Greek Queer Romance ‘Bearcave,’ Turkish Drama ‘The Hunchback’ Take Top Honors at Thessaloniki’s Industry Awards

Greek filmmaker Stergios Dinopoulos' queer romantic adventure "Bearcave" and Turkish director Ahu Ozturk's drama "The Hunchback" took the top prizes at the Thessaloniki Film Festival 's industry award ceremony Wednesday night.

Dinopoulos' feature debut, based on a 2023 short film of the same name, won the Authorwave Post-Production Award, the top prize in the Agora's Works in Progress section, offering image services in post-production. The Crossroads Co-Production Forum, meanwhile, gave its top honors — the Two Thirty-Five Co-Production Award, offering full post-production image and sound to a film that's currently in development — to "The Hunchback," Ozturk's sophomore feature and the follow-up to her 2015 Berlinale premiere "Dust Cloth."

"Bearcave," which tells the story of a mystical cave and an unexpected betrayal that spurs a romantic adventure between two childhood friends, was praised by the jury for its "unique style, rebellious characters and important story [that] convincingly reflected the uncompromising character displayed by the film and its team."

Accepting the award alongside her director, producer Krysianna Papadakis said: "It's a weird reality we're living in, and I feel like it's a privilege to be making fiction, at least in this environment. I'm very grateful to have this opportunity, and also to all of us for propping up this industry with our imagination."

The top prize in the Crossroads Co-Production Forum went to "The Hunchback," which follows the close bond between two women who are suddenly forced to confront unspeakable loss. In its statement on the prize-winning film, the jury said it depicts characters "who live through loss, abandonment and disillusion so honestly that we immersed ourselves completely into their lives."

In their acceptance speeches, Ozturk and producer Pinar Aydin cited the challenging circumstances for filmmakers in Turkey, which has grappled with both an economic tailspin and the increasingly authoritarian tendencies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We are having a really hard time in Turkey to make independent cinema, and this award clearly means a lot for us," said Aydin. "Sometimes I feel that I'm losing my hope to make cinema in Turkey," added Ozturk, "and [this award] gives me that hope."

Other big winners included "The Passport," a comedic drama from Palestinian filmmaker Rakan Mayasi, which tells the story of a Palestinian man whose body gets trapped in bureaucratic limbo after he dies en route from Gaza to Canada. The film won two prizes, including a €8,000 ($8,600) cash prize from France's CNC. Another dual prizewinner was "African Grey," a noir comedy by Greek filmmaker Yorgos Gousis ("Magnetic Fields") about a locksmith who solves a murder case while searching for a parrot. The film won the Thessaloniki EAVE Marketing Workshop Scholarship and the Onassis Film Award in the amount of €10,000 ($10,800).

At an upbeat but emotionally charged event taking place just hours after the U.S. presidential race was called for Donald Trump, Agora head Angeliki Vergou tried to boost the spirits of the many attendees still reeling from the overnight drama in the U.S., saying: "Let's live a little bit longer in cinematic denial and forget, for one night, the results of the American elections and enjoy this night of friendship and collaboration."

Politics took center stage for much of the night, with an event that focuses on Southeastern Europe and the wider Mediterranean region reflecting the spirit of these tumultuous times. Lebanese filmmaker Ahmad Ghossein, who directed the Venice Critics' Week winner "All This Victory" and won a prize for his upcoming feature "The Side Effects of Trusting Life," gave a heartfelt plea for an end to Israel's military campaign in his country, while Palestinian producer May Odeh — accepting a prize for "The Passport" alongside director Mayasi — implored the audience to share in her prayers "to stop this madness back home." The loudest cheers of the night, meanwhile, went to Dinopoulos, who ended his brief acceptance speech for "Bearcave" with the words "Free Palestine!"

This year's Agora welcomed 648 industry guests — a more than 10% increase from 587 attendees in 2023, and a 16% spike from 2022 — reflecting the continued growth and influence of the industry event. Thirteen films included in this year's official selection in Thessaloniki had previously participated in the Agora.

Speaking at Wednesday's award ceremony, festival general director Elise Jalladeau toasted the 20th anniversary of the Agora while highlighting its impact as a linchpin for the region's screen industries.

"In 20 years, we've seen the region's motion picture sector strengthen and reconnect with industries in other regions of the world and Europe," she said. "We are very proud to have been part of this movement, of this journey, and to have supported the Greek and regional cinema in this time of technical and financial integration, inclusion and creative exchange.

"At a time when the rise of isolationism and exclusion is more rampant than ever, we must stay united in the spirit of dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding for cinema to remain a connective experience that crosses geographical, cultural and economic borders."

Here's the complete list of winners of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival's Agora awards:

Crew United Prize: Vasilis Zlatanos

Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra Prize: John Konsolakis

Crossroads Co-Production Forum Awards

Two Thirty-Five Award: "The Hunchback," Ahu Ozturk

CNC Award: "The Passport," Rakan Mayasi

Greener Screen Consultancy Award: "The Appalling Human Voice of the Animals," Neritan Zinxhiria; "The Hunchback," Ahu Ozturk

ArteKino International Award: "Fog," Denis Spiridonov

Finos Film Award: "Wake," Thelyia Petraki

Mediterranean Film Institute Award: "The Passport," Rakan Mayasi

Producers' Network – Marché du Film Award: "Bleach," Kaltrina Krasniqi

Midpoint Consulting Award: "The Side Effects of Trusting Life," Ahmad Ghossein

Thessaloniki EAVE Marketing Workshop Scholarship: Konstantinos Koukoulis, "African Grey"

Onassis Film Award: "African Grey," Yorgos Gousis

Agora Works in Progress Awards

Authorwave Post-Production Award: "Bearcave," Stergios Dinopoulos

"Lifelike," Ali Vatansever