at Faliro Home (Greece), in addition to the Arte Kino Worldwide Award Juror, and Mathilde Hersant, Head οf Finance at ARTE France Cinéma (France), took the ground to bestow the awards.

Two Thirty-5 (2|35) Award – Publish-production (picture and sound) was bestowed to:
THE LEAVES HANG TREMBLING
Director: Stefan Djordjević, Manufacturing: Dragana Jovović – Non-Aligned Movies, Serbia
The reasoning of the jury: “Brave, fierce but deeply empathetic, the movie is profoundly shifting because it places youngsters and college students at its coronary heart. For its distinctive strategy to a deeply private story that resonates with pressing world relevance, we give the Two Thirty-5 post-production companies award to THE LEAVES HANG TREMBLING.”

The 8,000-euro award for script improvement by the CNC-Centre nationwide du cinéma et de l’picture animée was bestowed by Jean-Luc Lavaud, French Consul in Thessaloniki, to the movie:
THE UNMOVING HANGS
Director: Víctor Diago, Manufacturing: Andrés Mellinas – Boogaloo, Spain in collaboration with the Mediterranean Movie Institute
The reasoning of the jury: “A challenge outlined by robust, plain directorial imaginative and prescient, realized by a dedicated and gifted staff. It’s a genre-fluid story that explores males residing on the margins of society, lifting up their experiences in a compelling and unique method. The CNC Award (Centre nationwide du cinéma et de l’picture animée) goes to THE UNMOVING HANDS.”

The ArteKino Worldwide Award with a money prize of 6,000 euros, was bestowed to:
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ION G.
Director: Andreea Cristina Bortun, Manufacturing: Gabi Suciu – Atelier de Movie, Romania in collaboration with Sofia Conferences
The reasoning of the jury: “ArteKino goals to help emergent European cinema by the ArteKino Worldwide award and the ArteKino Competition. I wish to thank all of the producers and administrators we met with the jury in addition to the AGORA staff who did a fantastic job. ARTE has determined to reward a younger director, whose challenge offers with exile, inequality and politics, however with mild and love in its remedy. The ArteKino Worldwide award goes to THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ION G. by Andreea Cristina Bortun, produced by Gabi Suciu.”

The award of Finos Movie, of three,000 euros, is granted to a Greek challenge.
The Award was bestowed by Stathis Kamvasinos, Head of Communication & Consultant of Finos Movie, to the movie:
PIRATELAND
Director: Stavros Petropoulos, Manufacturing: Leonidas Konstantarakos – Alaska Movies, Co-production: Stephane Marschal – Yukunkun Productions, Greece, France
The reasoning of the jury: “We wish to award the Greek challenge that stood out for its distinctive staff effort. Constructing on the success and power of its earlier movie, it guarantees a characteristic model with robust worldwide enchantment. The Finos Movie Award goes to PIRATELAND.”

The Producer’s Community Accreditation to subsequent yr’s Cannes Marché du Movie was awarded to:
Producer Fahriye Ismayilova for the challenge
GOODBYE FOR NOW
Director: Kasım Ördek, Manufacturing: Fahriye Ismayilova – Parda Movie Manufacturing, Co-production: Jules Grange – Kidam Manufacturing, Turkey, France
The reasoning of the jury: “We’re really impressed by the power, dedication, and unwavering resolve of the producer. With a transparent imaginative and prescient and fierce dedication, the producer is able to deliver the challenge onto the worldwide stage. We give the Producer’s Community – Marché du Movie Award to FAHRIYE ISMAYILOVA, the producer of GOODBYE FOR NOW.”

The MIDPOINT’s Consulting Award was bestowed to:
THE DICTATOR’S DREAM
Director: Erenik Beqiri, Manufacturing: Dritan Huqi – On Movie Manufacturing, Albania
The reasoning of the jury: “We have been impressed by the challenge’s political relevance and daring, unique imaginative and prescient. A culturally particular story with common resonance, it skillfully blends satire, absurdity, and tragedy to discover energy. The MIDPOINT consulting award goes to THE DICTATOR’S DREAM.”

Unbiased Awards:
ONASSIS FILM AWARD
The Onassis Movie Award – with a cash-prize of 10,000 euros – was granted to a Greek challenge taking part within the Agora’s Crossroads Co-production Discussion board part for this yr.
The Onassis Movie Award was bestowed by Vassilis Panagiotakopoulos, Head of Productions on the Onassis Basis, to the movie:
THE TIDE HEARS THEM BUT THEY NO LONGER HAVE A VOICE
Director: Yiannis Veslemes, Manufacturing: Nicholas Alavanos – FILMIKI, Greece
The reasoning of the jury: “The Onassis Movie Award is offered to a challenge that stands out for its boldness and authenticity, searching for a stability between the political and the metaphysical. With a transparent directorial imaginative and prescient, it addresses one of many darkest political durations in Greece as a way to discuss timeless themes and common questions surrounding demise and immortality. The award is offered to the movie THE TIDE HEARS THEM BUT THEY NO LONGER HAVE A VOICE by Yannis Veslemes, produced by Filmiki.”

The jury of the Onassis Movie Award, beneath the path of the Inventive Director of the Onassis Basis, Afroditi Panagiotakou, consists of:
Dimitris Theodoropoulos, Government Director of the Onassis Basis
Vasso Vasilatou, Theatrοlogist
Elizampetta Ilia Georgiadou, Screenwriter
Vasilis Panayiotakopoulos, Producer
Christos Sarris, Filmmaker

The Greener Display Award, providing session on sustainability practices earlier than and throughout the movie capturing was bestowed by the Chief Content material Officer of Greener Display, Bassam Alasad, to the movie:
A GIRL NAMED ZEUS
Director: Nikos Dayandas, Manufacturing: Konstantinos Κoukoulis – ΠLANKTON, Greece
Reasoning: “Greener Display recognises this movie for its deep sense of place, its poetic reflection on heritage, and its creators’ honest dedication to environmental values and sustainable follow. A narrative that harmonises revolt and custom, embodying the regenerative spirit on the coronary heart of really inexperienced cinema. The award is offered to: A GIRL NAMED ZEUS.”

The Sofia Conferences Award, which provides the possibility to the profitable challenge to participate within the upcoming occasion of Sofia Conferences, held in March 2026, was awarded by Mira Staleva, Head of the Sofia Conferences, to the movie:
ROBBING BEIRUT
Director: Katia Jarjoura, Manufacturing: Michel Zana – Blue Prepare Movies, Co-production: Elisa Pirir – Staer Movie, Jana Wehbe – The Attic, France, Norway, Lebanon
Reasoning: “For its well timed and deeply human story of braveness and bravado, ROBBING BEIRUT stands as a testomony to the enduring spirit of dignity and solidarity — values our society wants now greater than ever.”

The Mediterranean Movie Institute “George Kalogeropoulos” Award – Script 2 Movie Workshop Scholarship was awarded by Leda Dialyna, Coordinator of the MFI, to the movie:
LA FORMA ANIMAL
Director: Isa Luengo, Sofia Esteve, Manufacturing: Laura Rubirola – Nocturna Photos, Carlotta Schiavon, Eva Murgui – Vayolet Movies, Spain
Reasoning: “The award goes to a challenge that imaginatively blends historical past, folklore, and private narrative – exploring otherness, transformation, and political reminiscence. For its insightful transforming of historic occasions by fantasy and fable, we proudly give the MFI SCRIPT 2 FILM WORKSHOP Award to LA FORMA ANIMAL.”

The EAVE THESSALONIKI Award – Advertising and marketing Scholarship was bestowed by EAVE challenge supervisor Sarah Van Den Hoogen to the movie:
Gabi Suciu for The Life and Occasions of Ion G.
Reasoning: “We’re very joyful for AGORA to provide the EAVE Advertising and marketing Workshop scholarship to a producer that exhibits very clear motivation to develop her advertising expertise and we really feel like it’s the proper second in her profession to take part. She very a lot embodies the “EAVE spirit” and we’re excited to have a Romanian participant on the workshop in 2026.”

AGORA WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARDS
The jury of the Agora Works in Progress, composed of Dorian Magagnin – Acquisitions & Festivals Supervisor at Cercamon (UA), Danae Spathara – producer at Heretic (Greece), Barbara Wurm – Head at Berlinale Discussion board (Germany), took the ground to bestow the next awards:

119 Marvila Studios Award – Sound mixing companies
The 119 Marvilla Studio Award was bestowed by sound editor Roland Vajs and the corporate’s proprietor Sandra Piers to the movie:
TONIGHT IS FOREVER
Director: Fernando Souza, Manufacturing: Quentin Laurent – Les Movies de l’Oeil Sauvage, Co-production: Lucas Senecaut- L’Oeil Vif Movies, Mina Moteki-Kowatanda Movies, Fernando Souza – Dichosos los Ojos, France, Japan, Spain
The reasoning of the jury: “We felt related with the emotional layers of this character in his pursuit of affection. We have been caught by the silence echoing loneliness. We have been surprised by the robust cinematic language and the refined environment that this movie conveys. The 119 Marvila Studios Award goes to TONIGHT IS FOREVER directed by Fernando Souza.”

Authorwave Publish-Manufacturing Award – Artistic Companies
The Authorwave post-production Artistic Companies award was bestowed by Liza Chrysochou, Authorwave’s Chief Working Officer, to the movie:
PROMISED SPACES
Director: Ivan Marković, Manufacturing: Jasmina Sijercić-Bocalupo Movies, Co-production: Zsofi Lili Kovacs – Fiskultura Movies, Jelena Radenković – Massive Time Manufacturing, Daniel Mattes- Anti-Archive, France, Germany, Serbia, Cambodia
The reasoning of the jury: “We have been very impressed by the way in which this movie displays the social strata of society by a powerful visible conception, mis-en-scene and shut commentary of the city structure. The folks may share the identical body, however they continue to be disconnected. The Authorwave Publish-production Award goes to PROMISED SPACES directed by Ivan Marković.”

The ERT Agora Works in Progress Award with a money prize of two,000 euros is given to a Greek challenge.
The ERT Award of two,000 was bestowed by Synthia Sapika, Basic Director of ERT3 and member of the Competition’s Board of Administrators, to the movie:
WAYS TO GET RID OF SOME FREEDOM
Director: Chrisanthos Margonis, Manufacturing: Eleni Kossyfidou-Blackbird Productions, Co-production: Marinos Charalambous – Boycott Movies, Greece, Cyprus
The reasoning of the jury: “The movie grabbed us instantly and managed to maintain our consideration all all through – by its overwhelming power, freshness, directness and the riveting performances. The all the time unpredictable story made us need to be part of these lovers on their weird street journey. The ERT AGORA Works in Progress Award goes to WAYS TO GET RID OF SOME FREEDOM directed by Chrisanthos Margonis.”

AGORA SERIES TALENTS AWARD
Inside the framework of the newly established Agora Sequence Abilities, addresses to sequence’ screenwriters, the Crew United Award was bestowed by Venia Vergou and Iris Assimakopoulou pf of the Crew United to:

Katerina Papanastasiou
The reasoning of the jury: “We grant the Award to Katerina Papanastasatou, for the sequence challenge Elena, Unhinged that stands out for its sharp humor, robust voice, and its trustworthy tackle the struggles of a technology attempting to outlive and keep true to itself.
The winner receives a 5-year Premium membership subscription on Crew United, the main on-line networking platform.