Fifteen projects from 11 countries have been chosen for the 3rd Crossroads Co-Production Forum at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) from Nov 14-23.

Crossroads caters to projects from countries in the Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean regions, introducing them to a network of financiers, producers and leading industry specialists from across the world.

The projects are selected based on the quality of the script, the creative team and the likelihood of it being produced. The forum was created by TIFF director Despina Mouzaki and is headed by former Cannes Fortnight topper French producer Marie-Pierre Macia.

One project participating in the forum will receive a $14,000 (Euros 10,000) award, offered by the TIFF sponsor Nokia N Series. The award will be decided by a yet to be announced international jury.

Past winners of the award include Pandora's Box (Turkey) by Yesim Ustaoglu which was awarded the Golden Shell and the Best Actress award (Tsilla Chelton) at last month's San Sebastian Film Festival.

2007's winning project was Nadav Lapid's The Policeman (Israel). It was subsequently presented at l'Atelier du Cinema, Cannes 2008 and selected for the New Cinema Network section of the 2008 International Rome Film Festival.

The nominated projects are:

  • Beyond Amnesty , directed by Bujar Alimani, produced by Bujar Alimani / Thanos Anastopoulos, 90 Productions Albania / Fantasia Audiovisual SA Greece;
  • Crossroads , dir Robert Budina, prod Sabina Kodra, Erafilm Albania;
  • False Witness , dir Iglika Trifonova, prod Rositsa Valkanova, Klas Film Bulgaria (In collaboration with the Sofia Meetings of the Sofia International Film Festival);
  • Shanghai - Belleville , dir Show-Chun Lee, prod by Juliette Grandmont, Charivari & Clandestine Productions France;
  • America Square , dir Yannis Sakaridis, prod Maria Tsiga, Argonauts S.A Greece;
  • Bloody Puppy, dir Yannis Economidis, prod Maria Tsiga, Argonauts S.A Greece;
  • Rio , dir Nicolas Panoutsopoulos, prod Menelaos Karamaghiolis, Pausilypon Films Greece;
  • The Tree and the Swing, dir Maria Douza, prod Eleni Atsikbasis, Phos Productions Greece;
  • Infiltration, dir Dover Kosashvili, prod Marek Rozenbaum, Transfax Film Productions Israel.
  • God of the Hills, dir Christian Wagner, prod Paolo Spina, Revolver SRLC Italy.
  • When I Saw You, dir Annemarie Jacir, prod Ossama Bawardi, Philistine Films Jordan / Palestine.
  • Clandestine Ghetto (documentary), dir Stephane Luçon, written and produced by Mara Nicolescu, Ora De Vara / Domino Film Romania.
  • Tilva Rosh, dir by Nikola Lezaic, prod by Vesna Dinic, Kiselo Dete Productions Serbia.
  • The Fugitives, dir Ben Hopkins, prod Gulen Guler Hurley, Yalan Dunya Film Production Turkey.
  • Sultan's Kitchen, dir Umit Unal, prod Gulin Ustun, Gu Film Turkey.

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