Thessaloniki's Industry Head on ‘Embracing' Change, Providing a Safe Harbor for Documentary Filmmakers in Turbulent Times
The Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival's industry arm, Agora, which runs parallel to the fest's 27th edition from March 7 – 15, returns with a renewed sense of purpose for filmmakers devoted to a medium that feels more vital than ever.
Taking place at a time when the very notion of truth is under threat, the event will gather documentary filmmakers, commissioners, funding bodies and other industry representatives to reckon not only with the existential crises facing the doc community, but the practical concerns for filmmakers faced with ongoing financing and distribution challenges.
More from Variety
'We Live Here,' About a Former Soviet Nuclear Test Site, Boarded by Syndicado Ahead of CPH:DOX Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
'Adobe of Down,' About a Religious Community in Siberia, Picked Up by Taskovski Ahead of CPH:DOX Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Greenwich Entertainment Acquires Peter Miller's 'Marcella,' Sets May Theatrical Release (EXCLUSIVE)
In such turbulent times, industry events like Agora are all the more essential to the health of the documentary ecosystem, according to Thessaloniki industry head Angeliki Vergou.
'Markets are the core of the audiovisual industry. People attend them because they want to meet each other, they want to exchange [ideas],' Vergou tells Variety. 'This is the main purpose why we exist: so we can bring good projects together with good professionals, in order to create and promote good content.'
Amid belt-tightening at public and private broadcasters, corporate retrenchment at major streaming platforms and shifting audience habits, documentary filmmakers must walk a tightrope to bring that content to the screen. Yet the Agora team has worked tirelessly through the years to keep pace with the industry's evolution. This year, for example, sees the introduction of the Agora XR Lab, a new program dedicated to XR and New Media projects in development that dovetails with Agora's overall mission to 'embrace technology and new realities of production,' according to Vergou.
The old certainties of how documentary films are financed, produced and distributed have crumbled, ushering in a new reality to which many industry professionals are still struggling to adapt. 'When you hear it from everywhere, you know that there is a shift happening,' Vergou says. 'We need to figure out — and when I say 'we,' I mean the industry, the funds, the broadcasters, the sales agents — everyone needs to sit down together and try to figure out the way forward. Definitely, there needs to be experimentation about what works, what doesn't work. New ideas — we shouldn't be afraid of trying new things.'
Highlighting Thessaloniki's commitment to bringing new cinematic voices and ideas to the forefront, this year's edition of the Pitching Forum and Docs in Progress — which include projects from Southeastern Europe, as well as the wider Mediterranean and Black Sea regions — aim to find a balance 'between up-and-coming festival titles but also [films that] strike a more commercial chord,' Vergou explains.
Diversity, as ever, is key. 'We try to amplify diverse voices and of course shed light on topics that are very important right now, like human rights, identity — and, of course, the war that is inevitable all around us,' says Vergou. 'As well as love, romance, companionship.' She laughs. 'Trying to find the hope in all of that.'
Fourteen projects from 15 nations — including two series, one documentary for kids and one animated documentary — will take part in this year's Pitching Forum. Among them are new films from Poland's Michał Marczak, a Sundance prizewinner for 'All These Sleepless Nights,' and Belgium's Volkan Üce, whose 'All-In' played at CPH:DOX and Hot Docs. Recent editions have helped launch critically acclaimed films including Greek filmmaker Elina Psykou's 'Stray Bodies' (pictured), a Thessaloniki and CPH:DOX premiere in 2024, and 'Blueberry Dreams,' by Georgia's Elene Mikaberidze, which also premiered in Copenhagen last year.
Over at Docs in Progress, 10 projects from 12 countries have been selected to take part, along with four Greek documentaries chosen for the Agora Boost program dedicated to projects from the host nation. Among them are 'Future Tenses,' from veteran Greek filmmaker Christos Karakepelis, and French-Algerian newcomer Mia Bendrimia's 'Magma,' which won several prizes at Marrakech's Atlas Workshops. Recent Docs in Progress success stories include Portuguese director Paulo Carneiro's Cannes Directors' Fortnight premiere 'Savanna and the Mountain,' and 'Diaries From Lebanon,' by Lebanese filmmaker Myriam El Hajj, which premiered in the Berlinale's Panorama Dokumente sidebar.
Thessaloniki's Agora has long looked to boost projects from countries where documentary filmmakers are at risk — among the line-up this year are projects from Ukraine, Palestine, Georgia, Turkey and Algeria — and the upcoming edition will see the launch of a new initiative, Doc Together, in partnership with DOK Leipzig, that's designed to address some of the critical challenges they face.
The initiative, says Vergou, aims to support the growing number of filmmakers 'that cannot have access to funding due to political reasons, or because aspects of their identity [such as ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation] are targeted in their country.' That includes 'displaced or exiled filmmakers, as well as filmmakers working in peril in their own countries,' she says. Working in collaboration with DOK Leipzig, which will host the event's next chapter at its upcoming edition, the goal is to explore avenues for those filmmakers to access financing and other resources.
This year's Agora is especially committed to fostering an environment that will allow the attending industry guests to thrive, both during the Thessaloniki event and when they return to their home countries. A session during the Agora Talks program, hosted in collaboration with #DocSafe, will look to further that initiative's goals to address unsafe practices and foster accountability in the documentary industry.
Meanwhile, in the Warehouse complex that hosts Agora activities throughout the week, a 'decompression room' will be available to all participants — whether to take part in morning sessions with a holistic therapist to prepare for the day ahead, or to 'ground themselves after a day of meetings, pitching, networking,' says Vergou.
'Thessaloniki and Agora have always been a safe place to pitch, and to meet and network,' she adds. 'But with everything that's going on in the world, there is an extra need to feel safe and not exposed.'
The Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival takes place March 6 – 16.
Best of Variety
Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More
What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
What's Coming to Netflix in March 2025
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chile's Antonia Zegers, Star of Pablo Larrain's ‘The Club,' Boards Peruvian helmer Joanna Lombardi's ‘The Comeback'(EXCLUSIVE)
Chilean actress Antonia Zegers, whose notable credits include several of Pablo Larrain's films, including 'Tony Manero,' 'The Club,' 'No,' and his Pinochet-as-Dracula pic, 'The Count,' has boarded the upcoming drama 'The Comeback' ('El Regreso') by Peru's Joanna Lombardi. Zegers, who also toplined Lucia Puenzo's lauded series 'The Pack' ('La Jauria') serves as a juror at the Ibero-American Fiction section of the ongoing 40th Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG), wrapping on June 14. More from Variety Netflix, Incentives and Location Perks Spur Growth in Mexico's Film and TV Industry Boxing, Uprisings, LGBTQ+ and Coming-of-Age Stories Power Guadalajara Co-Production Meetings Lineup Climate Change Hell, Military Coups, Big Industry Pollution, Fractured Families: Guadalajara Gives a Bracing Latin American Take on World Collapse 'What first drew me in was the chance to work with Joanna – there's a quiet strength in her, a way of seeing the world that speaks to me. I trust that together, we'll create something truly special,' she told Variety. Lombardi is a former creative executive for Movistar in Latin America and leading Peruvian shingle Tondero Films. Her directorial feature debut 'Casadentro' won Montreal Festival's Golden Zenit as well as the international critics Fipresci award. She also directed Peru's first Netflix Original 'How to Get Over a Breakup' ('Soltera codiciada'). Set against the little-known Aug. 28 festivities in the coastal border town of Tacna in Peru, 'The Comeback' follows Martha, a once-famous actress in crisis, who returns to Tacna to sell her family home and use the proceeds to fund a play that she hopes could revive her career. As the city celebrates Aug. 28th, which marks the anniversary of Tacna's return to Peru after its war with Chile, her plans are upended by her sister's sudden illness, forcing Martha to stay in the place she hoped to leave behind. 'This film is about memory, but it is also about identity as Martha left home at 18 for Chile, which upset her family. She was seen as a Peruvian in Chile but when she returns, she is seen as Chilean because she has picked up a Chilean accent,' said Lombardi who has put together a crack – mostly female – team that includes Inti Briones ('To Kill a Man,' 'Jayro Bustamante's 'Rita') as her DP, Chile's Soledad Salfate ('A Fantastic Woman') as her editor and Luciano Supervielle ('The Freshly Cut Grass') as her music composer. Chile's Florencia Larrea ('My Tender Matador') and Uruguay's Agustina Chiarino of Bocacha Films ('Agárrame fuerte'), both key drivers of Latin American cinema, have also boarded as co-producers. They are seeking a European producing partner. 'The Comeback' is written by Lombardi's mother, author Giovanna Pollarolo, the wife of Peru's legendary filmmaker Francisco Lombardi, who wrote all the screenplays to his films, including his hit Goya-nominated satire 'Captain Pantoja and the Special Service.' 'It will be the first time I collaborate with my mother,' said Lombardi, adding: 'It was her idea to set a story in Tacna, which we later co-developed. Tacna was where my father was born and where I spent all my childhood summers.' For some historical context, Tacna played a pivotal role in The War of the Pacific, in which Peru was defeated by Chile in 1883. Yet Tacna remained under Chilean control until August 28, 1929, nearly 50 years later. Almost a century has passed, but the conflict remains unresolved. Deep-seated resentment toward Chile still lingers among the people of Tacna, a reality that must be addressed for true reconciliation. 'Every August 28, the city comes to a standstill to celebrate but ironically, few Peruvians outside Tacna know or remember why,' she said. 'Sometimes I feel people are split between those who want to remember the past and those who prefer to move forward. I often wonder which is healthier,' she mused. Filming is scheduled to take place in Tacna in August next year. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cooper Koch reveals two failed auditions to play Menendez brother—here's who beat him
Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images Cooper Koch Cooper Koch is nothing if not tenacious! The 28-year-old actor broke out in 2024 for starring in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story as Erik Menendez. His impassioned performance led to a Golden Globe nomination, a spot in Variety's Actors on Actors interviews, and millions of fans. In his Actors on Actors interview — a web series hosted by Variety — Koch was paired up with The White Lotus star Sam Nivola. The two discussed playing characters defined by their relationships to their brothers, working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, and how they got their breakout roles. Fans already knew that Koch was passionate about the Menendez brothers, speaking out about their real-life case and even visiting them in prison. Now, we know how deep that passion goes. Cooper Koch and Sam Nivola haven't met before, but form an instant bond in the Actors on Actors studio. They discuss what it ... - YouTube During his appearance on Variety's "Actors on Actors," Koch revealed that he had actually — literally — auditioned for the 2017 limited season dubbed Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders that centered on the Menendez brothers (Koch's second audition ever). And Koch had also auditioned for the 2017 Lifetime movie Menendez: Blood Brothers, once again not booking the role. "I just felt like this insane cosmic, universe-y thing that was like, 'I have to play this part,'" Koch told Nivola in their one-on-one interview. "It was just that immense empathy that you feel for a person, and I had to do it." Koch eventually earned his chance to play one of the Menendez brothers on Ryan Murphy's Monsters series on Netflix. The series was so successful that it propelled Koch to become a household name around the world, and a legitimate Emmy contender, too. However, Koch's revelation did some spark a curiosity within us: Who the heck were the other actors who beat him in those auditions for the Lifetime movie and the limited season of Law & Order? Nico Tortorella starred as Lyle Menendez in Menendez: Blood Brothers when he was 29 years old. The Shield star Benito Martinez played the Menendez patriarch José, and musician Courtney Love played the mother, Kitty Menendez. Tortorella was already a rising star at the time, having played Trevor Sheldon in Scream 4, and starred in the TV shows The Beautiful Life, Make It or Break It, The Following, and Younger. After those shows, Tortorella has often appeared as himself, including on RuPaul's Drag Race and Legendary as a guest judge, and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race as a competitor. Over the years, Tortorella came out as bisexual, genderfluid, and polyamorous. The actor also got married to Bethany C. Meyers in 2018, and they have two kids together. Before playing Erik Menendez in Menendez: Blood Brothers, Myko Olivier had many small roles in television and short films, including the MTV series Awkward, Zendaya's Disney series K.C. Undercover, Nickelodeon's Sam & Cat with Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande. He also starred in Glee as one of the Warblers. Since then, Olivier has continued to steadily work on shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Code Black, Doctor Odyssey, and Good Trouble, where he played Tyler Banks for nine episodes. Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders aired in 2017 and starred Edie Falco as defense attorney Leslie Abramson. Actor Gus Halper played Erik Menendez in the series. Before Law & Order, he had landed roles in TV shows such as Power and Chicago P.D. Halper's career took off after this performance on Law & Order, and he was soon starring in shows like Happy!, Madam Secretary, Ramy, Dickinson, Evil, Fear the Walking Dead, and Law & Order: Organized Crime. In 2023, he appeared in the Oscar-nominated film Rustin as civil rights activist Tom Kahn alongside Colman Domingo (who played the title character). On Law & Order, Lyle Menendez was played by actor Miles Gaston Villanueva. Villanueva made his name in Hollywood starring in 87 episodes of The Young and the Restless, while also appearing in shows like NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Bones, and Jane the Virgin. Villanueva has continued his successful TV career, starring in eight episodes of The Resident, seven episodes of Nancy Drew, and seven episodes of Bosch: Legacy. He also appeared on the gritty superhero show The Boys as Supersonic, where he played a hero with sound-based powers. Supersonic was formerly a member of an all-super boy band called Super-Sweet — and he even dated Starlight.


Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Sabrina Carpenter gets cheeky as she announces new album, ‘Man's Best Friend'
Sabrina Carpenter sure has been a 'Busy Woman.' Just a year after releasing 'Short n' Sweet,' the 'Espresso' singer has another album on the way. Carpenter took to Instagram Wednesday morning to announce 'Man's Best Friend,' due Aug. 29, along with its sultry (and divisive) cover art featuring the singer on all fours in front of a man pulling her hair. She also posted a close-up image of a dog whose collar is emblazoned with the album title, highlighting the cheeky play on words. Carpenter gave fans a taste of the new project last week with 'Manchild,' a twangy synth-pop track that sees the singer questioning, 'Why so sexy if so dumb? / And how survive the Earth so long?' Written with Amy Allen and Jack Antonoff shortly after finishing 'Short n' Sweet,' the single has been compared to her songs '15 Minutes' and 'Busy Woman,' released earlier this year. 'It sounds like the song embodiment of a loving eye roll and it feels like a never ending road trip in the summer,' Carpenter said of 'Manchild' on Instagram. 'Hence why i wanted to give it to you now- so you can stick your head out the car window and scream it all summer long!' 'Manchild' is accompanied by a playful music video that shows the singer hitchhiking with various incompetent men and bathing with pigs in her bra and underwear. Fans have also been quick to point out that the dog in the video may be the same as the one in the album announcement. While not much else is known about the album, Carpenter sifted through ABBA, Donna Summer and Dolly Parton records during an Instagram Live Wednesday morning, hinting at her possible influences, according to Variety. The singer notably covered the Weather Girls' '80s hit 'It's Raining Men' during her headlining set at Primavera Sound Barcelona last weekend, where she also performed 'Manchild' live for the first time. This fall, Carpenter is set to return to North America for another leg of her Short n' Sweet Tour, finishing with six nights at Los Angeles' Arena on Nov. 16, 17, 19, 20, 22 and 23. Perhaps fans can expect some new additions to the setlist.