Thessaloniki: Ioana Cristiani's 'Swell' Adaptation Among 2026 Agora Works-in-Progress

Exclusive: Eleven projects from Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean region have been selected for the Agora Works-in-Progress 2026 sessions at the Thessaloniki Film Festival 2026. Agora Works-in-Progress at Thessaloniki focuses on films in post-production that have ties to the Mediterranean and Southeast Europe. During […]

Exclusive: Eleven titles from Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean region have been selected to participate in the 2026 Works in Progress Agora sessions at the 2026 Thessaloniki Film Festival.

The Agora of Works in Thessaloniki focuses on films in post-production related to the Mediterranean region and Southeast Europe. During the event, selected films will be presented to key industry players including sales agents, distributors, producers, broadcast platforms and festival programmers with the aim of helping films secure final funding, attract sales agents, secure festival screenings and build critical partnerships. Related News Thessaloniki Film Festival news: "Cotton Queen" by Susana Mirghani won the best film -- full list of winners News of Thessaloniki Film Festival AGORA industry award winners -- full list

This year's AGORA Works in Progress jury includes Maria Drendaki, producer and founder of Home Movies (Greece), Wouter Janssen, founder and head of sales and purchasing at Square Eyes (Austria) and Gabriela Trujillo, programmer at Quinzaine des cinéastes (Directors' Fortnight - France). Watch on Deadline

Among the titles selected by Swell is the new film by Alexandros Voulgaris (Son), which will be screened as a sneak preview at the AGORA WiP presentations. This movie is based on the book of the same name by the famous author Ioana Caristiani.

Films that have participated in previous editions of Agora Works in Progress include Tonya Micheli's The Lion on My Back (IFF Karlovy Vary - Crystal Globe Competition 2026 - World Jury Prize). Ivan Markovic's Promised Spaces (Cannes FF – ACID Cannes 2026); and A Boy With Light Blue Eyes by Thanasis Neofotistos (SXSW London 2026).

Scroll down to see the full list of Works In Progress titles. The Agora Works in Progress program will run from November 8 to 12.

1970 Director: Darko Longolov, Production: Snezana van Houwelingen – This and That Productions, Serbia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Croatia

Director: Panagiotis Charamis, Producer: Alexis Tsoukalas – Pan Entertainment, Greece THE CROSSROAD

Director: Mari Gulbiani, Producer: Kate Kalandarishvili – MIDIFILM, Georgia

Director: Diego Llorente, Production: Lara Lobo – Failo Cine, Co-production: Virginia Bogliolo – tarkiofilm, Rubén González – Báltico Media, Spain, Uruguay

Director: Tunahan Kurt, Producer: Zeynep Ekmekci – FARO, Turkey

Director: Ismet Sijarina, Production: Leonora Lushtaku and Ismet Sijarina – Thumbs Up,

Co-production: Dejan Iliev – DMF doo Production, Florenc Papas – Tunnelfilm Kosovo*, Albania, North Macedonia Supported by: Film Center of Kosovo* (QKK), National Film Center of Albania (QKK), and Film Agency of North Macedonia. Developed with the support of eQuinoxe Europe.

Director: Sofia Georgovassili, Production: Antigone Rota, Stelios Cotionis – Foss Productions, Co-production: Irina Malcea-Candea – Luna Film, Greece, Romania

RÍO MASACRE Director: Sylvie Weber, Production: Anouk Shad-Ripe GmbH, Co-production: Lukas Rinner – Nabis Filmgroup, Austria

Director: Alexandros Voulgaris (son), Production: Dionysis Samiotis – Tanweer Productions, Giannis Yakovidis – Black Orange, Co-production: Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, ERT (Hellenic Broadcasting Company), Onassis Culture

Director: Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, Production: Mary Kolonia – Lucid Dreamers Productions, Greece

YIANNIS Director: Kyros Papavassiliou, Producer: Kyros Papavassiliou – Drytree Films, Co-Producer: Konstantina Stavrianou – Graal, Cyprus, Greece

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